UK-Bangla confce on climate change- action plan 'lacks long run vision'
FE Report | Monday, 18 August 2008
Country's climate change strategy and action plan for Bangladesh, prepared by the government to present in the upcoming UK-Bangladesh conference on climate change is not comprehensive and lacks long run vision, speakers said at a two-day conference, ended Sunday, said a press release.
They also said that financing for climate change was a right of the people of the country, urging government to negotiate for compensation for facing the possible adversarial impact on climate change instead of seeking loan.
Moreover, it lacked people's participation, they said at a two-day conference on 'Financing for Climate change - Challenges and Way forward 2008' jointly organised by Unnayan Onneshan, a leading think tank, and Oxfam Bangladesh at LGED Audito-rium.
Recommending complete overhauling of the strategy through a consultative process, they said that the strategies in its present form lacked no relationship with the national development strategy as well as that of wide range of sectoral issues including agriculture, industrial sectors and infrastructure that were exposed to challenges of climate footprint.
The paper in its present format should not be presented as a national strategy document in the 'UK/Bangladesh Climate Change Conference: Bangladesh Facing the Challenge' to be held on September 10, 2008 in London, UK, as it lacked political vision, integrated approach to addressing the issues in line with national development of the country.
'The strategic document in its current format is not comprehensive and does not reflect the realities on the ground. Prior to finaliseing the strategies government held a couple of consultative meetings which generated a good number of recommendations, but those were not reflected in the document', Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori said at the concluding session.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan, who chaired the session said that the drafting of a strategy and negotiation were political process which needed to be backed by rigorous technical processes, reflecting the need of the people through consultations and participation.
Ziaul Hoque Mukta of Oxfam, Bangladesh questioned the on going process of adaptation fund. He suggested establishment of National Board on Climate Change that would devise a climate-resilient long-term development plan, receive fund as compensatory grant (not aid or loan) from development partners without agreeing to undue conditionality, facilitate the allocation of fund.
They also said that financing for climate change was a right of the people of the country, urging government to negotiate for compensation for facing the possible adversarial impact on climate change instead of seeking loan.
Moreover, it lacked people's participation, they said at a two-day conference on 'Financing for Climate change - Challenges and Way forward 2008' jointly organised by Unnayan Onneshan, a leading think tank, and Oxfam Bangladesh at LGED Audito-rium.
Recommending complete overhauling of the strategy through a consultative process, they said that the strategies in its present form lacked no relationship with the national development strategy as well as that of wide range of sectoral issues including agriculture, industrial sectors and infrastructure that were exposed to challenges of climate footprint.
The paper in its present format should not be presented as a national strategy document in the 'UK/Bangladesh Climate Change Conference: Bangladesh Facing the Challenge' to be held on September 10, 2008 in London, UK, as it lacked political vision, integrated approach to addressing the issues in line with national development of the country.
'The strategic document in its current format is not comprehensive and does not reflect the realities on the ground. Prior to finaliseing the strategies government held a couple of consultative meetings which generated a good number of recommendations, but those were not reflected in the document', Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori said at the concluding session.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan, who chaired the session said that the drafting of a strategy and negotiation were political process which needed to be backed by rigorous technical processes, reflecting the need of the people through consultations and participation.
Ziaul Hoque Mukta of Oxfam, Bangladesh questioned the on going process of adaptation fund. He suggested establishment of National Board on Climate Change that would devise a climate-resilient long-term development plan, receive fund as compensatory grant (not aid or loan) from development partners without agreeing to undue conditionality, facilitate the allocation of fund.