The rich industrialized countries are the prime culprits totally responsible for climate change, global warming, carbon and greenhouse gas emission. Obviously they have been killing millions of innocent people across the globe silently. As a result human-induced climate change has made Bangladesh and many other countries vulnerable to disasters. Bangladesh is not an industrialized country. So it is not responsible for changing the climate. But yet deadly tropical cyclones, floods, and other disasters claim lives and increase the sufferings of the people of Bangladesh due to climate change. This is definitely unacceptable and we urge the responsible countries to stop climate change and ensure net zero immediately.
Bangladesh has been facing many deadly tropical cyclones since before its birth in 1971 and afterwards. For example, in 1970, world's most devastating tropical cyclone hits the coastal district Bhola among others. It claims half a million lives of people. After that many cyclones hit Bangladesh and the loss and damages were immensely immeasurable. Recently, an extremely severe cyclonic storm Mocha hits the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm(among the strongest tropical cyclones that can form on Earth).It has made landfall on the coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Mocha is a catastrophic example of a rapidly strengthening storm, one that leaps multiple intensity categories. Rapid intensification, along with higher rainfall rates key ways that climate change is influencing nature's strongest storms. Studies show such storms are becoming increasingly common and the magnitude of the rapid intensification is rising. In recent years, some astonishing feats of rapid intensification have occurred.
Exploring the link or relationship between Mocha and climate change--the experts observed that the oceans are absorbing the vast majority of extra heat going into the climate system from burning fossil fuels, and ocean waters are warming as a result. Multiple studies in recent years have pointed to climate change as a key suspect behind shifts in the frequency and magnitude of rapidly intensifying storms.
A Nepal-based unique intergovernmental organization International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) collaborated closely with meteorological agencies from its member countries in Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. ICIMOD at the forefront of regional efforts has collaborated with meteorological agencies to develop advanced tools for weather analysis and projections. These tools significantly bolster local resilience in the face of such extreme weather events. So considering all the pressing issues, the burning question is: How to survive from future cyclonic storms, pandemic like Covid-19, worst impacts of climate change, global warming, and environmental degradation?
To know the answer and to get the expert opinion, while contacted, director general of ICIMOD Dr Pema Gyamtsho said, "Regional cooperation is paramount in tackling the challenges posed by climate change. We urge member countries to enhance collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technology transfer to build resilience. Responsible nations must be held accountable for their contributions to global warming, extreme weather events, and their impacts on vulnerable communities. Together, through collective action, we can create a sustainable future for all."
Policy makers recommended that the successful analysis and fruitful dialogues will identify opportunities to leverage trade and investment policy for the economy of states and National Adaptation Plans (NAP). Also the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
States need to be agreed to work together to forge an inclusive coalition of LDCs and vulnerable countries on fighting climate change. This will reflect their shared commitment to bringing the fight against climate change to the forefront of survival of the sufferers.
We require a global platform to strengthen collaboration on trade and climate and environmental sustainability. Fighting climate change is the global priority. We know that trade plays an important role in tackling this generational challenge, so our new trade strategy should be the greenest ever. Moreover, climate change is a global problem and only by working together we can find truly global solutions. This platform will build a joint action to tackle the climate crisis in a fair manner through perfect trade policy. Climate change, along with pollution, waste management and biodiversity loss require a collective and coordinated global response, including on trade dimensions.
We should know what challenges lie ahead from climate change. What we need to do. We can do through global policy in line with Sustainable Development Goals/ SDGs 13 and others. Therefore, the time is now to act together with greater integration and cooperation so that no issue and no one are left behind. Apparently the mass Media have the power to inspire action and save lives and livelihoods.
The writer is an audio and video storyteller, environment activist
