'Half degree rise in temperature would drive millions into poverty'

Referring to climate scientists, a group of young people said that half a degree rise in temperature would significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat, higher sea levels and causing destruction.

This slight rise would also bring poverty for hundreds of millions of people, particularly for those who live in the Global South, they pointed out.

Demanding climate justice for all, ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB), in cooperation with young people, organised the Global Climate Strike for the third time on Friday, in front of the National Press Club, Dhaka.

This Global Climate Strike was attended by more than a hundred representatives of young people including 15 transgender.

In addition, young people from nine Local Rights Programme (LRP’s) and two youth platforms (YouthNet for Climate Justice & Bindu) organised the global climate strike on the same day in 19 districts of Bangladesh.

These effects will impact everyone, both rich and poor and be devastating to our most vulnerable people, especially the poorest, youngest, children and women, they also insisted.

In this climate strike, AAB’s Resilience and Climate Justice and Young People Strategic Priority reached out the unheard voices from youth for the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP26), Youth COP and other relevant events on climate issues.

To reinforce ‘Fridays for Future’ and ‘Global Climate Strike’, young people of Bangladesh raised their voices and backed in solidarity with the theme `Uproot the System’.

In this colourful, sensible and non-violent strike, young activists along with people from across the society demanded climate justice by showing placards and posters titled `There is no planet B’; `STOP! Listen to My EARTH’; `BURN Borders, NOT Coals’; `Treat every crisis as crisis’;`LOVE Trees, PLANT Trees’; and many more.

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