Sheikh Hasina calls for Global Action Plan to Address Climate Change
By Amila Khan
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for a united global action plan to effectively address the crisis caused by climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said climate change and Covid-19 are currently a global threat. We need to do more to mitigate both of these risks. And that must be done through united international action.
Sheikh Hasina, president of the Climate Venerable Forum (CVF), made the remarks in an article in The Guardian, a leading UK daily. The article was published on Tuesday (September 17, 2020).
In the article, Sheikh Hasina said, “Last month, one-third of my country submerged. About one and a half crore Bangladeshis displaced. Millions of hectares of paddy land were washed away by the floodwaters. As a result, millions of people will need food aid this year.”
Disaster never strikes alone. Last May, floods, as well as cyclone Amphan, caused extensive destruction.
Besides, the coronavirus complicates the situation. As many as 2.4 million people have already evacuated from the cyclone-hit areas.
However, the death and infection rate of Covid-19 is still under control. The economic lockdown due to Covid-19 has hit our garment industry and exports.
A large number of expatriate Bangladeshis have sent back to the country. The majority of them are currently unemployed.
Like many other countries affected by global climate change, Bangladesh is trying to secure the lives, healthcare systems, and economy of millions of people.
The G-20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of global emissions. The world will not be able to successfully cope with climate change’s damage without the essential steps taken by everyone.
The 2015 Paris Agreement is still the best opportunity for us to control global warming. So far, 189 countries have approved this agreement. There is a commitment to take integrated action to stop global warming and reduce emissions.
