Bangladesh seeks int'l support for addressing climate change
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
NEW YORK, Oct 30 (UNB): Bangladesh has urged the international community to support Bangladesh in addressing climate change.
Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ismat Jahan made the call Monday, addressing the Economic and Financial Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the agenda item "Protection of Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Mankind."
Ambassador Ismat Jahan said the phenomenon of climate change was no longer a conjecture, and many countries, including Bangladesh, were encountering weather patterns such as devastating floods, cyclones, drought and storm surges.
"The climate change is impeding the efforts of the least developed countries (LDCs) in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."
She expressed the concern that an irreversible climatic shift would displace millions of people worldwide. "A one meter sea-level rise will submerge about one-third of the total area of Bangladesh, which will uproot 25-30 million people of Bangladesh. These people will become refugees of climate change."
Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN called upon all countries to recognise their responsibilities towards the refugees of climate change and stressed that the post-Kyoto regime should grant the legal rights required to provide for their recovery and rehabilitation.
She also expressed concern over the lack of urgency in tackling greenhouse gas emissions during most of the past two decades. She underscored that an effective response to climate change challenges required striking a balance between mitigation and adaptation.
Ismat Jahan urged all major greenhouse gas emitters to significantly reduce the emissions to stabilise the atmosphere.
She observed that the clean development mechanism was not reaching all developing countries equally, especially to the LDCs.
Ismat Jahan underscored the importance of reversing these shortcomings to ensure adequate fund for adaptation needs of the least developed countries and called for effective operationalisation of the Special Climate Change Fund under the Kyoto Protocol.
She underlined that innovative financial instruments - such as weather derivatives - could help the vulnerable communities reduce their coping costs and Bangladesh would welcome international initiatives to develop financial derivatives to cope with disasters and adaptation costs.
Ismat Jahan invited the developed countries to make commitment on the transfer of environment-friendly technologies at preferential terms to LDCs.
She congratulated the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US Vice President Al-Gore for winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ismat Jahan made the call Monday, addressing the Economic and Financial Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the agenda item "Protection of Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Mankind."
Ambassador Ismat Jahan said the phenomenon of climate change was no longer a conjecture, and many countries, including Bangladesh, were encountering weather patterns such as devastating floods, cyclones, drought and storm surges.
"The climate change is impeding the efforts of the least developed countries (LDCs) in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."
She expressed the concern that an irreversible climatic shift would displace millions of people worldwide. "A one meter sea-level rise will submerge about one-third of the total area of Bangladesh, which will uproot 25-30 million people of Bangladesh. These people will become refugees of climate change."
Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN called upon all countries to recognise their responsibilities towards the refugees of climate change and stressed that the post-Kyoto regime should grant the legal rights required to provide for their recovery and rehabilitation.
She also expressed concern over the lack of urgency in tackling greenhouse gas emissions during most of the past two decades. She underscored that an effective response to climate change challenges required striking a balance between mitigation and adaptation.
Ismat Jahan urged all major greenhouse gas emitters to significantly reduce the emissions to stabilise the atmosphere.
She observed that the clean development mechanism was not reaching all developing countries equally, especially to the LDCs.
Ismat Jahan underscored the importance of reversing these shortcomings to ensure adequate fund for adaptation needs of the least developed countries and called for effective operationalisation of the Special Climate Change Fund under the Kyoto Protocol.
She underlined that innovative financial instruments - such as weather derivatives - could help the vulnerable communities reduce their coping costs and Bangladesh would welcome international initiatives to develop financial derivatives to cope with disasters and adaptation costs.
Ismat Jahan invited the developed countries to make commitment on the transfer of environment-friendly technologies at preferential terms to LDCs.
She congratulated the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US Vice President Al-Gore for winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year.