Experts have suggested proper negotiation in the global platforms especially ahead of COP25 in order to avail global fund to effectively deal with the local climate change impacts.
Besides, they also advocated for a joint move of the vulnerable countries' group, from the least developed category, in those global tables to make the developed countries understand the real scenarios of the climate impacts.
Despite emitting less global greenhouse gas, Bangladesh is facing the worst effects of climate change, which takes a heavy toll on the coastal residents.
Dr Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), told the FE the coastal region of Bangladesh is most vulnerable and the projection with climate change scenario is that 10 million people, possibility more than that, will lose their livelihood and be forced to leave their land within the next 10 to 20 years under the influence of climate change.
Md Akkas, 67, who is among the 200 fishermen living in the village named 'Mathurapur Jelepolli'(fishermen village) in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district close to Sundarbans, described to the FE how he became a victim of climate change.
He has been living in Shyamnagar since 1972, and he is directly depended on Sundarbans for his livelihood.
Now he works as a day labourer at the village and his two sons also work in brickfield as day labourers.
After severe cyclonic storm Sidr hit the southwest coast of Bangladesh in November, 2007, his family moved to this place at Khas land beside the River Kholpetua from the west part of the village as the storm destroyed his homestead.
Sidr caused $1.7 billion loss to the Sundarbans and clamed thousands of lives.
And the latest cyclone, Bulbul, struck Bangladesh this month, damaging 4,500 trees in Sundarbans and killing at least 18 people.
Deben, 47, another fisherman, narrated in a similar way as Md Akkas how he was forced to shift his dwelling house to a Khas land alongside the Kholpetua due to frequent onslaughts of cyclone and river erosion.
Dr Saleemul Huq also suggested that the government build 20 to 25 small towns that can become climate resilient and migration-friendly.
And, the towns can absorb and attract half a million people each so that the 10 to 20 million people may leave the coastal area and not get into the Dhaka city and go to the specialised cities and get employment.
Dr Haq, also a senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), said as a vulnerable country-for Bangladesh negotiation in the global platforms and with developed countries are most important especially in the COP25.
COP25 is scheduled to begin on December 2 in Spain this year.
"Single move of Bangladesh could not bring significant outcome in global platforms. And to this effect, Bangladesh needs to move on along with its team, the least developed countries, in the global platforms to avail global climate fund," he said.
On the other hand, Dr Saleelimul Haq observed there were some limitations and mismanagement in the local fund disbursement.
He suggested that the government engage all stakeholders, experts and local victims in the process so that such mistakes do not occur again.
Echoing Dr Haq, Uthpal Kumar, researcher at Water Systems and Global Change research group of Wageningen University, The Netherlands, emphasised conducting a necessary research to know how Bangladesh became a victim of global climate change effects.
And, relevant research can help Bangladesh cope up with climate change and play important role in negotiating in global platforms for funding, he added.
Regarding attainment of global funding, the deputy managing director (DMD) of Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), Md. Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker, told the FE after failing to get substantial amount of fund from the developed countries, the government formed BCCTF to address the climate change issue with its own money in 2013.
He said in last nine years the government has allocated Tk 38 billion (Tk 3800 crore) from its own revenue and a total of 650 projects have been taken during the period.
