The New Nation - Internet Edition

AS changed climate conditions pose a strong challenge to mankind, new approach to security concerns is needed to cope with its impacts. But without a shift from the prevailing practices this objective is unlikely to be achieved. A five-point strategy proposed at a two-day conference on security and environment in Singapore highlights this.

Huge greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is seriously affecting the climate. Natural calamities like cyclones accompanied by tidal bore, floods and droughts are hitting with increased frequency and ferocity and leaving behind trails of destruction. Least developed countries (LDCs) suffer the most. The twin floods and the super cyclone Sidr that raged over Bangladesh last year and the cyclone Nargis that swept over Myanmar in the recent past showed the scale of destruction. Such calamities bring about untold humanitarian disaster including severe food crisis. Thus poverty, diseases, climate change and food scarcity are security concern of affected countries. Traditional approach to security usually overlooked those factors.

An appropriate means to address these concerns were in the five-point strategy proposed by Bangladesh. Four of the points are concerned with climate change. The Foreign Affairs Adviser who addressed this meet underscored the need for a balanced approach to climate change debate, which would emphasise both reduction of emission and adaptation to changed conditions. He asked for rewarding those countries that make insignificant carbon emissions. He proposed the setting up of a 'technology transfer board' in any post-Kyoto protocol agreement to facilitate environment friendly policies by LDCs. To tackle food scarcity, he proposed the establishment of an International Food Fund with 'special drawing rights' for food deficit countries. Dhaka should build on this strategy to deal with climate negotiations in future.