BD role model in climate change adaptation: Ban Ki-moon

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Bangladesh is a role model in showing the world that even a developing country could roll out so many trends setting climate initiatives with courage and farsightedness.

The ex-UN Secretary General said this while presiding over the launching of Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) in The Hague, Netherlands on Tuesday.

The GCA is a new initiative to elevate the political visibility of climate change adaptation and focus on solutions.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with the Presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Indonesia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Marshall Islands, Argentina; Premier of China, Chancellor of Germany, and Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, India, UK, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia and Grenada are the Conveners of the GCA, said the Bangladesh Embassy in The Hague on Wednesday, reports UNB.

Ban Ki-moon also appreciated the leadership of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her role as a global leader in bringing the issue of adaptation in an emphatic and innovative way.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud while representing Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as Convener highlighted that mere discussion will not solve the problem.

"Targeted funding is required. Private funding in the developing world is a huge challenge and as such appealed to the developed countries to come up with funding," he said.

Anisul Islam, highlighting trans-boundary nature of climate, drew the attention of the global community on the problem of snow melting in the Himalayas at an alarming rate, wished to see a Himalayan basin wide approach for more coordinated actions against the problems of climate change adaptation.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in his inaugural speech, referred to Bangladesh's successes as well as challenges with regard to climate change adaptation.

The inaugural ceremony also included a video message from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, where she highlighted Bangladesh's stellar successes in climate change-related disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation strategies and programmes, and assured Bangladesh's own trend setting work to make the lives and living of Bangladesh people as safe and prosperous as possible.

Anisul Islam also highlighted the presence of over a million of forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar and how they also aggravated the environment as Bangladesh has to provide them with accommodation and means of living.

He assured that Bangladesh will continue to deal with the issue of climate change adaptation under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as they would like to build an eco-friendly and integrated South Asia, where Bangladesh shall continue to serve as a role model.