Climate Change
‘Mangrove Man’ in India fights to salvage sinking shores
On the receding shorelines of low-lying Vypin Island off India’s western coast, T. P. Murukesan fixed his eyes on the white paint peeling off the damp walls of his raised home and recounted the most recent floods.
“The floods are occurring more frequently and lasting longer,” he said. The last flood was chest-height for his young grandson. “Every flood brings waters this high, we just deal with it.”
Sea level rise and severe tidal floods have forced many families in Murukesan’s neighborhood to relocate to higher grounds over the years. But the retired fisherman has almost singlehandedly been buffering the impacts of the rising waters on his home and in his community.
Known locally as “Mangrove Man,” Murukesan has turned to planting the trees along the shores of Vypin and the surrounding areas in the Kochi region of Kerala state to counter the impacts of rising waters on his home.
Tidal flooding occurs when sea level rise combines with local factors to push water levels above the normal levels. Mangroves can provide natural coastal defenses against sea level rise, tides and storm surges, but over the course of his life forest cover in the state has dwindled.
Murukesan said he grew up surrounded by beautiful, abundant mangroves that separated islands from the sea. Now, only fragmented patches of mangroves can be seen in Kochi, the state’s financial capital.
“They protected our houses against floods, sea erosion, and storms, used to be an inseparable part of our life, our ecosystem,” he said. “Only these can save us.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of a series produced under the India Climate Journalism Program, a collaboration between The Associated Press, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and the Press Trust of India.
Murukesan said he has planted over 100,000 mangroves. He plants saplings on alternate days and does most of the work himself. Some help comes in the form of saplings from the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, a non-government organization based in Chennai, India.
His efforts come up against a strong trend in the opposite direction.
Ernakulam district, which includes Kochi, has lost nearly 42% of its mangrove ecosystems, including major decreases in the southern Puthuvypeen area in Vypin, according to a study released last year by the Indian Space Research Organization and the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies.
Mangrove cover in the state has reduced from 700 square kilometers (435 square miles) to just 24 square kilometers (15 square miles) since 1975, according to the Kerala Forest department.
“The construction of coastal roads and highways has severely damaged mangrove ecosystems in the state,” said K K Ramachandran, former member secretary of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, a government body mandated to protect the coastal environment. “There should be an incentive for people who are making efforts to protect them.”
Murukesan’s dedication to the cause has won him praise, awards and the audience of senior politicians but not incentives beyond the immediate benefits to his home.
He said the mangroves he planted in and around the area in 2014 have grown into a dense thicket and are helping reduce the intensity of tidal flooding, but he’s nevertheless continuing his efforts.
Despite the thousands of new mangrove trees, other factors like climate change mean tidal floods have become more frequent and severe, sometimes keeping children from going to school and people from getting to work. It's all mentally exhausting, Murukesan and his wife, Geetha, said.
“I have to travel a lot to collect seeds. My wife helps me in the nursery as much as she can. I am tired but I cannot stop,” he said.
Geetha said they do the tough work “for our children,” preserving the forest for decades to come.
“It keeps us going,” she said.
Vypin is at high-risk for tidal flooding, said Abhilash S, director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
“The sea level has risen and has damaged freshwater supplies. Sea erosion and spring tides have worsened. Coastal flooding is a common occurrence now," he said. “The carrying capacity of the backwaters has reduced due to sediment deposition and encroachment, and the rainwater enters residential areas during the monsoon season.”
Backwaters in the state of Kerala are networks of canals, lagoons and lakes parallel to coastal areas, unique ecosystems that help provide a buffer to rising sea levels.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, global mean sea level rose by 4.5 millimeters per year between 2013 and 2022. It’s a major threat for countries like India, China, the Netherlands and Bangladesh, which comprise large coastal populations.
NASA projections show that Kochi might experience a sea level rise of 0.22 meters (8.7 inches) by 2050, and over half a meter (nearly 20 inches) by 2100 in a middle-of-the-road climate warming scenario.
“Many families have left,” Murukesan said.
Fishing families living within 50 meters (55 yards) of the shore get a financial assistance of 10 lakh rupees ($12,000) through a rehabilitation scheme run by the Kerala government. Only few of those not covered under it have means to relocate to safer places.
Some fishing families shift to government shelters in the monsoon season and return after it ends. A few have built stilt houses that stand on columns to fight tidal floods.
Murukesan knows the sea is rising, but it’s the backwaters that make him more anxious. The backwaters have become shallow due to the silt deposited by heavy floods. During heavy rain events, the water inundates the island.
