People’s Forum on MDGs (PFM), the GCAP alliance in Bangladesh announced its stand on climate change in Bangladesh and the South Asia Region at a PRESS BRIEFING on 03rd July 2008 at the Dhaka Reporter’s Unity Conference Center particularly keeping in view the SAARC Foreign Minister’s meeting on today 03rd July 2008.
 

The overall objectives of the Press Briefing was to mobilizing public opinion and create a pressure on the visiting SAARC members for addressing the climate change issues seriously and effectively. This Press Briefing is a sequel of the South Asian Civil Society Consultation on Climate Change held on 13-
14th January 20087 in Dhaka Bangladesh.

The press conference on climate change in line with the MDG Goal-7 is a continuation of process to push forward South Asia Regional issues on climate change with the hope that it will be picked up by the SAARC Foreign Ministers and pursued in the upcoming SAARC Summit to be held in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, President, Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) and Chairman, Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) was the key speaker of the press briefing along with SAFG and PFM members in Bangladesh.

PFM Bangladesh presented 14 point demands to the SAARC governments for immediate action and setting of development and adaption strategies as climate change threatens the socio-economic fabric of the region as well as create SAARC Climate Change Fund to tackle Climate Change.

People's Forum on MDGs (PFM) Bangladesh

Position Paper on Climate Change

Climate change is a key component of Goal 7 of MDGs to ensure environmental sustainability as a poverty reduction measure. Target 9 of MDG-7 in particular promotes measures that reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, energy use and the use of solid fuel. Climate change will also impact on the achievement of all the MDGs.

We know that no development efforts can be successful and effective without environmental sustainability. Reflecting the fact, Target 9 of MDG 7 particularly calls for measures that reduce carbon emissions, energy use and the use of solid fuels. Unplanned use of fuel and emission of green house gases give rise to climate change. This threatens achievement of MDGs directly or indirectly. We are the people of LDC`s are the first and worst victim of climate change and the disasters induced by climate change. The disasters including severe floods and cyclones, disproportionately affecting the people of Bangladesh in terms of health, housing, employment, livelihood and above all the food security.

The impact of climate changes on agriculture and fisheries is immense. Due to climate change resulting in possible sea-level rise, many countries or part of the counttries is under threats of inundation. An initial estimate is that with half a meter sea level riser, about 20% of Bangladesh in the coastal area will go under the water which is very alarming situation for a densely populated poverty stricken country like Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the developing countries like Bangladesh mostly bear the consequences of climate change though we have the least contribution to the build up of greenhouse gases. According to the UNITED NATIONS (UN) HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT-2008, Bangladesh is among the possible counties to be most affected by the climate change which may cause a large scale reversal in human development. The UN report notes that climate change could affect more than 70 million people in Bangladesh.

It Resolves That:
We the concerned citizens and civil society action groups believe that climate change is an emergency and if this is not tackled urgently, all other development efforts in coming decades run the risk of being wiped out. We also take note with great concern that the global emissions of carbon dioxide along with other greenhouse gases are rapidly contributing to al overall rise in global temperatures, as well as in sea levels.

The first and worst hit countries are the LDCs where billions of people live below the poverty line. These people are experiencing the negative impacts of climate change today. They experience climate change in from of tropical cyclones, delayed winters, heavier monsoon, landslides and drier winter. Unpredictable weather patterns are playing havoc with livelihoods of millions of farmers, fisher-folk and others who rely on regular weather. In addition, access to safe drinking water and sanitation is becoming more scare due to pollution, river erosion, increased salinity and other sources.
 

The recent IPCC report noted that the sea level could rise by up to one meter by 2050 potentially creating 30 million refuges in Bangladesh alone as one third of the countries land mass is inundated. Recently millions of people in India suffered the lass of their homes in devastating floods. The same floods also severely affected parts of the region especially Bangladesh and Nepal. Here in Bangladesh, Cyclone SIDR affected the lives of 10 million people and caused damages worth US$ 3 billion as it raged through the coastal areas wiping out whole communities, crops and livestock. Extreme weather events such as Cyclone SIDR are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
 

We also note with concern that other drastic changes in the weather patterns have caused serious damages to the agriculture pattern, livelihood and natural resources further adding to the already worse poverty situation in the South Asia. The irony is that neither national governments nor global forces are willing to take the responsibility or any role in providing remedy or any sustainable solutions to their plight.

PFM Bangladesh therefore demands:

1. All the government of SAARC countries in the region should urgently pay attention to these climatic changes and their causes to the world especially the weaker and vulnerable communities. Efforts need to be accelerated to address all those factors that cause such damages.
    

2. We demand that climate change and its effects and immediate remedies should be the key agenda item at the official SAARC summit in Sri lanka and there should be a common voice of South Asia in all regional and international forums.
    

3. South Asian governments must take a common position and consorted engagement at the national and regional levels as well as in all the international forums to safeguard the common interests of people with respect to environmental sustainability and security.
    

4. Climate refugees must get the legal rights to provide rehabilitation and right to migrate in developed countries.
    

5. Bangladesh must get the compensation in form of carbon tax as proportionate carbon emission of developed and industrialized countries.
    

6. Industrialized countries must declare now the roadmap to reduce the amount GHG emission of 30% from the current level by 2020.
    

7. Voices of the poorest and most marginalized are heard and listed to during all negotiations
   relating to climate change.
    

8. Immediate agreements on increased funding for poor nations to adapt to climatic changes. further that these commitments must be over and above any existing international aid commitments.
    

9. SAARC governments must take a strong stand for Climate-proofing international rivermanagement initiatives and in protecting cross – border eco systems.
    

10. Create SAARC Climate Change Fund to tackle Climate Change. Adopt bold resolution to act the rich countries immediately to setup the fund to help developing countries as they made specific commitment at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bali, in December 2007. According to Hyogo Framework principles, rich country governments need to provide at least 0.7% of their GNI in international aid for disaster risk reduction.
     

11. Adopt viable mechanism for strengthening and effective use of institutions established by SAARC, like- SAARC Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Meteorological Research Centre and Coastal Zone Management Centre to share cross-border data and support effective initiatives for disaster risk reduction.
     

12. The World Bank and all other funders should stop funding fossil fuel exploitation and honor its earlier commitments that such funding should not contribute to climate change, whose impacts hit poor people disproportionately hard.
     

13. The World Bank should phase out its investments in oil production by 2008 and aggressively increase investments in renewable energy and other measure that delink energy use from greenhouse gas emissions. it should also stop funding investments in greenhouse gas producing projects, big dams that cause mass displacement of populations and damaging ecosystems instead invest in small scale hydro.
     

14. Developed countries must stop transfer of polluting industries from north to south including unsustainable production systems
     

We the civil society will not rest until these factors are addressed and the justice is brought to these people.
 

Peoples Forum on MDGs (PFM) Bangladesh