By Sumi Khan
Dhaka, Sep 9 (IANS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all the countries to increase their "determined contributions" to combat the climate change menace and execute the 2015 Paris Agreement.
"As the climate change is a global affair, I would like to call upon the countries to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions by December 31 this year in tackling the menace as well as implement the 2015 Paris Agreement," she said on Tuesday while inaugurating the South Asian Regional Office of Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) in Bangladesh.
She said Bangladesh is a unique example of climate vulnerability and resilience. People here have time and again shown their resilience against natural or man-made disasters. Yet, there remain a lot of things to be changed, she added.
"I think other countries in the region also have similar experiences and some good practices on adaptive measures. I believe, together we can safeguard and build a better future for all of us," Hasina urged other countries of the region.
The prime minister along with former UN secretary-general and GCA Chair Ban Ki-Moon jointly opened the GCA regional office at Agargaon virtually.
Hasina also mentioned, before people can recover from one disaster caused by natural hazards, another one strikes, reversing any progress made. To end this cycle, South Asia needs to build greater resilience.
The opening of the regional adaptation centre in Dhaka has been dedicated to the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the GCA chair joined the virtual function, while Chief Executive Officer of GCA in Rotterdam Prof Patrick V Verkooijen delivered the welcome speech.
Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin, as well as ministers concerned of South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Bhutan, spoke at the inaugural function.
The premier simultaneously urged the GCA to explore the opportunity of supporting the Delta Coalition on a long-term basis.
Hasina also called for greater cooperation and collaboration among the nations to fight the coronavirus impacts.
Hasina said Bangladesh remains committed to implementing the Paris Agreement and adopting all the measures to prevent the rise of temperature from the emission of greenhouse gas and other environmental degradations.
She said her government has taken various mitigation and adaptation programmes under Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan formulated in 2009 to offset climate change impacts.
"We established Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009 and so far allocated $430 million from our own resources to implement the action plan," she added.
Bangladesh government has formulated a 100-year plan called "Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100" as a long-term plan to face the challenges of climate change and natural disasters, the Prime Minister said.