At a time when a large segment of world population is gasping for breath under the grinding pressure of the more immediate and pressing issues of market volatility, failure to manage enough and nutritious foods, loss of jobs and income, it is only natural that climate change took a back seat. But much of their woes originates directly from climate change. Indifference to the global warming which is the cause and effect of human acts of indiscretion in effect is a sure recipe for the obliteration of the human race and other creatures from the face of the planet Earth. Climatologists, researchers working with bio-diversity and the natural world and environmental scientists have long warned of the precariousness of the planet's sustainability caused by release of CO2 from automobiles, factories and industries. The world has reached its tipping point, so actions for reducing emission of greenhouse gas cannot wait.
It is against this backdrop, the 27th edition of the Convention of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is going to be held in Sharm El-sheikh, Egypt next month. As one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh needs to present its case in a comprehensive manner at the conference there. A report published in this newspaper on Sunday confirms that a draft climate adaptability plan covering 27 years has been finalised. Once the plan titled, 'National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050' receives approval from the cabinet, it will be presented at the COP27 summit. In fact, it was incumbent on Bangladesh, following the Paris climate conference's mandate, to prepare a comprehensive paper convincingly arguing in favour of its need for climate funds to fight adverse effects of global warming, the causes of which are mostly extraneous than internal. The highly industrialised nations are often the worst polluters in the world and the UNFCCC's climate conferences have, happily, made it mandatory for the polluters to compensate for parts of the losses and damage incurred in vulnerable countries on account of hostile climate.
According to the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), which is responsible for preparation of the plan, the country lost $4.65 billion or 1.3 per cent of the GDP in the fiscal year 2021-22 on account of adverse impacts of the climate. This loss, the CEGIS maintains, is likely to surpass 2.0 per cent in 2030 and reach up to 9.0 per cent by 2050 if no action for climate adaptability is taken. So, the $230-billion plan for climate adaptability had to be devised in order to stave off the collateral damages and losses of climate change.
On the face of it, the amount sought for the implementation of the plan looks large but when 27-year period along with the purposes to be served are taken into account, it may not be large enough. The way climate is getting in unforeseen turmoil, there is no knowledge of how hostile the environment will turn for life and livelihoods. It is too early to comment on the merit of the plan drafted. However, adaptability is no substitute for stalling or reversing the environmental decline and Bangladesh alone cannot do much in this regard unless the world at large comes to terms with drastic reduction of fossil-fuel use and consequent pollution. Yet some programmes like green revolution taken locally can significantly help improve the country's physical environment.