Friendship, a need-based, non-governmental organisation from Bangladesh, hosted an official side event titled “Managing the Human Impacts of Climate Change”, at Le Bourget on the December 5. The event raised awareness on human impacts of climate change and shared best adaptation measures that already exist to strengthen the resilience for the most climatically vulnerable.
According to the government of Bangladesh, 20 million people might have to move by 2050 because of climate change. Many have already resorted to migration. Here, the effect of global warming is not something that will present itself in a distant future, for it is already a reality for 160 million Bangladeshis. Not only is Bangladesh perennially at risk of drought, famine, floods and natural disasters, it struggles with extreme poverty and a high population density. The people here are resilient but have extremely limited resources to cope with the rate of climate change.
This event was amongst a plethora of voices gathered here at COP21 in Paris, which aims to form a legally binding agreement between countries in a bid to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius. Climate adaptation and climate mitigation were both given equal importance this year at COP21. As humanity starts to build and re-build a world which is devastated by pollution and the resulting consequences, Friendship aims to play a role which brings forth effective adaptation solutions for the ultra-poor, those who are most affected by climate change.
“The rise in sea levels and erratic weather patterns has far reaching consequences. Millions of Bangladeshis who live on the brink have no way to cope with this and nowhere to go. If nothing is done on a large scale, the human and social impact of climate change is going to be tremendous,” said Runa Khan, founder and executive director of Friendship, as she highlighted that climate change as not something that will happen to Bangladesh in the future, but is indeed already a reality.
Renowned photographer and founder of GoodPlanet, Yann Arthus-Bertrand premiered his latest documentary film during this event. The documentary showed the audience the real face of climate change in Bangladesh.
Jacques Attali, president, PlaNet Finance Foundation and Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) gave speeches during the event as well.
A round table discussion on implementing effective adaptation measures for the most vulnerable also took place during the event where several notable individuals such as Benoit Miribel, president, Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations, HE M Shahidul Islam, ambassador of Bangladesh to France, Samuel Le Bihan, president, Earth Wake, Atiq Rahman, executive director, BCAS and Gérard Feldzer, co-founder and president, Zebunet took part where they shared their points of view and answered questions regarding the benefits and challenges of implementing effective adaptation measures. This discussion was moderated by Mike Pensore, executive director, Action Contre la Faim.
In her closing remark, Runa Khan said, “As the leader of an organisation bringing adaptation solutions to over 6 million people annually, I realise 'convergence,' of both actors and actions, is key. I am a doer but also an observer. And I observed that working with preconceived project designs does not truly have sustainable adaptation impacts; neither does working in isolation. For proper climate adaptation measures to be successful, we need to do the right thing, in the right time, in the right amount, and very importantly, in the right way. All parties involved must have solidarity. We need to change the mind-set and build inter-dependence: bringing together the entire variety of international and local actors to converge towards a common or coherent approach and action.”
Friendship is an organisation with 14 years of experience working with the most climate vulnerable population on the planet. Focusing on adaptation measures, all of their programs approach development work in an innovative, inclusive and integrated manner for the directly impacted population of Bangladesh. They bring effective and sustainable development solutions to these struggling communities in a manner that upholds their dignity, which in turns gives them hope.