Realistically aiding the MVCs
Friday, 4 December 2009
The most vulnerable countries (MVCs) -- a new expression now used to describe those which are likely to be the worst sufferers from climate change -- include some island nations like the Maldives as well as bigger and heavily populated ones like Bangladesh. But the threat from climate change is not the same for all MVCs. Thus, the whole of the Maldives could go under the sea in the mid-term from rising sea level induced by climate change factors while some parts of Bangladesh will likely face such submersion in the same period. This tendency is noted to make a distinction even between the MVCs prioritising immediate assistance to some of them but withholding it for others on grounds that the latter do not face such imminent dangers.
Thus, the recently-ended Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting at Trinidad and Tobago issued a call to start providing immediate assistance to a number of countries such as the Maldives that would seem to be facing even worse prospects of disasters amid all the MCVs. However, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, while addressing the executive and retreat sessions of the meeting, drew attention to the fact that such separate treatment of some MVCs with immediate help, while not extending the same to the others, would not reflect realism on the part of the donors. Indeed, there are profound reasons to consider the viewpoint of the Bangladesh Prime Minister seriously. For the threat to Bangladesh may not be seen as imminent or total but it is no less than the one faced by the Maldives.
The vision of the Maldives sinking entirely into the sea stirs up notions of the worst suffering from climate change. But the Maldives has a population of only some millions who could be rescued and their resettlement elsewhere in the globe can be attempted without much difficulty, provided there is a strong political resolve of the advanced countries in particular. As it is, this process has already started. Bangladesh by comparison stands to lose much more from sea level rise. If only 20 per cent of its land areas go under the rising sea three decades from now, then that would mean loss of habitat for not a few millions of its people like in the Maldives but at least some 30 to 40 million people. The rehabilitation of so many people would pose a very great problem -- far greater than the one of the small number of people in some small island nations.
Therefore, the problem of Bangladesh is no less but would appear to be greater than these island states. Besides, the rest of Bangladesh would not be devoured by the sea and would remain afloat for a long period. But existence of the very large number of Bangladeshis in these areas could probably be a wretched one from changing weather patterns of more drought or excessive rainfall, more frequent flooding, etc., and loss of crops and livelihood from such developments. Thus, Bangladesh with about 150 million people seems headed for far greater sufferings than the people of sparsely populated and small countries.
Viewed in this context, after analysing of all of these factors minutely, Bangladesh would be seen deserving to get 'immediate' highest consideration for international assistance even amid the MVCs. The sooner this aspect is realised by the donor countries and organisations, the best. Immediate assistance should start flowing into Bangladesh from its proper recognition as the country to be most affected by climate change. From helping projects ranging from building sea walls to land reclamation and elevation projects, works in Bangladesh need to be started in these fields with no loss of time. Similar assistance is required to help Bangladesh with coping strategies such as funding research to produce seeds to withstand drought and floods. In sum, the rich countries need to start routing substantial assistance to Bangladesh sooner and not later. However, the providing of assistance will have to be also combined with mechanisms to ensure their best possible and accountable utilisation.
Thus, the recently-ended Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting at Trinidad and Tobago issued a call to start providing immediate assistance to a number of countries such as the Maldives that would seem to be facing even worse prospects of disasters amid all the MCVs. However, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, while addressing the executive and retreat sessions of the meeting, drew attention to the fact that such separate treatment of some MVCs with immediate help, while not extending the same to the others, would not reflect realism on the part of the donors. Indeed, there are profound reasons to consider the viewpoint of the Bangladesh Prime Minister seriously. For the threat to Bangladesh may not be seen as imminent or total but it is no less than the one faced by the Maldives.
The vision of the Maldives sinking entirely into the sea stirs up notions of the worst suffering from climate change. But the Maldives has a population of only some millions who could be rescued and their resettlement elsewhere in the globe can be attempted without much difficulty, provided there is a strong political resolve of the advanced countries in particular. As it is, this process has already started. Bangladesh by comparison stands to lose much more from sea level rise. If only 20 per cent of its land areas go under the rising sea three decades from now, then that would mean loss of habitat for not a few millions of its people like in the Maldives but at least some 30 to 40 million people. The rehabilitation of so many people would pose a very great problem -- far greater than the one of the small number of people in some small island nations.
Therefore, the problem of Bangladesh is no less but would appear to be greater than these island states. Besides, the rest of Bangladesh would not be devoured by the sea and would remain afloat for a long period. But existence of the very large number of Bangladeshis in these areas could probably be a wretched one from changing weather patterns of more drought or excessive rainfall, more frequent flooding, etc., and loss of crops and livelihood from such developments. Thus, Bangladesh with about 150 million people seems headed for far greater sufferings than the people of sparsely populated and small countries.
Viewed in this context, after analysing of all of these factors minutely, Bangladesh would be seen deserving to get 'immediate' highest consideration for international assistance even amid the MVCs. The sooner this aspect is realised by the donor countries and organisations, the best. Immediate assistance should start flowing into Bangladesh from its proper recognition as the country to be most affected by climate change. From helping projects ranging from building sea walls to land reclamation and elevation projects, works in Bangladesh need to be started in these fields with no loss of time. Similar assistance is required to help Bangladesh with coping strategies such as funding research to produce seeds to withstand drought and floods. In sum, the rich countries need to start routing substantial assistance to Bangladesh sooner and not later. However, the providing of assistance will have to be also combined with mechanisms to ensure their best possible and accountable utilisation.