“We are caught between the sea and the backwaters. They are likely to swallow the island in some years, but I am not going anywhere," he said. “I was born here, and I will die here.”
German climate activists pledge new wave of blockades
Climate activists said Tuesday that they will stage further protests in Berlin in an effort to force the German government into doing more to curb global warming.
The announcement came as courts are taking a tougher stance against members of the group Last Generation who have repeatedly blocked roads across Germany in the past year.
The group said at a news conference in Berlin that it would begin to stage open-ended protests Wednesday in the government district. From Monday onward, members will try to “peacefully bring the city to a standstill,” it said.
Last Generation accuses the German government of breaching the country’s constitution, citing a supreme court verdict two years ago that found too much of the burden for climate change was being placed on younger generations. The government under then Chancellor Angela Merkel subsequently raised its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but activists say the measures aren’t consistent with the Paris climate accord.
“As long as there’s no plan we can trust to protect our lives and future, and that’s based on the constitution, we are obliged to demand such a plan with all peaceful means,” said Carla Hinrichs, a spokesperson for Last Generation.
The group wants Germany to end the use of all fossil fuels by 2030, a step that would be extremely ambitious to achieve. The country switched off its last three nuclear plants over the weekend, increasing its reliance on coal and gas-fired power plants until sufficient renewable energy capacity is available.
Last Generation’s protests have drawn sharp criticism from across much of the political spectrum, though there has also been support for their underlying aims.
Three activists were sentenced to between three and five months imprisonment by a court in the southwestern city of Heilbronn on Monday. The judge noted that they had joined a blockade in March hours after being sentenced in a previous case.
One of the protesters, Daniel Eckert, defended his actions after the verdict, saying: “As long as the true criminals aren’t brought before a court but instead continue to destroy the basis of our existence and profit from it, I can’t do anything other than stand in the way of this destruction.”
Bangladesh seeks urgent action for protection of climate migrants
The recently adopted UN General Assembly Resolution, requesting for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on obligations of states in respect to climate change, recognizes the link between climate change and displacement of affected persons.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said this while speaking at a panel discussion organized by IOM during its 2023 International Dialogue on Migration held at the United Nations Headquarters.
Referring to the extreme vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change, Foreign Secretary Momen shared the various initiatives undertaken by the government of Bangladesh in addressing the impact of climate change including the 8th Five Year Plan incorporating action point to address the environment, climate change adaptation and mitigation; establishment of a Climate Change Trust Fund; and launching of ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan’.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also undertaken the biggest housing project for climate migrants in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the “Khurushkul Special Ashrayan Project”, he further added.
Expressing concern over the inadequate action of the international community on the protection of persons displaced by climate change and associated disaster, he urged to scale up global actions including climate financing.
Read more: Bangladesh urges global solidarity to address gaps in migrants’ human rights
Govt may provide loans for producing eco-friendly bricks: Environment Minister
The government of Bangladesh has taken a decision to provide bank loans on easy terms to those involved in producing environment-friendly bricks, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin said today (January 25, 2023).
The environment minister said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with deputy commissioners at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
The meeting also discussed protecting forests and actions of DCs to combat climate change impacts, he said.
He also sought assistance from the DCs in stopping hill cutting, deforestation, establishment of illegal brick fields and soil cutting. The DCs were asked to take legal steps in this regard.
Read More: COP27: Bangladesh prioritises realisation of green climate fund, Environment Minister tells UNB
Replying to a question on any proposal coming from DCs, the minister said there are only 50 offices under the Department of Environment (DoE) in the 50 districts while the ministry has no office in the rest 14 districts.
He also assured of establishing offices in the 14 districts.
Besides, the DCs have been asked to stop operation of illegal brick kilns as the government has taken an initiative to use environment-friendly bricks for government structures by 2025.
“The more we can provide eco-friendly bricks, the more we can stop production of illegal brick kilns. If we are able to meet the demand with eco-friendly block bricks, the old illegal brick kilns can be stopped,” he said.
Read More: 2022 was fifth or sixth warmest on record as Earth heats up
‘World Bank should support countries hit hard by Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war, climate change’
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (January 23, 2023) urged the World Bank and other international organizations to strengthen their support for countries hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and climate change.
The PM said this when World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Axel van Trotsenburg, paid a courtesy call on her at her office this morning.
