The planning minster has noted that the adverse impacts of climate change are estimated to be costing over 1% of the country’s GDP.
With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicting that average global temperatures could rise between 4 to 6 degrees celsius within the next 50 years, adapting to climate change is the biggest challenge facing our country.
Rising temperatures increase the likelihood of severe weather fluctuations and sea level rise which could inundate large areas of the country, destroying vital farmland and ecosystems. The potential consequences in terms of lost habitat and food security are devastating.
The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and its associated funds, contain 40 actions and goals for the government to be pursuing. It is vital that these targets are integrated into all aspects of planning and development.
At the national level, raising more people out of poverty remains key to empowering more people to be able to protect themselves and adapt to the consequences of climate change. We cannot afford to neglect programmes to develop clean energy and improve coastal and river embankments.
It is important also to build upon the resilience the country’s people show in adapting to the regular flooding inherent within our deltaic region. As a country on the front line of adapting to climate change, we have no alternative but to show more leadership on dealing with this global challenge.
We must build further on positive achievements such as increasing the number of rural households fitted with solar power units in order to help more of our people both fight poverty and build resilience.