UNB, Dhaka :
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque on Monday said Bangladesh is currently focusing on what to do with the issue of ‘displacement’ due to possible sea-level rise caused by the global warming.
“If there’s a sea level rise by two meters, one-fourth or one-third (of coastal region) will go down under seawater. And if that happens, 20-40 million people in this country will be displaced,” he said during a public lecture on climate change.
Special Representative for Climate Change, UK Sir David King delivered the keynote speech at the event titled ‘Contemporary Global Climate Change Debate: Challenges and Prospects’ highlighting global perspective of climate change.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) jointly arranged the public lecture at the multipurpose hall of the IUB.
Director, ICCCAD, IUB Dr Saleemul Huq and Vice Chancellor, IUB Prof M Omar Rahman also spoke on the occasion. The Foreign Secretary said countries like Bangladesh are quite aware about the consequences of climate change. “Because we’re the sufferers. We know exactly how we’ll deal with that…it’s the people who know how to deal with this.”
Describing the possible worst scenario, he posed a question saying whether the scientific explanation and scientific innovation will help in this regard.
“I’m sure it’ll help but it’ll displace lots of people. We need to think about that, and that’s why Bangladesh is currently focusing on the displacement issue.”
Appreciating some of David King’s presentation, Haque said if anyone combines the demography and geography then there will be a very good scenario of climate change.
He said Bangladesh wants to look at the climate change issue within the broader parameter of sustainable development. “We don’t want to confine climate change to scientific capabilities. We don’t want to see only science can answer the climate change.”
The Foreign Secretary said there is a need to maintain a critical balance between adaptation and mitigation.
He said, Bangladesh wants to see some additional other resources and technology coming into helping developing countries to bridge the gap that has been created over the years in terms of adverse impact.
“I can assure you that Bangladesh will never exceed average per capita emission (greenhouse gas) of the developing countries. That’s a commitment made the by the Prime Minister in the climate summit,” he added.
The Foreign Secretary mentioned that the world they are living in is a different world and even 15 years back Bangladesh was a different one. “In the next 15 years, the world will be different and Bangladesh will be different one. We’ve to think of climate change issue in the context of next 15-20 years.”
Describing various aspects of solution, David King suggested the developing countries like Bangladesh to go for renewable energy as a means of solution to the climate change.
The British government is working bilaterally and country by country as part of the international process, he added.
Saleemul Huq said, Bangladesh is the most vulnerable country in terms of climate change impact whatever terms one wants to use. “We’re acting but we still need to do more.”
Omar Rahman said Bangladesh will have to act very quickly though it has started working on the issue.
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque on Monday said Bangladesh is currently focusing on what to do with the issue of ‘displacement’ due to possible sea-level rise caused by the global warming.
“If there’s a sea level rise by two meters, one-fourth or one-third (of coastal region) will go down under seawater. And if that happens, 20-40 million people in this country will be displaced,” he said during a public lecture on climate change.
Special Representative for Climate Change, UK Sir David King delivered the keynote speech at the event titled ‘Contemporary Global Climate Change Debate: Challenges and Prospects’ highlighting global perspective of climate change.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) jointly arranged the public lecture at the multipurpose hall of the IUB.
Director, ICCCAD, IUB Dr Saleemul Huq and Vice Chancellor, IUB Prof M Omar Rahman also spoke on the occasion. The Foreign Secretary said countries like Bangladesh are quite aware about the consequences of climate change. “Because we’re the sufferers. We know exactly how we’ll deal with that…it’s the people who know how to deal with this.”
Describing the possible worst scenario, he posed a question saying whether the scientific explanation and scientific innovation will help in this regard.
“I’m sure it’ll help but it’ll displace lots of people. We need to think about that, and that’s why Bangladesh is currently focusing on the displacement issue.”
Appreciating some of David King’s presentation, Haque said if anyone combines the demography and geography then there will be a very good scenario of climate change.
He said Bangladesh wants to look at the climate change issue within the broader parameter of sustainable development. “We don’t want to confine climate change to scientific capabilities. We don’t want to see only science can answer the climate change.”
The Foreign Secretary said there is a need to maintain a critical balance between adaptation and mitigation.
He said, Bangladesh wants to see some additional other resources and technology coming into helping developing countries to bridge the gap that has been created over the years in terms of adverse impact.
“I can assure you that Bangladesh will never exceed average per capita emission (greenhouse gas) of the developing countries. That’s a commitment made the by the Prime Minister in the climate summit,” he added.
The Foreign Secretary mentioned that the world they are living in is a different world and even 15 years back Bangladesh was a different one. “In the next 15 years, the world will be different and Bangladesh will be different one. We’ve to think of climate change issue in the context of next 15-20 years.”
Describing various aspects of solution, David King suggested the developing countries like Bangladesh to go for renewable energy as a means of solution to the climate change.
The British government is working bilaterally and country by country as part of the international process, he added.
Saleemul Huq said, Bangladesh is the most vulnerable country in terms of climate change impact whatever terms one wants to use. “We’re acting but we still need to do more.”
Omar Rahman said Bangladesh will have to act very quickly though it has started working on the issue.
