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At the ongoing COP24: UN Climate Change Conference in Poland, countries like the USA, Saudi Arabia and Russia have refused to 'welcome' a landmark report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report recommended a deep cut in greenhouse gas emissions and a greater reliance on nuclear power, in order to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. To the disappointment of climate change negotiators at the summit, the three countries rather promoted the necessity of fossil fuels, unsettling hopes of rejuvenating the Paris climate pact.
At the summit, Bangladesh and a number of other nations affected by climate change have called for formation of a guideline to implement the Paris Agreement, which was committed by 19 major economies except the US.
The Bangladesh delegation is going to continue discussions till the final day of the conference on December 14 as Bangladesh is among the worst sufferers of climate change. The country's capital, Dhaka, has already turned into an 'urban heat island', with symptoms becoming worse with every passing year.
Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a metropolitan area that is a lot warmer than the rural areas surrounding it. The heat is created by vehicle emissions, population density, greater number of buildings, blocked airways and lack of water bodies.
On November 28, a workshop on "Mitigation Strategies for the Urban Microclimate of Dhaka Megacity to Reduce Adverse Climate Change Impacts" kicked off a year-long research project to be funded by the World Bank and conducted by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Curtin University of Australia and Meteorology Department of Dhaka University.
Through the project, researchers will monitor the temperature of roads, buildings and certain spots to identify critical areas and sort out mitigation and adaptation measures that can save the city before it affects the country.
Speakers at the workshop had confirmed that the temperature in Dhaka is at least two to three degrees Celsius higher than rural areas of Bangladesh, attributing this to high-rise buildings, population density, increased use of air conditioners and wrong street orientation which is reducing evaporation.
As a result, Dhaka is facing tell-tale UHI problems including enhanced survival rate of new vectors and germs. This is increasing occurrences of diseases like dengue, chikungunya, respiratory diseases and other infections.
Alike human beings, animals and vegetation in UHIs are also badly affected.
In order to address the problem, the present carbon emission rate needs to be cut down significantly. Speakers at the workshop also suggested proper implementation of the revised Detailed Area Plan (DAP) along with urban revitalisation and vegetation programme.
They pointed out that reclamation of canals can prove to be beneficial in this regard as water flow can significantly control city temperature. It was hoped that the government can reclaim 42 out of the 52 canals of Dhaka.
Civil society can raise the demand for reclamation of the canals. Concerned citizens of Dhaka can play their part towards saving their city by planting more trees thus making their own green zones in buildings and communities.
In the global context, Bangladesh and other nations affected by climate change should continue to press larger economies towards implementing the Paris Agreement.