EU pledges continued help in climate change strategy
The European Commission (EC) will continue its support for the Bangladesh government's Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan through substantial contribution to various programmes, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EC to Bangladesh Dr Stefan Frowein said yesterday
A huge fund is required for mitigation and adaptation projects, said Stefan while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on 'Climate Change: Facing the Challenge Together,' organised by Institute of Media and Communication Studies at the Chhayanaut Seminar Hall in the capital.
The challenges of climate change should be faced with combined efforts by all, he said.
Stefan said Bangladesh would be one of the worst sufferers of the impacts of climate change though it is not responsible for emitting greenhouse gas according to the forecasts of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Countries like Bangladesh need support to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to the changes already occurred, he said.
The EC ambassador also said the EC has launched Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) in September last year with an aim to provide a broader range of actions through dialogue and exchange as well as practical cooperation between the EC and the developing countries.
Disaster expert Naim Gouhor Wahra in a paper on Bangladesh's vulnerability to climate change said climate change and its impacts should be taken into account while taking up any development work in the country.
Bangladesh is experiencing frequent floods due to climate change, he said adding that the recent floods are more devastating than the previous ones.
Naim suggested the inclusion of two more pillars -- creating public awareness and mobilisation of funds -- to the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.
The strategy should focus on the adaptation capacity of the poor who will be affected the most by climate change.
First Secretary of the EC Delegation to Bangladesh Koen Duchateau presented a paper on the EC's activities on climate change.
Dr KAS Murshid, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, moderated the workshop.
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