PM’s speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh had achieved an impressive 8-plus percent GDP growth before Covid-19 broke out, but it declined due to the pandemic. When Bangladesh was regaining the growth momentum, it was hit hard again by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Read more: World Bank: Recession a looming threat for global economy
Developing countries like Bangladesh are dealing with the challenges brought about the economic fallout, including soaring food and fuel prices, she said.
The PM focused on her government’s measures and endeavours to fight the climate change, including projects undertaken with financing from Climate Trust Fund, to mitigate the adverse impacts by creating green-belt, afforestation, sustainable housing and livelihood.
She said developed countries shares responsibility for climate change but unfortunately, they are not complying with their commitments to assist the climate vulnerable countries.
BANGLADESH MADE INCREDIBLE DEVELOPMENT: WB MANAGING DIRECTOR
The World Bank Managing Director praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s incredible development journey under her leadership.
The per capita income in Bangladesh was only some US $50 in 1972, which is now US $2824, he added.
Read more: World Bank okays $250m for Bangladesh for better environmental management, green investments
Talking about the current context, Axel van Trotsenburg said that developing countries like Bangladesh need to create employment opportunities for youths to face the current challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.
Employment generation is also needed for accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he added.
He said the World Bank has been assisting Bangladesh since 1972 and will continue to stand beside the country.
“I’ve come here to strengthen the World Bank’s partnership with Bangladesh,” said the WB senior official.
Read More: World Bank a key partner of Bangladesh’s economic growth: Finance Minister
About the development of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said the country has gained fast development in the last 14 years thanks to the continuation of political stability, the government’s tireless efforts to implement its political visions and its desire to work for the people.
PM’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, Ambassador-at-Large Mohammd Ziauddin, PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, and Finance Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin were present at the meeting.
Economic woes, war, climate change on tap for Davos meeting
The World Economic Forum is back with its first winter meetup since 2020 in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, where leaders are seeking to bridge political divisions in a polarized world, buttress a hobbling economy and address concerns about a climate change — among many other things.
Sessions will take up issues as diverse as the future of fertilizers, the role of sports in society, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more. Nearly 600 CEOs and more than 50 heads of state or government are expected, but it's never clear how much concrete action emerges from the elite event.
Here’s what to watch as the four-day talkfest and related deal-making get underway in earnest Tuesday:
WHO’S COMING?
Back in the snows for the first time since the pandemic and just eight months after a springtime 2022 session, the event will host notables like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and the new presidents of South Korea, Colombia and the Philippines.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He addresses the gathering Tuesday, a day before his first meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in Zurich. Yellen will skip Davos.
Who else is missing? U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, of course: Envoys from his country has been shunned because of his war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was on her way to Davos and will speak Tuesday, while her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will give a remote address Wednesday and other officials from Ukraine are appearing on panels.
Read more: Business trusted most in a more polarized world, report says
Outside the main convention center, a themed venue known as Ukraine House is hosting a concert, photo exhibits, seminars, cocktail events and other meetings this week to drum up support for Ukraine’s efforts to drive out Russian forces.
ECONOMIC FOCUS
The slowdown in the global economy will be a major theme at Davos, with officials ranging from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaking in sessions.
Inflation soared as the world reopened from the pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, driving up food and energy prices, and though it has started to slow in major economies like the U.S. and those in Europe, inflation is still painfully high.
Georgieva said in an IMF blog post Monday that divides between nations — the theme at Davos this year is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World” — are putting the global economy at risk by leaving “everyone poorer and less secure.”
Georgieva urged strengthening trade, helping vulnerable countries deal with debt and ramping up climate action.
PRIORITIZING CLIMATE
A major climate theme emerging from the forum’s panel sessions is the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will be talking about decarbonization, efforts to build clean energy infrastructure and ensure an equitable transition.
It follows a strong year for the energy transition: Many countries passed incentives for renewable energy in 2022.
One hot topic on the agenda — harnessing nuclear fusion — focuses on science that offers immense potential but is many decades away from a commercial rollout that could feed the world’s skyrocketing thirst for energy.
Sessions on issues like adaptation to climate change and panels on deforestation, biodiversity and the future of environmental protection will give a greener hue to the gathering.
CRITICAL VOICES
The elite gathering is regularly skewered by critics who argue that attendees are too out-of-touch or profit- or power-minded to address the needs of common people and the planet.
Throughout the week, critics and activists will be waiting outside the Davos conference center to try to hold decision-makers and business leaders to account.
