Roton Malo, Dhaka, July 25, 2023:
A research of the global Climate Vulnerability Monitor (CVM3) titled ‘A Planet on Fire’, shows that besides bio-physical trends and impacts of global temperature rise, climate change has negative impacts on public health, economy and livelihood in the most vulnerable countries across the world.
“Climate change impacts also cause inflation, price hike, livelihood crisis and food insecurity,” said Ms. Sara Jane Ahmed, V20 Global lead and Advisor, at a regional workshop in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) organized the workshop facilitated by the organization’s Executive Director Dr. Atiq Rahman. The workshop was attended by the representatives of national and international development organizations and adaptation practitioners.
Vulnerable Twenty (V20) secretariat conducted the research in association with Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), based in the Netherlands.
Ms. Sara Jane Ahmed, V20 Global lead and Advisor; and Ms. Sumaiya Binte Selim, Climate Change Adaptation and Gender Specialist shared two presentations on the CVM3 report.
Sara Jane Ahmed said, “Around 85% people globally fell and understand the negative impacts temperature rise and changes in precipitation, the two major drivers of climate change.”
Although the climate change impacts differ from country to country due to geophysical and socio-economic realities, the V20 countries are severely impacted by climate variability and extremes, she added. “The negative impacts of climate change lead to huge loss & damage, loss of GDP.”
The third CVM3 highlighted the public risks due to heat stress, outbreak of malaria and dengue fever. “Unless proper adaptation and climate finance are ensured, the South Asian countries would be more vulnerable,” said Sara Jane Ahmed.
In her presentation on the research, Sara Jane Ahmed said “The global climate change is impacting severely the economy, GDP, livelihoods and public health in South Asian countries including Bangladesh.”
“The high inflation and price hike of essential commodities (induced by climate change, COVID19 and Ukraine war) are affecting food security of the million in the region,” Sara added.
Professor Mizan R Khan, Deputy Director, ICCCAD, Independent University of Bangladesh spoke and provided comments on the findings while Dr. Brnd Hezel, CEO of Climate Media Factory, Netherlands spoke on the CVM3 data portal.
Dr. Golam Rabbani, Head of Climate Bridge Fund (CBF) of BRAC; Dr. Dwijen Mallick, Fellow of BCAS; Advocate M. Hafijul Islam Khan, Advocate, Mr. Prabin Man Singh, Program Director of PRC, Nepal and Dr. Bimal Regmi, a Climate Policy Analyst, Nepal spoke in the occasion.
