Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh and other most vulnerable countries (MVCs) must be provided with compensatory grant and easily accessible adequate fund to meet the full cost of adaptation to climate change.
Addressing the UN Climate Change Conference yesterday afternoon (local time), the PM also urged the world nations to rise above perceived and petty national interests in the greater interest of the existence of this mother planet.
She said representatives from Bangladesh and other countries have come to this beautiful city of Copenhagen with hopes of justice, equity, and for a fresh start to ensure the common safety of mankind.
“We’ve come to see a world united for once, with a single vision of saving our frail mother planet indeed, our futures are intertwined, and depend on the choices we make here,” Hasina said.
“Time is now for collective wisdom and right decisions for a greener, habitable world. Let’s not forget that posterity would judge us for the choices we make here, and the world we leave behind for our future generations.”
Regarding the fund, she said disbursement of the fund must take into account the extent of vulnerability to climate change, the size of population exposed to risk, adaptation initiatives by countries concerned.
“Adaptation funding must be at least 1.5 percent of GDP of the developed countries, separate from ODA as stipulated in the Brussels Program of Action,” the PM said.
Inability to take correct and immediate decisions here would result in topographical changes, food and water insecurity, health hazards, and mass movements of people, the PM said.
Hasina also called for taking immediate actions by all nations on the basis of the Bali Action Plan on sustainable development for survival to face the challenges of the climate change.
She further stressed that developed countries must also allow transfer of eco-friendly technology, particularly the MVCs and LDCs at affordable costs.
Hasina in her speech said an International Centre for Adaptation, Research and Training under UNFCCC is also needed to be set up for bolstering capabilities through shared experiences on adaptation.
The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction has ranked Bangladesh as the most vulnerable country to floods, third most to tsunami, and sixth most to cyclones in terms of human exposure, the PM said.
She told the summit that it is estimated that a meter rise in sea level due to global warming would inundate 18 percent of Bangladesh land mass, create 20 million climate refugees with 40 million more losing their livelihood by 2050.
In fact, she said, scientific estimates indicate a billion people would be displaced all over the world by 2050 by climate change.
Hasina in front of the global leaders also presented Bangladesh’s present government’s various plans to save the country’s people from the climate change calamities.
The Bangladesh premier urged the global leaders to stand by Bangladesh with financial and technological assistances, as these programmes would entail huge funds
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