Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Advocate Md Fazle Rabbi Miah called upon the industrially developed countries to fulfill their pledges mentioned in the Paris climate agreement to ensure climate justice.
“The developed countries are mostly responsible for global warming as they emit a large scale of greenhouse gas. They must take responsibility for their emissions and contribute to the climate funds to fulfil their commitments,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker said this on Sunday while addressing the inaugural session of a sub-regional workshop titled “Community Resilience to Climate Change in the Bay of Bengal Conference 2017” at the Spectra Convention Centre in the city. Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) and Concern Worldwide organised the workshop with economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, coordinator of Bangladesh Climate Change Negotiation Team, in the chair.
BUP Chairman MA Jalil, workshop’s convener rights activist Dr Nilufar Banu and Saroj Dash of Concern Worldwide addressed the session, among others. Fazle Rabbi said the developing countries including Bangladesh is not responsible for global worming but “Bangladeshis is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change”. The deputy speaker said the Bangladesh is facing the adverse effect of climate change. The northern districts and haor region have faced several flood this year, he added.
He said without depending on other countries and funds, Bangladesh itself has taken different initiatives to meet the challenge of climate change. Addressing the occasion, Qazi Kholiquzzaman underscored the need for taking up integrated national, sub-regional and regional initiates to minimize the effect of global warming. He said the greenhouse gas emission is putting harmful impacts on the environment which leads to frequent natural disasters across the globe.
“Bangladesh has faced three cyclones in the last three consecutive years. Nepal had faced massive earthquakes, America faced several Hurricanes in the recent years. . . Ethiopia and Philippines also faced natural disasters” he added.
The noted economist said the Bay of Bengal adjoining countries are the most venerable to natural disasters due to climate change. These countries must come forward to take integrated steps otherwise coastal belt people will become shelter less and poor people will be poorer due to the rise in sea level, he added.
Kholiquzzaman said developed countries must take responsibility for their historic emissions of greenhouse gas and come up to fulfil their commitment of the Paris Pact.
He expressed his apprehension that if the Paris climate agreement is fulfilled completely, the global temperature may increase by 3 degree Celsius in comparison of pre-industrial period.
