The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, London

Bangladesh at the world tourism summit in London called for international support for preserving country's coastal tourism industry and adapting to the challenges of global climate change.

"Bangladesh calls upon the international community to provide environmentally vulnerable and low-lying Least Developed Countries financial and technical support for capacity building and adaptation to the challenges of global climate change," Civil Aviation and Tourism Advisor Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin said.

He was making a statement at the World Tourism Ministers' Summit on Tourism and Climate Change being held in London November 12-15, said a message received here Wednesday.

The Adviser is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the Ministerial Summit which is being held in conjunction with World Travel Market, the apex body for global Tour Operators, and organised jointly by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Tourism Ministers from 87 countries are participating in the three-day summit. Among them are several Ministers of Tourism from the Asian region, including from India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei. Terming Bangladesh's coastal tourism resources as the hub of the country's eco-tourism industry, Matin urged all stakeholders to climate change negotiations and the global tourism industry to support Bangladesh in preserving its eco-tourism destinations and bio-diversity, including the 'Sunderbans', the world's largest mangrove forest, the coral island of St. Martin's and other UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The Advisor also cautioned the international community that "with continued rise in global sea levels, 18 percent of Bangladesh's coastal lands may be inundated, threatening the livelihood and habitat of nearly 15 million of its population. "A vast majority of our biodiversity, agro-based coastal tourism resources, natural eco-systems and indigenous heritage sites, the very heart and soul of our eco-tourism industry, would also be seriously threatened as a consequence of climate change and consequent climate hazards," Matin told the summit.

The Adviser also proposed inclusion in the UNWTO 'Davos Declaration' of the special vulnerabilities and needs of low-lying LDCs such as Bangladesh and her proposal for enhanced contribution by developed countries to the UNFCC LDC Trust Fund for supporting LDC initiatives to participate in Clean Development Mechanisms and a low carbon Tourism and travel industry.

The Ministerial Summit adopted Tuesday the 'Davos Declaration' on Tourism and Climate Change to be endorsed by the World Tourism Assembly to be held in Cartagena later this month and at the UNFCCC Conference to be held in Bali in December this year.