Read more: Robust leadership, political trust fortified Dhaka-Ankara economic, defence ties: Turan
It started Sunday, when dozens of climate activists — some with clown makeup — braved snowfall to wave banners and chant slogans at the end of the Davos Promenade, a thoroughfare now lined with storefront logos of corporate titans like Accenture, Microsoft, Salesforce, Meta, as well as country “houses” that promote national interests.
Greenpeace International also blasted use of corporate jets that ferry in bigwigs, saying such carbon-spewing transportation smacks of hypocrisy for an event touting its push for a greener world. It said over 1,000 private-jet flights arrived and departed airports serving Davos in May.
Forum President Borge Brende acknowledged Sunday that some government leaders and CEOs fly in that way.
"I think what is more important than that is to make sure we have agreements on how we, overall, move and push the envelope when it comes to the green agenda,” he said.
German coal mine clash pits laws against climate
The fate of a tiny village has sparked heated debate in Germany over the country’s continued use of coal and whether tackling climate change justifies breaking the law.
Environmental activists have been locked in a standoff with police who started eviction operations on Wednesday in the hamlet of Luetzerath, west of Cologne, that’s due to be bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby lignite mine. Some stones and fireworks were thrown at officers in riot gear, who could be seen dismantling stalls set up by protesters.
Protesters refused Tuesday to heed a court ruling effectively banning them from the area. Some dug trenches, built barricades and perched atop giant tripods in an effort to stop heavy machines from reaching the village, before police pushed them back by force.
“People are putting all of their effort, all of their lives into this struggle to keep the coal in the ground,” said Dina Hamid, a spokesperson for the activist group Luetzerath Lives.
“If this coal is burned, we’re actually going to take down our climate goals,” she said. “So we’re trying to, with our bodies, protect the climate goals.”
The debate flared up hours later at a townhall meeting in nearby Erkelenz, when one regional official accused activists of being willing to “spill human blood” to defend the now-abandoned village.
Also Read: Climate activists dig in to defend village from coal mine
Stephan Pusch, who heads the district administration, said that while he sympathized with the protesters’ aims, the time had come to give up Luetzerath. The village’s last resident left in 2022 after being forced to sell to utility company RWE.
“You’ve achieved your goal. Now clear the pitch,” he said to jeers from the room.
Many disagreed, arguing that the village is more than just a potent symbol for the need to stop global warming.
Studies indicate that about 110 million metric tons of coal could be extracted from beneath Luetzerath. The government and RWE say this coal is needed to ensure Germany’s energy security — squeezed by the cut in supply of Russian gas due to the war in Ukraine.
Critics counter that burning so much coal would make it much harder for Germany, and the world, to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) as agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord.
“Nobody wants to be out there in the cold right now, defending a forest or a village,” said Maya Rollberg, a 26-year-old student who had traveled from southern Germany. “But I think that people have realized that they have to do that in order to (protect) future generations.”
Dietmar Jung, a retired priest attending the meeting, said he was tired of hearing officials say the law was on the side of RWE.
“They keep going back to the legal situation,” he said. “But the right to live doesn’t play a role here (for them).”
Pusch, the regional administration chief, warned protesters that intentionally breaking the law wouldn’t help their cause in a country where the violent seizure of power and the horrors of dictatorship are still within living memory.
“I’ll tell you honestly that I’m scared my children will grow up in a world that isn’t worth living in anymore,” he said. “But I’m at least as scared of my children growing up in a country where everyone takes the law into their own hands.”
“You won’t save the world’s climate on your own,” said Pusch. “(We’ll) only do so if we manage to take the majority of the population with us.”
Similar debates over how far civil disobedience can go have taken place in Germany and elsewhere in recent months amid a wave of road blockades and other dramatic actions by protesters demanding tougher measures to combat climate change.
Some climate activists say the law is ultimately on their side, citing a 2021 ruling by the country’s supreme court that forced the government to step up its effort to cut emissions. They also note the legally binding nature of Germany’s commitments under the Paris accord.
Speaking after the townhall meeting, student Jannis Niethammer acknowledged that the dispute over Luetzerath touches on fundamental issues. “It’s a question of democracy and how do we actually get a democracy to move toward climate protection, toward climate justice,” he said.
Janine Wissler, a federal lawmaker and co-leader of the opposition Left party, suggested the way out would be for the government to reverse its decision allowing the village to be razed.
“If we want to achieve our climate targets and take the Paris climate agreement seriously, then the coal beneath Luetzerath needs to stay in the ground,” she told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the protest.
