Bangladesh's claim to global climate fund

FE Team | Published: November 24, 2023 18:59:36

The term'climate-induced migration' has in recent times gained currency globally with climate change becoming the defining issue of our time. But regular migration of people dislodged by natural calamities from their ancestral abodes is but an age-old experience of the people in this part of the world. So, it is hardly surprising that an increased number and frequency of natural disasters like flood, cyclone, river erosion and rising sea level, thanks to the faster pace of climate change, is now forcing displaced people to migrate and seek shelter in the cities in greater numbers. Reassuringly, the phenomenon of climate-induced migration, unlike in the past when it was looked upon as a local problem to be tackled by the government of the country concerned, is now considered an international responsibility. Even so, the international support promised from time to time at the UN-sponsored climate forums does not flow to the intended climate refugees as expected.
Notably, at the November 2022's UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, held at Sharm-el Sheikh in Egypt, the setting up of a 'loss and damaged fund' under the proposed custodianship of the World Bank to channel financial assistance to developing countries vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change was agreed. Governments representing at the COP 27 also agreed to establish a 'transitional committee' to recommend how to operationalise the new funding arrangement at the COP28. Meanwhile, an informal, inter-governmental, and non-binding process in the shape of 'Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD)' has also been working since 2006 to provide space to the deliberations on the challenges and opportunities before the issues of migration, development and the linkage between the two.
In this connection, at an event styled, the National Preparatory Consultation for the 14th GFMD (to take place in January 2024) held recently in the city, speakers from the government ministries behind its (the said event's) organisation, called upon the international community to give due importance to the climate migrants and their needs. Despite these positive developments by way of giving due recognition to the climate refugees, their interests including the fact of their mobility both within a country and across international borders, intolerance against these victims of climate change, social conflicts and wars are also on the rise in the countries where they are seeking refuge. This is happening in the garb of anti-immigration rhetoric, refusing entry and subjecting them (refuge-seekers) to forced return to their place of origin or worse, dumping them at offshore detention centres, often under subhuman conditions. Even so, perilous journeys by these desperate people, especially to the shores of Europe or elsewhere with the promise of a better life are happening, often with a fatal end, all the same.
Shockingly, such tragedies in real life is being enacted before the eyes of the leaders of these advanced economies, many of whom represent their countries at the UN forums dedicated to the cause of the climate refugees.This is indeed a tragic irony. Even so, the good news is that undeterred by these negative developments traceable to the rise of the so-called identity politics, the efforts are also gathering pace to address the issue of climate refugees. Being at the forefront of adversities arising from climate change, Bangladesh can rightly claim its portion of the international climate funds to adopt due mitigation and adaptation measures. The country's leadership must be equal to the task of making a case for its claim at the international forums convincingly.