IUB and the Swedish Embassy organise roundtable on Stockholm+50 Conference
The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and the Embassy of Sweden, Dhaka jointly organised a roundtable on May 17 in the build up to the Stockholm+50 Conference to be held in Stockholm, Sweden in the first week of June 2022.
The roundtable was organised to gather perspectives from actors in Bangladesh on how to tackle climate change, pollution and waste, and loss of nature and biodiversity, and accelerate the delivery of sustainable, equitable and resilient development, including a green post-COVID 19 recovery. The key output of the roundtable was a report with recommendations for Stockholm+50 Conference and follow up actions in Bangladesh.
In his chief guest's speech, Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Tanvir Shakil Joy said, "Due to climate change, massive internal migration is taking place in the country. In the northern district of Sirajganj, people living on the banks of Jamuna are migrating to Kurigram and Panchagarh, which are further north, due to riverbank erosion. Even people who relocated within their own upazilas are often treated as refugees." The chief guest also noted that Bangladesh's Mujib Climate Investment Plan integrates a number of strategies which express the country's environmental and climate sustainability priorities. The Plan needs to be adequately resourced and urgently implemented.
In her welcome remark, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Alexandra Berg von Linde said, "Our actions and choices will have a decisive impact on the future of humanity. It is still possible to create a better future if we act together. We hope that Stockholm+50 can offer an opportunity to close the implementation gap of commitments that have been made, to put science at the centre of our actions, and to show that we will act in solidarity with those that often have contributed the least to the problems but are hardest hit by the consequences."
IUB VC Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan, PhD said, "Bangladesh was among the first countries to declare biodiversity and climate emergencies. The country plays a major role in the global environmental movements. We have also been a consistent voice in the international dialogue especially on the plight and perspectives of climate vulnerable countries."
ICCCAD Director Prof. Saleemul Huq, OBE said, "The Stockholm conference on environment back in 1972 started the global environmental movement. Sweden is holding the Stockholm+50 conference to commemorate that event and also redirect the global environmental movement. ICCCAD and IUB are pleased to hold the roundtable discussion with Bangladeshi stakeholders to ensure Bangladesh plays a significant part in the conference as well as its follow up."
IUB Trustee A Quaiyum Khan, Assistant Resident Representative, Resilience and Inclusive Growth Cluster, UNDP Prasenjit Chakma, DG of Economic Affairs Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, IUCN Bangladesh Country Representative Raquibul Amin, and former ambassador and Director of IUB's Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies Tariq A. Karim also spoke at the program. ICCCAD Deputy Director Prof. Mizan Khan, gave a presentation on the Stockholm+50 and the LDC Engagement Strategy at the start of the roundtable.
Stockholm+50 Conference
Stockholm+50, which will be convened by the UN General Assembly and the Governments of Sweden and Kenya, is set against the rising alarms about climate change, pollution and waste, and loss of nature and biodiversity - the triple planetary disaster - and how they are threatening the livelihoods and lives of billions of people. Under the theme "Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity," this high-level meeting will follow months of consultations and discussions with individuals, communities, organisations and governments around the world. Stockholm+50 will commemorate the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and celebrate 50 years of global environmental action. By recognizing the importance of multilateralism in tackling the Earth's triple planetary crisis, the event aims to act as a springboard to accelerate the implementation of the UN Decade of Action.
ICCCAD
Established in 2009, IUB's ICCCAD is a leading research and capacity building organisation working on climate change and development in Bangladesh with an aim to promote world class knowledge, local experience, and research. In addition to offering master degree and short courses in Climate Change and Development, ICCCAD also provides capacity building, policy support and knowledge management services in areas such as climate finance, SDGs, migration, and so on.
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