Bangladesh News

Donors are not assisting the government in repairing damaged embankments in Aila-affected areas in coastal districts, said Disaster Management Bureau Director General Farhad Uddin.

“Around two lakh homeless are living on the embankments for several months after Aila hit the areas, as water still gushes into their houses through the damaged embankments. We asked donors to help repair it, but they said they are assessing the needs,” he said addressing an inaugural session of a two-day national conference on community-based climate change adaptation at LGED auditorium in the capital.

There are certain issues of paramount importance but instead of addressing those, donors are spending money on researches, the chief guest of the session Farhad said.

Citing his visit to the Aila-affected areas, he said repairing embankments is more important than supplying food relief but donors are not coming forward with financial help, he added.

Besides, he said poverty should be addressed first but natural disasters hit the country repeatedly due to climate change that makes it even more difficult to eradicate poverty.

Strengthening embankments in the coastal areas, building houses on higher grounds and constructing more cyclone shelters are among the tasks imperative to reduce the impact of climate change on people, he mentioned.

Actionaid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir said more people of the country may go below poverty line due to natural disasters, and that is why comprehensive studies are important to address the threats, floods, cyclones and drought arising from climate change.

International debates on carbon emission-cut, share of responsibility, financing to affected countries are very much evident, but by the time the remedy measures come into play, affected people will be on the brink of destruction, she said.

Sajid Raihan, an official of Actionaid Bangladesh, mentioned in his presentation that it is important to raise awareness among people, mainly in coastal areas, so that they will be at ease with the adaptation to the environment.

The coastal people should be aware of new technologies to be able to fight against climate change, he added.

The developed countries have to cut carbon-emission by 40 percent by 2020 and should give condition free financial assistance to developing countries in the face of natural disasters due to climate change, he noted.

The government and NGO sectors must focus on community involvement and use of sustainable resources, Sajid said.

Saleemul Huq, head of Climate Change Group of UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development, and Danish Embassy’s Programme Officer Wahida Musarrat Anita also spoke in the session.