Despite all the issues that appear to be plaguing the world today, from the energy crisis to soaring inflation, humanity continues to be lackadaisical towards what remains the single biggest threat this century: Climate change.
To that end, it is encouraging to see that Bangladesh -- long held in high esteem due to its vocal representation of nations disproportionately affected by climate change -- continues to plan for the worst that may happen in the future; as stated by Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin, Bangladesh has so far allocated $480million through the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT) to cope with climate change impacts.
While it is good that Bangladesh continues to prepare itself, and must be lauded for its initiatives despite its limited resources, the question remains: Why is it that we are having to spend our own money to cope with climate change?
After all, there is no questioning the fact that it is richer, developed nations that have caused the climate crisis the world finds itself in. It is a travesty that nations such as ours which have had little to no effect on this crisis are now having to fend for themselves and prepare for the worst.
Every year, we see nations gather, offering lofty words and commitments. Every subsequent year, we see progress at snail’s pace, with richer nations having little to no incentive, much less the conscience, to quite literally pay for the mess they have created.
Developed nations were supposed to be the ones providing the necessary monetary resources to developing nations such as ours. Corporations globally were supposed to work together with governments to keep rising temperatures in check.
Ultimately, at this stage, all we have are mostly empty promises. While Bangladesh recognizing that it must fend for itself is laudatory, it remains extremely disappointing that it is the richer, more affluent nations that are once again failing the planet.
