As we enter the third year of this decade, we have only seven more years until 2030 to tackle the major global problems of climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unfortunately, the world is not on track to meet the targets it has set for itself, so we need to work doubly hard to achieve them in less …

In the south-western coastal region of Bangladesh, people of Banishanta village have formed a local weather club to make informed decisions in the face of a changing climate. This is the ninth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.  The agriculture sector in the coastal regions of Bangladesh is severely impacted by various climatic events such …

The year 2022 was indeed a critical year for tackling climate change at global, national, and local levels. Let me start at the personal level by acknowledging two major events for me. The first was at the beginning of 2022 when I was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the British Government and later given the medal …

Bangladeshi scientist Professor Saleemul Huq has made it to the coveted list of people who helped shape the biggest science stories of 2022. Saleemul Huq, a climate researcher, has been recognised for his role in forcing wealthy countries to pay for the losses and damages from climate change. The list prepared by Nature – one of the world’s top science …

Countries and communities are exposed to increasingly harmful effects of climate change, leading to loss and damage. These concerns must be urgently addressed, especially in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). After decades of lobbying by LDCs, SIDS and others, the world has woken up to this situation, and negotiators at the 27th United Nations Climate …

The upcoming talks must agree to set up a funding facility to help countries deal with the growing harm caused by climate change impacts It has now been 30 years since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1972 – and we are about to hold …

Adaptation is more urgent than ever before as climate change-induced catastrophes sweep across the globe, mostly targeting the least developed entities and fragile ecosystems. More urgent, it seems, is the investment and effort needed to implement different types of adaptation to spearhead long-term solutions The global community has been citing Bangladesh as one of the most vulnerable countries ever since …

The World Bank recently published a thorough analysis of various adverse impacts of human-induced climate change that will hit the coastal districts of Bangladesh over the coming decades, increasing the frequency and severity of coastal flood events. The estimated losses amount to USD 570 million every year going forward if measures are not taken to minimise those impacts. Let me …

Over the last few weeks, a number of developments around the world has brought forth the need to hold polluters responsible for the loss and damage they have been causing the planet. The latest such event is the devastating floods in Pakistan, which has been scientifically attributed to human-induced climate change. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the floods “climate …

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed 30 years ago at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by all the governments of the world. The first annual Conference of Parties (COP1) was held in Berlin, Germany, with the then Environment Minister of Germany, Angela Merkel, as COP President in 1995. Since then, there …