The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, London

Finance Advisor Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said the UK-Bangladesh Climate Conference was successful in sensitizing the international community about the danger facing Bangladesh due to perilous impact of the changes in the climate.

"Our intention was two folds -one was to sensitize the international community about the danger facing Bangladesh and the second about Bangladesh's determination to meet climate-change challenges despite resource constraints," he told a post-conference reception at the Royal Geographical Society last evening.

Aziz, who led a 39-member delegation to the high- level conference, proposed Multi-Donor Trust Fund to mobilize money from the world community to support the country's efforts to mitigate and adapt to the climate change.

Besides, he said, the Bangladesh government has set up a dedicated fund with initial capital of USD 45 million.

"We need external assistance but we are not sitting idle, we are trying to mobilize fund from our own resources," he said, expressing the hope that after the conference the international community will extend wholehearted support to implementation of Bangladesh Climate Change Action Plans.

At the conference, the UK has pledged a new funding of 75 million pounds sterling to support the adaptation programmes in Bangladesh.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in his message praised Bangladesh' s adaptation programme, saying that the world community should look at Bangladesh as a "global leader" in adaptation.

However, Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed was worried that Bangladesh poverty-reduction process might face a setback if immediate and effective action is not taken by the world community.

Dr Aziz and UK International Development Minister Alexander Douglas signed a joint communiqué urging the rich world to help LDCs, including Bangladesh, to combat the adverse impact of the climate change seriously affecting the livelihood and food security in the country.