Developed countries urged to meet commitment on climate change

Speakers at a seminar on Monday urged the developed countries to deliver their commitment to combat the impacts of climate change in developing countries as well allocation of special budged to protect the children of coastal areas.

“The emission of carbon dioxide by developed countries in the name of industrialization causes adverse effect on environment and Bangladesh and other developing countries are becoming victims,” Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Md Fazle Rabbi Miah told the seminar.

He said the developed countries are not playing effective role to deliver their commitment of providing financial donation for victim countries due to climate change.

The deputy speaker was addressed as the chief guest at the seminar on “Climate Change Impact in Coastal Bangladesh, Protecting Children, Adolescent and Youth: A Case Study from Monpura island” at IPD Conference Room of the Jatiya Sangsad.

All Party Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change in cooperation with non-government organization Coast Trust and UNICEF Bangladesh organized the seminar. Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud chaired the seminar while Mojibul Haque Munir of COAST, AH Towfique Ahmed of UNICEF presented the keynote papers.

UNICEF Country Representative Edouard Beigbeder, Professor Emeritus Ainun Nishat of BRAC University, Dr Sharmind Neelormi of Jahangirnagar University, and members of parliament Jebuneesa Afroz from Barisal, Md Tipu Sultan from Barisal, Saimum Sarwar Kamal from Coxsbazar and Nobi Newaz from Jenidaha and Monpura upazila chairman Selina Chowdhury, addressed the seminar.

Fazle Rabbi said developed world are destroying the ecological balance but developed countries are suffering the adverse effects of the climate change.

The deputy speaker said Bangladesh government is continuing its all-out efforts to protect the ecological balance of the country.

He urged the environmental organization to build a vox populi in a chorus voice.

Fazle Rabbi called upon the people specially all rich persons of the society to stand unitedly beside the flood victims at northeastern haor areas in the country.

While speaking on the occasion, Dr Hasan Mahmud said that Bangladesh is the innocent victim of climate change, those who are responsible the developed countries hardly delivering their commitment.

“Bangladesh is an innocent victim of climate change,” he said claiming that climate change is the key reason behind the current disaster in the haor areas in Bangladesh.

Dr Hasan Mahmud said Water Development Board has to be reformed to protect the coastal island like Monpura and other coastal and haor areas of Bangladesh, they must innovate new technology; listen to affected women, children, youth and local population.

Selina Chowdhury, upazlia chairman of Monpura island, said her island is the worse victim in the front line of climate change; government must take action to save the island on priority basis.

Source: BSS