Wissler criticized an agreement struck last year between the government and utility company RWE to permit mining beneath the village in return for an earlier end to coal use in Germany. Some experts say that, in sum, the deal will lead to higher emissions.
“We’re already experiencing droughts, famines and floods. Climate change is happening already,” she said. “And therefore wrong decisions need to be corrected.”
32nd meeting of JS committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs held
The 32nd meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs Ministry was held at the Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday.
With the committee’s President Saber Hossain Chowdhury in the chair, Minister for the concerned ministry Md Shahabuddin and Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, among others, were present at the meeting.
Several issues including expectations and reality from the COP-27 conference, list of owners of hotels, motels, and resorts developed in Saint Martin Island and fix actions regarding the issue, recruitment, promotion, allegation on posting of Directorate of Forest, and System of Environment Accounting (SEEA) including Blue Economy and Poverty Environment Nexus were discussed at the meeting.
The committee recommended the ministry present the names of owners who illegally developed hotels, motels and resorts on Saint Martin Island and visit the spot in person.
Apart from this, instructions were given to take measures to build a mangrove forest in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar and send a letter to the Khulna deputy commissioner to hand over Sheikh Russell Eco-park to the Forest department.
The committee asked the ministry to take initiative to elect a co-chairman from Bangladesh for the next UN-led climate change summit, COP-28, and carry out publicity campaign in this connection.
A recommendation was also made to assist the statistics and information management division in providing information and data for the overall cooperation of the SEEA project.
Read more: Bangladesh's role in COP27 negotiations highlighted
GEF climate adaptation funds to support V20 Group efforts to minimize climate impacts
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Climate adaptation funds support the V20’s funding program with $5.3 million for community-based adaptation activities and will also leverage funding from other sources including those that will provide complementary support to address loss and damage from climate change.
The 58 member countries of the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group are at the frontlines of the climate change problem having lost 20% of GDP growth (USD 525 billion) over the last two decades (2000-2019) due to climate-fueled risks.
In response, the V20 Group proposed a funding program to deliver multilateral resources to front-line communities to address, avert and minimize the impacts of climate change on those most vulnerable.
The proposal, which will support adaptation initiatives in the V20 member countries, secured an initial funding of USD 5.3 million from the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Council at its 33rd meeting on December 2.
Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance for the Republic of Ghana & Chair of the V20 Group welcomed the partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and highlighted that “we have to take a proactive approach towards doubling adaptation resources by 2025 and ensuring the delivery of resources to frontline communities, enterprises and economies”, a confirmation of the call made by the V20 Ministers of Finance during the Ninth V20 Ministerial Dialogue that was convened in Washington DC in October 2022.
He added that “through the GEF, particularly through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the V20 Group aims to mobilize additional resources for climate change adaptation to boost the adaptive capacity in the LDC countries. This is to ensure that we leave no vulnerable community and economy behind”.
Read more: COP27: Bangladesh among first recipients of Global Shield financial support
According to the V20 Chair, the evolution of the program must include increased mobilization of resources from the GEF’s Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) to secure finance for climate change adaptation for non-LDC climate vulnerable countries.
He, therefore, urged the donors of the GEF to scale up resources for both the LDCF and the SCCF to support the economic transformation of climate vulnerable countries which has been necessitated by the climate crisis amongst other global emergencies.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, added that the GEF-managed LDCF and SCCF have an important role in serving the Paris Agreement, which has established a global goal on adaptation to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
“We commend the decision of the LDCF/SCCF Council to allocate resources to bolster adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change in climate vulnerable countries. By supporting adaptation in V20 countries through micro and community level projects, impacts of climate change will be averted and minimized,” he said.
“This is a step in the right direction but compared to the scale of adaptation needed in V20 countries, this funding allocation is modest, and this is where the role of donors becomes critical in further boosting their contributions for the LDCF and SCCF”.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), an agency of the GEF, will administer this LDCF and SCCF funded project.
Read more: V20, G7 reach agreement on financial protection against climate change loss
The initial investment of the V20 Funding Program will support a range of adaptation interventions across themes such as agriculture, water, climate information services, and disaster risk reduction including the repair and reconstruction of community infrastructure impacted by extreme weather events to build back better standards.
Every dollar invested in climate adaptation brings a much higher return on investment: GCA CEO
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Patrick Verkooijen has said investing in climate adaptation is not just the right thing to do; it is also the economically smart thing to do.
