Sabah Mannan of DOT
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked that global warming crisis is a harsh reality that the world cannot further ignore.
She requested all world leaders to immediately commit to discussions to develop a strict framework that determines the future of climate migrants. The Premier made these comments taking the stage in COP25 Action for Survival:Vulnerable Nations held at de Madrid (IFEMA) in Madrid yesterday.
As reported by Dhaka Tribune, the Bangladesh leader added: “We must appreciate that migration could be an effective adaptation strategy, as we focus on enhancing adaptation capacities of affected communities. Hence, relocation and protection of displaced people need due focus in global discourse to ensure their protection.
We also need to commence discussions about creating an appropriate framework to address the needs of people displaced due to climate change.”
The PM requested the world to consider climate migration as the most significant impact of the crisis in the foreseeable future highlighting the recent extreme weather events that have displaced a substantial population in the South East Asia region.

“We must work towards correcting this imbalance,” she continued.
The Premier directed her message to the leaders of the Climate Vulnerable (CVF),
adding: “We now have a situation where the most vulnerable countries, which deserve the highest level of priority, are failing to access whatever support that is being realized.”
She solicited for a reform of the CVF And V20 Trust Fund which might see the light of success that has been missing and even suggested in creating a Special Rapporteur on climate change.

Acknowledging the significance of the CVF AND V-20 the Premier stretched on the importance of a South- South and Triangular co operation: “We want to further build on the current accomplishments. The time is now to act as we are at the most important crossroad of human history confronting possibly the gravest global challenge of our time.”
Climate change is a threat to existence, particularly in countries like Bangladesh that are plagued with natural disasters.

She further highlighted the adverse impacts on the Bangladesh environment that have been caused due to the influx of more than a million Rohingyas fleeing from the massacre in Myanmar, terming it as a “havoc” for the environment.
“We must therefore establish a set of criteria to prioritize vulnerable countries based on their risks, impacts, and lack of coping capacities.
We also want to keep the climate change support and the regular development finance strictly separate,” said the Prime Minister.
Sheikh Hasina pointed towards the lack of responsibility from the top global emitters saying they are not taking adequate action to mitigate the challenges in countries like Bangladesh who were not significantly responsible for causing global warming adding : “Hence, we shouldn’t hesitate to demand accountability for inaction.”

“We are also looking towards the 2020 Climate Adaptation Summit in the Netherlands to strengthen our adaptation efforts. And Bangladesh is ready to take the responsibility of the Presidency of the Forum if the members kindly agree to honour us with this task,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The leader remarked climate crisis as a global epidemic and has caused irreversible damages to both flora and fauna including human life.
She believes, since the 1992 Earth Summit In Rio, not much progress has been made in reducing global greenhouse emissions which is still on a surge and the world must agree to put an end to this unsustainable trend.

“We, the vulnerable countries, suffer the most due to our limited coping capacities and specific geographical features.
We are bearing the brunt of the damage though we made negligible or no contribution to the menace. This constitutes a serious injustice, and must be acknowledged by the global community,” urged the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Premier ended her speech expressing her disappointment in the progress under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) labelling it as slow and outdated.
She said there were no incentives provided to smaller nations like Bangladesh to initiate policy making in regards to adaptation strategies for the crisis. All the funds that were organised were either not available on request neither were sufficient
“Often direct and easy access to funds, and technology along with conditions and criteria seem to favour mostly the countries that already have acquired greater capacities,” Sheikh Hasina exclaimed.

Unfortunately, she said, the progress under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) process is very slow and largely inadequate.
There’s still hardly any move to support nationally determined adaption initiatives undertaken especially by our vulnerable countries, the premier added.
Different funds created for different purposes lack availability of the required capital, she pointed out.
“Often direct and easy access to funds, and technology along with conditions and criteria seem to favour mostly the countries that already have acquired greater capacities,” concluded Sheikh Hasina in her address.