U.S. Bangladesh Advisory Council
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PRESS RELEASE
U.S. BANGLADESH ADVISORY COUNCIL, OXFAM AMERICA AND ACTION AID HOST A JOINT FORUM
ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND BANGLADESH
Contact: press@usbac.org
May 4, 2009 - WASHINGTON , DC : The U.S. Bangladesh Advisory Council hosted a forum today with
leading experts and thought leaders on the severe impact of climate change on Bangladesh . The
panelists included Dr. Saleemul Huq, head of the climate change program at the UK-based
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Lisa Friedman, Deputy Editor of the
leading U.S. environment policy journal, ClimateWire, and H.E. Humayun Kabir, Ambassador of
Bangladesh to the United States . David Waskow of Oxfam America and Ilana Solomon of ActionAid
provided opening remarks and USBAC Executive Director, Shamarukh Mohiuddin moderated the
discussion.
Ambassador Humayun Kabir gave a comprehensive overview of the threats to Bangladesh from
climate change including extreme weather events, a rise in the water level which could potentially
displace up to 70 million people, public health challenges and other human and social costs. He
also spoke about the actions already taken by Bangladesh to address such issues. According to
him: “ Bangladesh is trying to develop its strategy around two pillars: policy and people. At the policy
level, Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA), among other things, has focused on
ensuring food security, security of livelihood and health, and effective management of disasters.” He
also said that “ Bangladesh is mobilizing its best resources—its human and social capital and
network—to implement climate related strategies.” Ambassador Kabir feels that Bangladesh could
immensely benefit from “building a new partnership with the United States in addressing the impact
of climate change.” He said: “We are particularly encouraged by the readiness of the Obama
administration to engage and lead the ongoing climate change negotiations leading up to the
Copenhagen conference at the end of 2009.” He also stated that while the Bangladesh appreciates
the support that the United States has extended to deal with climate change, there is a “need for
additional international funding arrangements and technical support.”
Dr. Saleemul Huq spoke about the global climate change policy scenario. He noted that that the
Framework Agreements following the Kyoto Protocol have recognized that mitigation alone is not
sufficient. He said that the “primary emphasis for adaptation in the near term needs to be on the
poorest and most vulnerable countries including Bangladesh .” He said that approximately “a 100
countries with a billion people will suffer the consequences of climate change first and hardest,
although they have contributed the least, only 3%, to global carbon emissions.” “These countries” he
said “are not the ones who caused the problems, but are going to suffer the consequences.” He
recognized that while Bangladesh was one of the first countries to submit the National Adaptation
Plan of Action (NAPA), adaptation funding from international donors has been very little. He said: “The
total bill for addressing all the adaptation problems in all the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
would be roughly under $2 billion over the next two years” but under the Bush administration, “the U.
S. did not put a single penny into the LDC Fund.”
Dr. Huq said: “One of the most important things that the Obama administration and the Democratic
Congress can do is to accept responsibility for helping the poorest and most vulnerable and fulfill a
promise made 8 years ago [at the Marrakesh Conference of Parties] to contribute to the Least
Developed Country fund.” He added that USBAC and other international development NGOs can work
to increase the awareness of policymakers about adaptation. He also recommended working with
the U.S. intelligence and security establishments who understand the magnitude of the issue.
Ms. Friedman spoke about her experience as a journalist covering the impact of climate change in
Bangladesh , which formed the basis of her recent five-part New York Times series. She said: “I
wanted to do a sustained coverage of what it means to be living in a country where the existence is
tied to the land, and where people’s livelihoods and futures are an existential threat because of
climate change.” “The issue of climate migration was very interesting to me”, she said. “I didn’t at first
see what a big deal it was—as mankind we have always moved—but what climate and social
scientists said to me was that this is different. We are looking at more people having to leave where
they are in a shorter amount of time than ever before.” Friedman said that while internal climate
migration does not get much exposure in the news, there are people in the coastal areas moving to
cities all the time, which is why Dhaka has doubled in population over the last decade. Ms. Friedman
also observed: “In the villages, nobody used the language of climate change but they said people
were moving because floods were coming so frequently and fiercely, and because salinity levels had
ruined the rice crops.” She said: “Still what I found was a country that was doing a tremendous
amount with very little help.”
