10-yr plan to focus on capacity building

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The government plan of action for dealing with the climate change will focus on building the country’s capacity to meet the challenges from shifts in global weather patterns over the next 20-25 years.

The 10-year action plan, which will be placed at a global conference in London next month, will also aim to have a climate resilient development pathway based on low carbon emission.

A draft of the plan was discussed at a national workshop in the city yesterday.

Food and Disaster Management Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali inaugurated the day-long event organised by the environment ministry to seek expert opinions on government strategies on climate change.

He said a huge amount of resources are needed to undertake adaptive measures against the damaging alterations feared to be caused by climate change.

He continued, “The countries responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions should channel funds and technologies for the vulnerable and low-lying countries like Bangladesh to help them guard themselves against effects of climate change.”

He also stressed the need for preparing an action plan to cope with the present as well future problems that might arise from environment challenges like global warming.

Noted water and environment expert Ainun Nishat presented a draft of the action plan. He said the government strategies will concentrate on measures to offset the impacts of climate change through adaptation and safeguard the well-being of the future generations.

Suggestions made by the speakers at the workshop would be included in the draft planned to be finalised within the next 10 days, he added.

M Asaduzzaman, research director of BIDS, presented a paper on “Introduction to climate change and its probable impacts”.

Agriculture and Water Resources Adviser CS Karim spoke as the chief guest in the closing session. He suggested raising the real needs of the country at the upcoming global conference.

“We should not consider what the developed nations want, rather we’ll have to speak of our needs at the London conference,” he continued. “We must follow an action plan that will address our needs.”

He observed that there is no alternative to building capacity and adapting to climate change. To make a difference to the efforts towards a sustainable environment people must change their mindset.

Raja Devasish Roy, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on forest and environment, chaired both the sessions.

In his address, he termed the action plan as a ‘moving document’ and hoped that in future the civil society members would lead the country in the international climate change negotiating forum.

Participants at the workshop were split into six groups for discussions. At the end of group discussions, they came up with their observations.

Ainun Nishat summed up the deliberations.

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