The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has incurred a loss amounting to US$ 3 billion for devastation caused by Cyclone Sidr and developed countries are responsible for this huge loss due to their contributions to the global climate change.

"The developing countries are responsible for the losses of thousands of lives and damages of properties in the recent Cyclone Sidr affected areas, because the cyclone happened due to the rich countries' contributions to the world's climate change," said leaders of the Campaign for Good Governance, a local NGO at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium in the city yesterday.

"We urge the participating countries at the Bali climate conference to put pressure on developing nations to realize this compensation for the Sidr affected people of Bangladesh," Abdul Awal, chairperson of Campaign for Good Governance, said.

Bangladesh is still trying to cope with the after-effects of Cyclone Sidr, which tore through this deltaic country on November 15, killing more than 4,000 people and rendering several millions more homeless and starving.

It is feared that a sea-level rise of just 40 cm in the Bay of Bengal would submerge 15-17 per cent of the country's land area in the coastal zone, displacing 7 to 10 million people--who would then be forced into the interiors of the already densely populated country. Besides, Cox's Bazar and Sunderbans would disappear forever.

Experts said the frequency, extent, depth and duration of floods could increase because of more monsoon rains triggered by climate change. That would cause a significant decrease in crops and food security, making it difficult for the country to feed its vast population, they said.

The press conference was also attended by Chief Executive Officer of Campaign for Goof Governance Prodip Kumar Roy, Oxfam GB's Livelihood project's project coordinator Ziaul Huq Mukta, ActionAid Bangladesh's Asgar Ali Sabri, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's Mihir Biswas and executive director of Voice Ahmed Swapan Mahmud.

Meanwhile, BSS Reports: Bangladesh delegation is actively pushing forward the country's position as a least developed country (LDC) in the ongoing two-week UN climate change conference here to simplify the procedures for easily accessing funding from clean development mechanism (cdm) managed by global environment facility.

The Bangladesh team, now led by Environment Secretary AH Rezaul Kabir, called for simplification as well as enlargement of adaptation fund and LDC fund for facing climate change smoothly by the least developed countries like Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Environment Adviser Dr C S Karim will lead the delegation to the conference next week.