“Every dollar invested in climate adaptation brings a much higher return on investment,” he said in an interview with UNB noting that Bangladesh is on the frontline of their climate emergency.
Patrick said addressing climate change is a national priority for the country, and Bangladesh is recognised internationally for its cutting-edge achievements in addressing climate change.
The activities of the Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) were launched on December 11 in Dhaka by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an event reinforcing the government of Bangladesh’s global leadership on LLA.
Read more: Climate Change: Momen urges global community for more support to developing countries
A right approach for climate adaptation will save lives, reduce inequality, and create opportunities.
GCA’s research has shown that a dollar invested in weather and climate information services gives between 4 and 25 dollars in benefits.
One dollar invested in resilient water and sanitation not only saves lives; it creates between 2 and 12 dollars in economic benefits.
Patrick said, “We are here to learn. When it comes to adaptation, our best teachers are often those who are on the frontlines of climate change. And few countries have more to teach us than Bangladesh,” he said, adding that there is a lot other countries can learn from Bangladesh’s approach.
He said Bangladesh is a “striking example” of how poor communities can be the most innovative in adapting to climate change. “We hope the valuable lessons it has learnt will help the rest of the world adapt to our new climate reality.”
“But while Bangladesh has much to teach, we know Bangladesh is keen to learn from the experience of other countries facing similar challenges,” Patrick said, adding that they are grateful to the United Kingdom whose support has made the Global Hub a reality.
He said rising seas, floods, and intensifying cyclones are just a few of the impacts that make Bangladesh one of the most climate change-vulnerable countries in the world.
Average tropical cyclones cost Bangladesh about $1 billion annually. From 2000 to 2019, Bangladesh suffered economic losses worth $3.72 billion and witnessed 185 extreme weather events due to climate change.
read more: New abnormal: Climate disaster damage ‘down’ to $268 billion
By 2050, Dr Patrik said, a third of agricultural GDP could be lost and 13 million people could become internal climate migrants. In case of a severe flooding, like we have just seen in Pakistan, GDP could fall by as much as 9 percent.
Asked why locally led adaptation is so important, Patrick said, “The reason LLA is so important is that you can’t make top-down national plans without investing in enabling bottom-up inputs from the vulnerable communities so that the plans are implemented without failure.”
Bangladesh already has a long history of planning for adaptation to climate change and incorporating those plans into national development programmes such as the Bangladesh National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP), both of which emphasise investment in Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) as a way to achieve transformational adaptation over the next decade.
“So, there needs to be a paradigm shift: instead of looking at the vulnerable communities as mere targets or beneficiaries of support from the top, we need to take them as the agents of change themselves who know best what needs to be done, and those who wish to support them must listen to them first,” he said.
Asked why Bangladesh is chosen to establish the global hub on locally led adaptation,Patrick said two years ago at the launch of the GCA South Asia office, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked for local knowledge and innovations from Bangladesh, and from other countries in the region, to be shared with the rest of the world.
Read more: 'With enough foreign funding, Bangladesh can do more to face climate risks'
“There was no question in my mind that the Global Hub had to be in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has long been a global leader in Locally Led Adaptation. Rather than accept its destiny – geographical or otherwise, Bangladesh has been at the forefront of preparing for the onslaughts that global warming would surely bring,” he said.
Bangladesh was also one of the first countries in the world to set up a national fund – the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) – resourced from national budgetary sources to fund activities on the ground.
The Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan now includes a further commitment to invest in LLA through an LLA funding window in the BCCTF, with preferential access for women, youth, disabled persons, and displaced people.
“It also includes a commitment to create national Mujib LLA Hubs as a repository of information on communities, and a forum for discussion and consultation. Both these commitments will contribute to building a locally-grounded foundation for the GCA Global Hub,” Dr Patrik said.
Patrick mentioned that with the combined expertise and financial resources of the Global Hub, they can urgently and cost-effectively find ways to help and support those local communities most disrupted by climate change. “We can help them adapt, survive and thrive.”
About the long-term plans for this Global Hub on LLA, Patrick said the GCA Global Hub on LLA will have a deliberate focus on the local level, targeting the adaptation-related knowledge and information needs of local communities, governments, practitioners, and other grassroots organisations and champions.
It will then expand outwards to encompass the LLA-specific needs of other actors that play a critical role in enabling and empowering LLA, he said.
In the first phase of its activities between 2022-2025, Patrick said, the Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation will focus its work on accelerating locally led adaptation across Africa and Asia.