Political vows to address climate change risks needed ahead of polls

Staff Correspondent

Climate experts and civil society representatives at a dialogue in the city have called upon the political parties to announce their plan and commitment in dealing with risk of climate change ahead of the ensuing general elections.

Since the entire Bangladesh is at serious risk due to climate change, the political parties should announce specific commitments ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections as to how they would deal with the risk, they said.

Jointly organized by Development agencies- AOSED and CANSA Bangladesh, the dialogue on ‘Political dialogue to deal with the risk of climate change’ was held at Azimur Rahman Conference Hall in the capital on Wednesday.

Moderated by Executive Director of Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS) Dr. Atiq Rahman, the dialogue was addressed, among others, by Country Director of Action Aid Farah Kabir, Executive Director of Coast Foundation Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Head of Coastal and Environment Department of Jagannath University Dr. Md. Abdul Quader, Chairperson of CANSA Bangladesh Rabeya Begum, Executive Director of AOSED Shamim Arefin, Executive Director of CDP Jahangir Hasan Masum, Deputy Executive Director of DORP Md. Zubair Hasan and Coordinator of Sundarbans and Coastal Protection Movement Nikhil Chandra Bhadra.

The dialogue demanded the political parties to present specific 7-point proposal in their election manifesto. The proposal states that the Paris Agreement should be presented to the President. At the initiative of the President, the National Parliament should hold a general discussion on the Paris Agreement. In the context of the futility and limitations of the Paris Agreement, the United Nations climate talks must continue to press for increased emissions reduction targets for industrialised and emitting countries to address the climate change.

The proposals also include starting climate talks with targets to limit global temperature increases by the end of this century, establishing a separate international forum under the United Nations on climate change-induced displacement and migration, resolving the confusion between national policy documents on climate change and establishing policy consistency between all national policy documents in the light of constitutional guidelines.

The dialogue also put emphasis on the need to increase allocations to address climate change impacts domestically and ensure transparency and accountability in project approval of Climate Change Trust Fund and prioritize adaptation in project approval.

The national policy and position should be adopted by involving the affected people, civil society, women, youth, ethnic minorities and other groups on climate change, the dialogue further said.