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It is now Hemanta kal in Bangladesh, the fourth of the six traditional seasons in this part of the world. Kartik and Agrahayan are two Bangla months that comprise the season and spans between mid-October and mid-December. The uniqueness of Hemanta is that it indicates the arrival of winter, a favoured season for many. In other words, it is the pre-winter, although there is no such sign in Dhaka even after three weeks of Kartik. Instead, the daytime in the city is hot, and only late at night the temperature cools.
Undoubtedly, global warming is the main reason behind climate change, which has severely disrupted the traditional cycles of seasons in different parts of the world. This year, October was India's hottest month since 1901 in terms of mean temperatures and minimum temperatures, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Global warming is a significantly contributing factor, in addition to other climatic phenomena. Again, there is a forecast that record heat from West Asia to Japan, including South Asia, may continue in November this year, further delaying the arrival of winter.
Winter has already been significantly altered in Bangladesh, a direct result of global warming, unplanned development, and urbanisation. The green landscape has dwindled significantly, especially in the last two decades; water bodies in all urban and semi-urban areas have been filled to construct residential and commercial buildings, farmlands have squeezed to provide space for streets, roads and, highways and brickfields. To combat the rising temperature during summer, people resort to cooler machines, ultimately contributing to the warming. This is not just a change in weather, but a transformation of a way of life.
Yes, pre-winter is visible in many areas of the northern part of the country. Many villages and some small towns also feel that winter will arrive sooner or later. Nevertheless, the pre-winter flavour has changed a lot, even in villages, due to the transformation of rural infrastructure and improvement in physical communication. So, early morning fog mixed with dust in the air is no longer enjoyable in many areas.
As climate change is a cross-border issue, it is imperative for every country to play its part, because each country has some responsibilities. Planned urbanisation is one such thing that the country needs to design and implement by trying to preserve environmental and ecological balances. No one can help if a city replaces all its greeneries with bricks and concrete and then cries that it is terribly hot even during pre-winter time. No climate fund will work if a country ignores the decentralisation of development and then tries to fix the problem artificially. This is a global issue that requires a global response.
The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, starts in Baku, Azerbaijan today. Talks will range from defining a way forward on finance through a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to mitigation and loss and damage. The success of the talks will depend on various factors like convergence among the developed and developing nations on mitigation measures. Over the decades, countries have been reaffirming their commitments to take adequate measures and implement those to address the challenges of climate change, but the world has yet to see any desirable progress.
The slow progress of combined global actions, coupled with various damaging local moves, has increased the risks of global warming. The absence of pre-winter ambience in its true sense of the term, particularly in Dhaka, is a small example of inaction.