Bangladesh News

Climate change is an issue of justice and security that poses a serious challenge to the country already faced with numerous problems, experts told a discussion yesterday.

It requires a change in lifestyle and adaptation to different geographic, economic and social changes.

Titled “Challenges of Global Warming”, the discussion was organised by The Daily Star and was one of the three on the Bangladeshi economy, social sectors and climate change.

The discussions were arranged for the visiting editors of Asian News Network (ANN) and moderated by Mahfuz Anam, current ANN chair and editor of The Daily Star.

Dr QK Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad, and Dr A Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, were the key speakers. The two are lead authors in the Nobel Prize winning International Panel on Climate Change.

Dr Ahmed in his speech said Bangladesh has multiple stresses on its economy and governance that would be even worse off due to devastating effects of climate change.

He said despite a growing awareness about climate change, “there is a disconnection between policy making and the realities on the ground”.

Atiq Rahman said climate change is a ‘justice issue’, as individuals who are born in the countries hit hardest by climate change are inherently worse off those born in the developed countries, who enjoy a far better lifestyle at the expense of greater carbon emissions.

He observed that Bangladesh must adapt to climate change regardless of global actions. “We have to have changes in the way we live and people are already starting to do it,” he added.

He said there is a ‘carbon colonialism’ in the global management of climate change as rich countries can buy into greater emissions. Instead, Atiq proposed, “swapping carbon for people” whereby the countries guilty of the highest carbon emission would take in people from countries worst affected. He said Bangladesh alone would have 20-25 million ‘climate refugees’ by 2050.

Atiq noted that Bangladesh will be facing six major dangers because of climate change. Even a one-metre rise in sea level would submerge one-fifth of the country by 2050-2075. Cyclones would be creeping deeper in the country because of ’saline intrusion’.

Cyclone velocity would increase, and storms would be more increasingly more intense. Besides, floods would be more frequent; irregular rainfall would make it difficult for farming; and the North-West would become drier increasing the chances of greater food insecurity.

The discussion on global warming was followed by another on ‘Media Freedom in Bangladesh’. There, editors of three leading newspapers said they hope the media freedom would be strengthened after elections usher in a new democratic government.

The editors of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and The Independent spoke on the subject.

Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman said violence against journalists had been a serious problem under the past political governments, especially in the hands of political thugs and religious extremists.

He said that although there were cases of intimidation and assault of journalists during the current state of emergency, the media’s resistance has forced the government to back off.

However, he lauded the government’s decision to pass the Right to Information law, which he believes would help the cause of media freedom here.

The editor of the highest circulating Bangla daily also said the media is looking forward to an elected government in Bangladesh as soon as possible.

He said that high taxes on publishing costs has forced newspapers here to search for greater sources of private funding.

The Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam said journalists have come a long way, as newspaper readership has jumped up from 12 percent to 26 percent between 1995 and 2002.

He said television viewership is up by 60 percent.

He said restrictive laws prohibit press freedom in Bangladesh, but “we are trying to resolve these problems by removing the impediments.”

Mahbub said that press freedoms must be continuously fought to ensure the rights of the press and the reading public.

The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said there is a strong tendency towards self-censorship and fear of being detained by the security forces among the press.

But, he said, the press is hopeful of seeing a much better picture after the elections.

Mahfuz also differentiated between greater state interventions in television than newspapers, while rural journalists faced greater problems than their fellows in cities.