Prof Huq has dedicated his professional life to helping developing countries and vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. His scientific research, at leading universities and centres of excellence in the UK and in Bangladesh, has informed international policy on climate change for over 35 years. Accepting his OBE, Prof Huq said it is a great honour and …

His scientific research in the UK and Bangladesh has informed international policy on climate change for over 35 years The United Kingdom (UK) has awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour to Prof Saleemul Huq for his work to combat climate change in Bangladesh and build climate expertise in Bangladesh, the UK and around the …

IIED director Andrew Norton has hailed Saleemul Huq as a “tireless climate justice champion” after he was awarded an OBE by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List for his services to combating international climate change. The honour was awarded in recognition of his work to build climate expertise in Bangladesh, the UK and around the globe. Huq is …

In 2009 Bangladesh developed and released the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) which was the first of its kind at that time. It was a remarkable document for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was developed entirely by Bangladeshi experts with Bangladesh government’s own funds, rather than by international consultants funded by a developed country or UN …

A recent report from the World Bank has looked at the potential number of people who will be displaced and become climate migrants due to the adverse impacts of climate change around the world by 2050. The report estimated the number to be around 140 million across Asia and Africa, with 40 million in South Asia. Of them, a significant …

The prime minister, the government and the people of Bangladesh can be justly proud that the country will now be able to graduate out of the Least Developed Country (LDC) status within the next few years. However, this graduation comes with both risks as well as opportunities. The first risk is that we will lose our duty-free access to the …

Many oil-rich countries like Norway, United Arab Emirates and Brunei have put billions of US dollars into Sovereign Wealth Funds through which they invest in interest-bearing assets around the world, either enhancing the amount in the fund, or for subsidising costs of selected services for their own citizens. Bangladesh has the potential to develop its own sovereign wealth assets over …

Bangladesh and India should build solar farms, not coal plants, on both sides of the border By- Saleemul Huq and Daniel M Kammen Last week, Bangladesh’s Power Development Board (PDB) and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) announced that they will form a committee to decide whether to build a large coal plant or solar farm in India for additional …

Having just returned from a scoping mission to Cox’s Bazar to see the environmental situation both inside and outside the Rohingya camps, I am going to share some thoughts on the immediate and long-term needs from an environmental perspective. Before doing so, I would like to pay tribute to the people and government of Bangladesh as well as the international …

At the recently concluded two-day international conference on climate finance in Dhaka, about a hundred national and 50 international experts, government officials, researchers and private sector representatives shared their experiences and knowledge about raising and spending money to tackle climate change around the world. The conference was organised by the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) with the International Centre …