#END#
U.S. BANGLADESH ADVISORY COUNCIL, OXFAM AMERICA AND ACTION AID HOST A JOINT FORUM
ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND BANGLADESH
Contact: press@usbac.org
May 4, 2009 - WASHINGTON , DC : The U.S. Bangladesh Advisory Council hosted a forum today with
leading experts and thought leaders on the severe impact of climate change on Bangladesh . The
panelists included Dr. Saleemul Huq, head of the climate change program at the UK-based
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Lisa Friedman, Deputy Editor of the
leading U.S. environment policy journal, ClimateWire, and H.E. Humayun Kabir, Ambassador of
Bangladesh to the United States . David Waskow of Oxfam America and Ilana Solomon of ActionAid
provided opening remarks and USBAC Executive Director, Shamarukh Mohiuddin moderated the
discussion.
Ambassador Humayun Kabir gave a comprehensive overview of the threats to Bangladesh from
climate change including extreme weather events, a rise in the water level which could potentially
displace up to 70 million people, public health challenges and other human and social costs. He
also spoke about the actions already taken by Bangladesh to address such issues. According to
him: “ Bangladesh is trying to develop its strategy around two pillars: policy and people. At the policy
level, Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA), among other things, has focused on
ensuring food security, security of livelihood and health, and effective management of disasters.” He
also said that “ Bangladesh is mobilizing its best resources—its human and social capital and
network—to implement climate related strategies.” Ambassador Kabir feels that Bangladesh could
immensely benefit from “building a new partnership with the United States in addressing the impact
of climate change.” He said: “We are particularly encouraged by the readiness of the Obama
administration to engage and lead the ongoing climate change negotiations leading up to the
Copenhagen conference at the end of 2009.” He also stated that while the Bangladesh appreciates
the support that the United States has extended to deal with climate change, there is a “need for
additional international funding arrangements and technical support.”
Dr. Saleemul Huq spoke about the global climate change policy scenario. He noted that that the
Framework Agreements following the Kyoto Protocol have recognized that mitigation alone is not
sufficient. He said that the “primary emphasis for adaptation in the near term needs to be on the
poorest and most vulnerable countries including Bangladesh .” He said that approximately “a 100
countries with a billion people will suffer the consequences of climate change first and hardest,
although they have contributed the least, only 3%, to global carbon emissions.” “These countries” he
said “are not the ones who caused the problems, but are going to suffer the consequences.” He
recognized that while Bangladesh was one of the first countries to submit the National Adaptation
Plan of Action (NAPA), adaptation funding from international donors has been very little. He said: “The
total bill for addressing all the adaptation problems in all the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
would be roughly under $2 billion over the next two years” but under the Bush administration, “the U.
S. did not put a single penny into the LDC Fund.”
Dr. Huq said: “One of the most important things that the Obama administration and the Democratic
Congress can do is to accept responsibility for helping the poorest and most vulnerable and fulfill a
promise made 8 years ago [at the Marrakesh Conference of Parties] to contribute to the Least
Developed Country fund.” He added that USBAC and other international development NGOs can work
to increase the awareness of policymakers about adaptation. He also recommended working with
the U.S. intelligence and security establishments who understand the magnitude of the issue.
Ms. Friedman spoke about her experience as a journalist covering the impact of climate change in
Bangladesh , which formed the basis of her recent five-part New York Times series. She said: “I
wanted to do a sustained coverage of what it means to be living in a country where the existence is
tied to the land, and where people’s livelihoods and futures are an existential threat because of
climate change.” “The issue of climate migration was very interesting to me”, she said. “I didn’t at first
see what a big deal it was—as mankind we have always moved—but what climate and social
scientists said to me was that this is different. We are looking at more people having to leave where
they are in a shorter amount of time than ever before.” Friedman said that while internal climate
migration does not get much exposure in the news, there are people in the coastal areas moving to
cities all the time, which is why Dhaka has doubled in population over the last decade. Ms. Friedman
also observed: “In the villages, nobody used the language of climate change but they said people
were moving because floods were coming so frequently and fiercely, and because salinity levels had
ruined the rice crops.” She said: “Still what I found was a country that was doing a tremendous
amount with very little help.”
#END#
