UK offers $60m to tackle climate change fallouts

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UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander yesterday announced over $200 million as grant for various programmes in Bangladesh, including $60 million to help the country adapt to the impacts of the global climate change.

He also urged the international community to help Bangladesh face the future threats of climate change.

He reiterated UK’s support for the roadmap to a free, fair and credible election by 2008 and urged the authorities to follow the due legal procedures in trying the political leaders now detained. “We support restoration of democratic process in Bangladesh,” he said.

Douglas was speaking at a news briefing in Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital concluding his two-day visit to cyclone affected Barguna and Barisal, and his meetings with Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam. British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury also spoke.

Replying to a question, the high commissioner said: “We have asked for clarification when the state of emergency will be lifted.”

The new UK grant includes $6.3 million for relief and recovery efforts bringing its cumulative commitment to flood and cyclone relief for Bangladesh in 2007 to over $30 million.

Sixty million dollars of the grant will be provided for adapting to the impacts of the climate change and to strengthen disaster preparedness, $120 million for Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction programme implemented by the UN, directly benefiting 3 million people in 16 poor urban areas, $25 million will be provided for vocational skills development, and $2 million will be given to the NGOs helping in the voter registration process.

“Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in the face of the climate change and we recognise its challenges. I welcome the progress in Bali on the issue and urge the whole international community to come forward to help in facing the challenges,” the UK minister said.

Protection of vulnerable countries against natural disasters requires more than emergency relief, he said adding that the UK made a long-term development commitment in helping Bangladesh face the challenges of the climate change and in strengthening its disaster preparedness.

He said he has enormous admiration for the resilience, hard work, and commitment of the Bangladeshi people. “The UK’s major focus on development is for lifting the people out of poverty and for improving their chances in life.”

The UK secretary of state for international development said it is laudable that the chief election commissioner had said should the voter list and electoral reforms be completed earlier than planned then the elections can be brought forward from the stipulated time.

“Bangladesh is striving to achieve a democracy that will endure, the success of the process will be vital to Bangladesh’s future development and prosperity,” he said.

Appreciating the separation of the judiciary from the executive branch of the government, the process of establishing a Human Rights Commission, and the formation of Regulatory Reforms Commission, the UK secretary said these are surely steps towards improving governance.

“Improved governance will surely attract more foreign direct investment,” he said adding that they want better records of human rights in the country.

Asked if due legal process is being followed in trying the detained political leaders, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury said they are monitoring the situation.

Comparing the number of extra-judicial killings of 2006 and 2007, he said it is a paradox that the number under the emergency rule is lesser.

“We will continue for better records,” Anwar Choudhury said, adding that the best trend in Bangladesh is its press freedom and ‘everything must be done to protect it’.

Head of the UK Department for International Development in Bangladesh Chris Austin also spoke at the briefing.

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