While unveiling the national budget for the fiscal 2023-24 at the national parliament Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed an allocation of Tk 370.52 billion in dealing with the impact of climate change and protecting the environment. It is good to note that government has given importance to dealing with the impact of climate change to ensure long-term sustainable development.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. Human settlements have been affected in Bangladesh due to extreme climate events over past years. One of the most adverse and prolonged impact of climate change in Bangladesh has been observed in the form of climate migration. It is startling to note that global climate change may displace an estimated 20 million people of Bangladesh as 17 percent of coastal areas of the country may be submerged due to a gradual rise in seawater. Hence, we should realise the need for formulating coherent and research-backed policy, legal and institutional framework to address climate migration. We need to devise immediate measurers to protect people from environmental risks and stop unwanted migration due to climate change.
We need to devise immediate measurers to protect people from environmental risks and stop unwanted migration due to climate change. Also, there is a need to prioritise the districts vulnerable to climate change and establish a district-level funding mechanism focusing on capacity building of women, young people and children.
Bangladesh is one of the nations that emits
very little carbon, but it is likely
to be among those that suffer
most because of global warming
Bangladesh is recognised internationally for its cutting-edge achievements in addressing climate change. The country has been spending $2 billion a year since 2010 due to address climate change. However, despite the considerable progress that Bangladesh has made over the last decade, the country faces continuous challenges associated with climate change. Bangladesh is one of the nations that emits very little carbon, but it is likely to be among those that suffer most because of global warming. However, the country is not waiting to be rescued by others. It has taken several initiatives to facilitate climate-resilient development. But what is worrying is that because of the climate change impact, the country’s growth rate may lose its momentum in the coming days. This will hinder its development gains unless proper mitigation and effective prevention measures are undertaken immediately.
The world is now going through a situation where the most vulnerable countries, which deserve the highest level of priority, are failing to access support that is being realised. Major emitters show extreme reluctance on mitigation, which may wreck the international climate regime and put the climate vulnerable countries like Bangladesh at peril. As developed countries are accountable for the severe consequences of climate change, they must provide with necessary financial, technological and intellectual support to the developing countries. Developing countries like Bangladesh need a global commitment to face climate challenges.