Earlier this month, the fifth Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum was held in Colombo, Sir Lanka. This year’s theme was “Adapting and Living below 2C.” This is because the UN climate treaty — the Paris Agreement, which goes into force next week — set a upper temperature limit of 2C warming above pre-industrial temperatures. Given that Bangladesh is a …
Fifteen years of climate change adaptation planning: What have we learned so far
The original article was published as POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE at Daily Star, an Op-Ed by Dr. Saleemul Huq. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at its 7th Conference of Parties (COP7) held in Marrakech, Morocco in 2001, adaptation to climate change was recognised for the first time through the mandate to support the Least Developed …
Adaptation to climate change — how well is Dhaka doing?
(This article has originally been published here) A recent article by researchers working at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in the Tribune explained the challenges Dhaka will face due to climate change. The city has a population of over 18 million residents and continues to grow at an explosive 6.9% yearly rate. Climatic pressures are a major …
Climate change: western states fail to fulfil pledges to developing countries
(Originally posted in The Guardian newspaper here) Billions were pledged to help poor nations adapt to global warming but trust is eroding as countries such as the US fail to put up the cash Flooding in the Marshall Islands in 2008. Photograph: Remi Chauvin/Remi Chauvin The US and other countries need to pay up their $5.8bn of …
Financing adaptation in the most vulnerable developing countries
(This article was originally published here) As governments prepare to go to Paris in December to finalise the new Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its 21st Conference of Parties (COP21), there is an emerging consensus amongst all parties, including the developed countries, of the need to provide substantial funding …
Empowering coastal communities through innovative adaptation practices
(This article was originally published here) People living in the coastal areas of Bangladesh are hit especially hard by disasters such as cyclones, flash floods, erratic rainfall, and salinity intrusion. These adverse effects of climate change are making their hard and complicated lives even harder and more complicated. However, through conserving ecosystems and carrying out appropriate innovative solutions, these communities …
Africa moves ahead to tackle climate change
(This article was originally published on IIED.org, available here). As last month’s fourth conference on Climate Change and Development showed, Africa will need strong leaders such as Fatima Denton – who will deliver IIED’s 2014 Barbara Ward Lecture on Thursday – to tackle the issues of climate change. The fourth conference on Climate Change and Development held in Marrakech, …
The Eighth International Conference on CBA, Kathmandu
Community-based adaptation (CBA) empowers communities to take action to address climate change based on their own decision-making processes, priorities, knowledge and needs. This is particularly important in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and across Asia, where vulnerability to climate change impacts is high. Although CBA is an emerging area, many efforts are being made to develop participatory methodologies, raise awareness …