Aid for coping with climate change
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Firoz Rahman
BANGLADESH needs to be alert against getting overburdened with climate change assistance without receiving the benefits from such expenditure.
Bangladesh has been identified as one of the countries to be worst affected by climate change caused by the activities of the rich and developed countries. This realisation motivates the wealthy countries to lend compensatory resources to Bangladesh and other countries facing similar prospects. The challenge for Bangladesh would be to liaise with the donor countries and organisations to get the compensatory resources without strings to maximise the benefits.
Bangladesh is expected to get a substantial amount of financial resources from the World Bank and donor countries for spending to cope with climate change. Out of it, the lion's part is to come as long-term loans by the WB and the rest, as developmental assistance from the British government and other donors. Thus, the greater part of the assistance, to be given by WB, would have to be repaid in future though not in the immediate one, by Bangladesh. No doubt the WB would control the whole operation. A substantial part of the funds would, then surely be misspent on consultants, studies and other services that, as past experience suggests, does not or cannot benefit a recipient country. Bangladesh has not been and cannot be an exception.
Bangladeshi experts are of the view that such assistances could be useful if a proper planning is done only for the projects that are needed. Cutting expenses on unnecessary consultancy and services would be useful.
It is important for Bangladesh to get direct cooperation of the wealthy countries in dealing with climate change. For example, for the Maldives a bill was piloted in the Australian parliament for under which a large number of its environmental refugees would be welcome in Australia when the island nation goes under the sea. The Maldives also has a similar agreement with Canada. Bangladesh needs to negotiate on where its refugees would go once a part of it goes under the sea.
Bangladesh would benefit the most if the rich and developed countries -- including the USA -- agree to immediately cut their carbon emissions. To this end, it should engage all its diplomatic negotiations. Sustained pressure from Bangladesh and other countries likely to be affected by climate change, would motivate the offending countries to stop or cut their carbon emissions, sooner rather than later.
Persuading the developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emission would be more useful than the usual long-term aid supports from the multilateral capital donors with too many hidden strings.
BANGLADESH needs to be alert against getting overburdened with climate change assistance without receiving the benefits from such expenditure.
Bangladesh has been identified as one of the countries to be worst affected by climate change caused by the activities of the rich and developed countries. This realisation motivates the wealthy countries to lend compensatory resources to Bangladesh and other countries facing similar prospects. The challenge for Bangladesh would be to liaise with the donor countries and organisations to get the compensatory resources without strings to maximise the benefits.
Bangladesh is expected to get a substantial amount of financial resources from the World Bank and donor countries for spending to cope with climate change. Out of it, the lion's part is to come as long-term loans by the WB and the rest, as developmental assistance from the British government and other donors. Thus, the greater part of the assistance, to be given by WB, would have to be repaid in future though not in the immediate one, by Bangladesh. No doubt the WB would control the whole operation. A substantial part of the funds would, then surely be misspent on consultants, studies and other services that, as past experience suggests, does not or cannot benefit a recipient country. Bangladesh has not been and cannot be an exception.
Bangladeshi experts are of the view that such assistances could be useful if a proper planning is done only for the projects that are needed. Cutting expenses on unnecessary consultancy and services would be useful.
It is important for Bangladesh to get direct cooperation of the wealthy countries in dealing with climate change. For example, for the Maldives a bill was piloted in the Australian parliament for under which a large number of its environmental refugees would be welcome in Australia when the island nation goes under the sea. The Maldives also has a similar agreement with Canada. Bangladesh needs to negotiate on where its refugees would go once a part of it goes under the sea.
Bangladesh would benefit the most if the rich and developed countries -- including the USA -- agree to immediately cut their carbon emissions. To this end, it should engage all its diplomatic negotiations. Sustained pressure from Bangladesh and other countries likely to be affected by climate change, would motivate the offending countries to stop or cut their carbon emissions, sooner rather than later.
Persuading the developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emission would be more useful than the usual long-term aid supports from the multilateral capital donors with too many hidden strings.