The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Experts on climate change said yesterday that impoverished countries like Bangladesh need a very careful move to deal with donors and developed nations who intend to finance schemes to adapt to effects of global warming.

At a dialogue on "Understanding Climate Change Adaptation" the experts said there is a wrong conception about the adaptation to the effects of the climate change by the poor countries, and the big emitters of carbon gasses want to feed their idea of adaptation.

"The developed nations and big emitters say adaptation means you will have to accept the losses first, then we will fund your schemes," said Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director of Centre for Global Change CGC).

"But I am sorry, I can't accept this sort of adaptation," he told the discussion.

The Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), a campaign spearheaded by Oxfam, organised the discussion in partnership with Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Centre for Global Change (CGC) and the Centre for Natural Resources Studies (CNRS).

The discussion was organised ahead of 'UK-Bangladesh Climate Change Conference: Bangladesh Facing the Challenge' to be held in London on September 10, 2008.

While melting Himalayan glaciers, rising sea levels and depleting fresh water sources as a result of global climate change are triggering less food production, mass migration and slow economic development in economically weaker nations in this region, the upcoming conference is going to be crucial for Bangladesh. Experts say Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of the effects of climate change.

Ahsan Uddin Ahmed said Bangladesh needs fund to support various schemes to deal with the climate change but that should not happen at the cost of "our future".

"We want the big emitters reduce the emission, and then the question of adaptation comes," he said, calling on the government to be aware of the misconception fed by the developed nations about the adaptation.

"We need to secure our future, our people need better lifetand for that needs we require fund for adaptation, adaptation should come to us that way," he said.

Ahsan Uddin and other experts also stressed the need for incorporating climate change issues into total development plan of the country.

Some of the experts said 'timing' is very important when adaptation comes as a way of making things better or reducing the vulnerability.

They said building capacity of the nations should get priority so that the states can reduce the vulnerability, because when risks are curtailed, vulnerability cannot be unlimited.

Ainun Nishat, country representative of the IUCN, said the idea of adaptation should be made an inseparable part of the overall strategy, be it building flood protection embankment or improving drainage system in the capital city.

CSRL Member Secretary Ziaul Hoque Mukta, CNRS Executive Director M. Mokhlesur Rahman and represenatives from government and nongovernment organisations also took part in the discussion at the Spectra Convention Centre in the city.