The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Environment ministers from South Asian countries yesterday adopted a three-year SAARC action plan for regional cooperation to combat climate change effects, focusing on seven priority areas.

Adaptation to climate change and mitigation, actions for technology transfer, finance and investment, education and awareness, management of impacts and risks due to climate change, and capacity building for international negotiations process are the priority areas of the plan.

The SAARC ministerial meeting also adopted a 4-point Dhaka Declaration calling for enhancing south-south cooperation in technology development and transfer for mitigation of and adaptation to climate-change adversities.

The ministers also agreed in principle to set up a fund to fight climate change, which was proposed by Bangladesh.

"More discussions in this regard would take place at the SAARC Colombo summit," Raja Devasish Roy, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Environment and Forest Ministry, said at a press conference after the meeting.

Devasish Roy, presided over the inaugural function of the ministerial meeting.

SAARC member countries -Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - agreed to adopt common position on global environment issues, so that the region's, voice carries greater weight.

The countries blamed industrialised nations for global warming and asked them to fulfil their commitment as per the UN climate change conference in Bali to provide additional resources to other countries.

"The industrialised economies must provide adaptation funds and facilitate technology transfer without any conditionality," said Chief Adviser of interim Bangladesh Government Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, in opening the one-day meeting.

He urged the SAARC states to work together in international forums, including the UN climate change meeting scheduled to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009.

"Between now and Copenhagen, we must work closely to take a common position on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology transfers," Dr Fakruddin said.

The chief adviser announced that Bangladesh was trying to establish an international climate adaption centre to share knowledge and best practices.

Dr Fakhruddin said climate change would cost millions of poor people their livelihoods

and intensify the havoc of floods, droughts and salinity.

"It will unleash the gravest tragedy in human history, far graver than the 'Black Death' or the atrocities of World War II." "We cannot, and must not, sit idle and let this happen."

Echoing the chief adviser, SAARC Secretary-General Sheel Kant Sharma told the meeting: "SAARC believes that the way forward must include, among others, binding greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments by developed countries with effective timeframes."

Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury also addressed the inaugural session.

The SAARC meeting came shortly before the annual G8 summit of leading industrialized nations in Japan next week, where climate change is expected to be a leading topic and an agreement may be reached on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The one-day SAARC ministerial meeting was preceded by an expert-level meeting on July 1 and 2, which made an in-depth assessment of the impact of climate change and suggested steps to tackle the situation through regional cooperation.

The experts meeting said that across the South Asian region, warmer weather could cause more intense and more frequent cyclones and storm surges, leading to more salt water fouling waterways and crop lands.

Crop yield in South Asia could decrease up to 30 percent by the mid-21st century, they added.