Waking up in the morning and reading newspaper is probably the best way to start the day. However, this scribe finds it wearisome while reading any news about climate change. What is going to happen in next 25 years due to environmental degradation? Will we be able to balance out between environment and economy? What is the most worrying is that our leaders too are in a dilemma whether to put priority on protection of environment or to the growth of the economy rather than choosing a sustainable development approach.
Some people argue that taking care of millions of people who are starving is more important than saving natural resources. Besides, they also think that the developed countries got richer by destroying the planet's natural resources and are now asking the developing countries to share their green concern. On the contrary, some people opine that we should take care of our environment first. Once we protect our environment, we will be able to save our economy as well. Given the realities, prioritising between environment and economic development is a thorny issue for most developing countries, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
There are plenty of examples of disasters and mass destruction due to natural calamities emerging from global climate change. The Pakistan flood of 2010 affected approximately 20 million people. The tsunami in Japan caused unbelievable destruction to property and life.
The typhoon in the Philippines killed 1,200 people and more than half a million were rendered homeless. Cyclone Sidr caused havoc in Bangladesh in 2007, taking several thousand lives, besides colossal damage to agricultural lands. The damage to life, property and economy as a result of the recurrence of natural calamities has been estimated to be staggering by international agencies. One starling revelation shows that the Asian region is historically vulnerable to natural disasters. Nine out of 10 people affected by disasters worldwide are from Asia.
Poverty and environmental damages are linked. Reportedly, a total of 9.6 million people may migrate from one place to another within Bangladesh due to climate changes in the next forty years-- predicts a recent study jointly conducted by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) of Dhaka University and Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR) of Sussex University. It will definitely increase the number of urban slums for accommodating the migrant people.
Climate change will turn fertile lands into deserts in some places, and in others polluted water will lead to crop failure. Sea level rise is another distressing result of climate change. Studies of ADB (Asian Development Bank) shows that by the year 2100, the mean cost of climate change for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam could be equivalent to losing 6.7 per cent of combined GDP each year, more than twice the global average loss. Another study of ADB reflects that more than 100 million hectares of arable land will be affected by sea level rise in Bangladesh.
Now, how do we go about economic development without considering the environmental aspects? We must remain thoroughly engaged in sustainable development that embraces environmental care, social justice and economic growth. Empirical study shows that it is impossible to combat poverty and disease without a stable climate. The consequences of climate change are creating scope for lingering poverty. Economic attainments by damaging the environment may seem logical for achieving short-term goals, but in the long run, such transient attainments cannot be sustained. Surely, fostering economic activities without recognising the environmental aspects will lead to a dark future. Collaboration among various stakeholders may generate transformational results.
The writer is pursuing MBA at the University of Dhaka.
jafrul.hassan@yahoo.com
Paradox between economy and environment
Jafrul Hassan | Published: March 05, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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