Assistance to cope with climate change

Bangladesh has been expecting get a large amount of aid fund for spending on coping activities against climate change from the multilateral capital donors and some bilateral sources. A good past of the amount is to be provided given by the WB and the rest is to come as developmental assistance from bilateral donors. Thus, the greater part of this assistance to be given by the multilateral capital donors will, however, have to be serviced or repaid by Bangladesh over the years. The agencies concerned, according to media reports, will be put in controlling position of the whole operation and it is credibly feared that substantial part of the funds could be misspent on consultancies, studies and other services which previous experiences showed in so many cases in Bangladesh. It is considered by a number of local experts that such assistances could be truly useful if the same were planned as pure grants. Bangladesh can also very reasonably expect such grants as compensation from the rich countries for the great havoc that is being caused to it, for no fault on its part. It is important for Bangladesh to continue to exert pressure on the rich countries to get their direct cooperation to deal with climate change. It is, indeed, imperative for Bangladesh to engage in hard negotiations with the rich developed countries in the way the Maldives has done for the migration of its possible environmental refugees in the event of major climate change taking place because of the rise of the sea-level could be created from climate change by 2030. However, the greatest benefit can come to Bangladesh by working as a catalyst to get the rich and developed countries to agree to immediate reduction in carbon emissions. To this end, it should engage all its diplomatic mite. Nurul Huda Azimpur Staff Quarters Dhaka