According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, scientists are observing changes in the Earth's climate in every region and across the whole climate system. Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. And some of the changes already set in motion, such as continued sea level rise, are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.
The worst impacts of climate change are being faced very Bangladesh and other least developed countries (LDCs) since many years. Such as, summers are becoming hotter, monsoon irregular, untimely rainfall, heavy rainfall over short period causing water logging and landslides, very little rainfall in dry period, increased river flow and inundation during monsoon. Increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, increased wildfires, all linked to climate change. Declined water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, flooding and erosion in coastal areas are life threatening concerns. The social and economic impacts of climate change in Bangladesh and other vulnerable countries are atrocious too! Above all, climate change has already made the earth, its environment and nature very fragile, unlivable indeed!
The climatic impacts reduce national and international securities directly and indirectly. Climate change has been drastically hampering economic growth of all the countries in the world. For example, the Asian Development Bank estimated that Bangladesh may experience a two percent GDP annual loss by 2050 because of climate change. The impacts of climate change on the environment across the globe are out of control. Climate change is responsible to aggravate erosion, decline in organic matter, salinity, soil biodiversity loss, landslides, desertification and flooding. The effect of climate change on soil carbon storage can be related to changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, increased temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.
So considering all the visible, invisible causes and issues--United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of the United Nations arranged "26th session of the Conference of the Parties"--shortened to COP 26--the international climate change conference. It is an important place for countries to come together to discuss how climate change will be tackled and to agree on global and national targets. So all the parties will continue to work with all involved to increase climate ambition, build resilience and lower emissions as mentioned in the Paris Agreement.
Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh addressed the key segment of the COP26, apart from joining the opening ceremony. She said developed countries should fulfil their commitments of providing 100 billion dollars annually with a 50:50 balance between adaptation and mitigation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while delivering her speech, made a four-point call to the world saying the major emitters must submit ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs)--heart of the Paris Agreement--and to implement those. The issue of loss and damage, Hasina said, must be addressed, including global sharing of responsibility for climate migrants displaced by sea-level rise, salinity increase, river erosion, floods, and draughts.
In fact, agriculture is recognized as a very important part of the climate change problems. So agriculture innovation can be part of the solution as no other sector holds the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the same way.
So taking the agriculture and climate--smart agriculture issues into account--American President Joe Biden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid jointly previewed Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) in April 2021. It is a five-year (2021--2025) joint AIM for Climate is co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates with the support of a growing coalition of stakeholders/countries including Bangladesh.
In this regard, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry said, "The United States is proud to be pioneering the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Initiative along with the United Arab Emirates and several other supportive partners. I was impressed by the ingenuity being applied to food and climate challenges during my recent trip to the UAE. And know that we all stand to benefit by sharing best practices and raising innovation ambition when it comes to climate-smart agriculture. AIM for Climate can serve as a unique platform for cooperation among many countries on these shared challenges."
So the most important, burning question of all the climate change-victims of the world is: who are those culprits responsible for changing the climate, making the environment and nature fragile, destroying our only one earth? The answer is very clear and widely recognized that the culprits are the greedy, reckless, short-sighted, rich, industrialized countries. Due to geographic and other reasons we, the people of Bangladesh are the worst sufferers due to atrocious impacts of human-induced climate change. Therefore, the world leaders, international community, leaders of LDCs, climate and environment activists must be united, strong and come forward soon to make those responsible industrialized, rich countries accountable. And to ensure their due punishment to tackle climate change, protect environment, nature, and save the lives and livelihoods of the people of whole world. Finally, save our only one earth for the present and next generations. Let us win the fight and politics of climate change so that we may achieve the Sustainable Development Gaols (SDGs) too. Parvez Babul is a journalist, storyteller, and environment activist in Bangladesh
