Sheikh Hasina: “We are keen to see the Sustainable Development Goals, and the upcoming climate agreement in Paris, adopted...”

By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has not been sitting around waiting for the world “to save us”, rather it is fighting for its own future with limited resources and technologies.
“We are keen to see the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the upcoming climate agreement in Paris, adopted and moving into implementation. But Bangladesh has not been sitting around waiting for the world to save us ... we are fighting for our own future, albeit with limited resources and technologies,” she said in an article published in The Huffington Post on Friday. The article was officially released yesterday for publication in Bangladesh.
In the article, the prime minister said in just a few weeks, the world will adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “For my country, Bangladesh, the goal of combating climate change and its impacts is crucial, as we are on the frontline of this global threat.”
She said Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world (1,218 people per sq km), with the lowest quantity of per-capita arable land (0.05 hectares).
“Although we made considerable progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), climate change in the form of extreme-weather events, tidal surges, and erratic rainfall has negatively impacted agricultural production, industrial development and social structures,” she said.
Hasina said this can create millions of environmental refugees, even though Bangladesh’s contribution to climate change in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions is negligible. And the situation will worsen without urgent action. Studies estimate that a meter rise in sea level would submerge one fifth of the country, displacing over 30mn people. Mass migration to cities is inevitable, impacting livelihoods, biodiversity, food, water, sanitation and basic
infrastructure.
“That is why in 2011, we amended the constitution to protect and improve the environment and preserve and safeguard natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands, forests and wildlife for present and future citizens. In line with this policy, at least eight new laws were enacted or amended since 2009 to preserve forestlands in the country.”
She said forest coverage rose to 17% in 2014-15 from a mere 7 to 8% in 2005-06, thanks to the introduction of initiatives such as the social afforestation programme, which ensures people’s participation in planting and raising trees in every available space, both urban and rural. Currently, more than 120mn saplings are raised and distributed every year among the people, compared to 40mn in 2001-2006.
The prime minister said Bangladesh was the first developing nation to create a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. “From 2009-2010 to 2014-15, the government allocated 30.30bn taka ($385mn) to our climate change trust fund. All of our activities have been targeted toward adaptation to environmental changes with a view to protecting human lives from floods and hurricanes, and protecting the environment from pollution caused by rapid urbanization and unsustainable industrialisation.”
Hasina said there are many examples of specific actions the government undertook as part of its policy framework. “We have built about 4mn solar home systems in off-grid areas and 1.5mn improved cook stoves to decrease indoor air
pollution,” she said.
The prime minister said the government created the coastal greenbelt project to protect the southern part of Bangladesh, which is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, from cyclones. “Dense forest covers along the coastline, particularly mangroves, forms an effective buffer. By boosting this cover, we helped reduce the death toll to about 200 from the hurricanes Aila in 2009 and Mahasen in 2013 combined, compared to 140,000 in a single cyclone
in 1991.”
Hasina said Bangladesh also made remarkable progress in food production and has become a food-exporting country from a food-importing one over the last six years. “Our scientists have developed almost 200 varieties of crops that are resilient to changing climactic conditions and techniques to grow crops in less fertile soil.
Rice production was 33.30mn metric tons in 2008-09. It was 38.34mn metric tonnes in
2013-14.”
Despite these efforts, she said, climate change continues to affect the lives and livelihoods of millions in Bangladesh’s unique and active delta.
“This year, we experienced 50% more rainfall than average, inundating vast areas of the country and damaging crops. Climate change may threaten our wheat and major rice-crop (Boro) production. Studies suggest that 2 to 3% of our gross domestic product may be wiped out because of climate change.”
“We cannot do it alone, which is why we need the international community to stand up for nations such as ours through the SDGs and the climate change process. In order to address climate change, a critical balance between adaptation (adjusting to the impacts of climate change) and mitigation (reducing the scale of climate change) will have to be maintained,”
she said.
The prime minister said the pledges on reducing emissions submitted for the Paris climate meeting must be measurable and verifiable and the world should pay attention to carbon budgeting and de-carbonization pathways. For adaptation planning, adequate and predictable financing is essential, she said.
Hasina said Bangladesh has been leading by example, and it is ready to share its experiences on climate resilience with rest of the world.
“I hope that the UN environment programme honouring me with the Champions of the Earth award this year will draw attention to Bangladesh’s efforts, which show that we can make a difference, and encourage developed nations to bring their resources to bear on the greatest challenge of our time,” she said.