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Progress in UN climate talks disappointing

Published : Thursday, 23 September, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 681

Once again world leaders were only able to make 'weak signs of progresses' on the financial end of fighting climate change in a special United Nations feet-to-the-fire meeting held on last Monday. And as luck would have it, none of the participating world leaders committed to more crucial cuts in carbon emissions of the heat-trapping gases causing global warming. Moreover, after two high-level meetings in four days, frustrated leaders are still pointing to tomorrow or next month for key climate-change fighting promises.

It is no short of coincidence that the focus on climate change this week comes at the end off another summer of disasters related to extreme weather, including devastating wildfires in the western United States, deadly flooding in the US , China and Europe, a drumbeat of killer tropical cyclones hitting many countries and unprecedented heat waves everywhere. What surprises us is that even these recent extreme weather conditions have also failed to unite world leaders to bring under a common platform to make a decisive move. While procrastination keeps prolonging, bigger and bigger climactic disasters are taking place.

However, as the US president is expected to address the issue on climate change anytime soon, it is time to remind USA's promise helping poorer countries develop cleaner energy and cope with climate change's worsening adverse impacts. We are also eagerly waiting for rich countries to finally reach their long promised $100 billion a year package to help poorer nations. Repeated failures by wealthy countries in fulfilling their promises have left billions of people at risk from the worsening ravages of extreme weather, as poor countries struggle with the Covid-19 crisis and rapidly mounting debt.

As rich countries have failed to deliver on their promises of funds and cutting emissions, developing countries are bearing the brunt. In particular, Bangladesh has long stood on the firing line being repeatedly hit by harsher impacts of climate change and global warming. We are not only worried about environmental destructions, but without climate finance, poor countries face a bleak future of extreme weather, water and food shortages and climate-driven migration.

It has been estimated that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced by climate change. Up to 18 million people may have to move because of sea level rise alone. The country has been projected to lose approximately 11% of its land, affecting an estimated 15 million people living in its low-lying coastal region. Moreover, process of salinisation has been exacerbated by rising sea levels. Coastal drinking water supplies have been contaminated with salt, turning at least 33 million people vulnerable to critical health problems.

The situation is getting critical with other poor and developing Asian and African countries as well. Wealthy and higher carbon emitting countries must take stock of this worsening reality and act accordingly. Enough international meetings, seminars, forums have been organised - now it is time for world leaders to unite and deliver on their promises.






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