Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Thematic Ambassador for Vulnerability Saima Wazed Hossain has called for CVF-COP26 resilience action plan to address climate change and mental health challenges.
She made the call at the dialogue titled ‘CVF-COP 26 Dialogue: Meeting the Survival Deadline towards Maximal Resilience’ organized by Bangladesh High Commission in London on Monday, said a press release on Thursday.
“For helping the most vulnerable and the marginalised individuals and communities, including persons with disabilities, health conditions and diverse cultural and religious belief, cope with the trauma of extreme climate events and natural disasters, we must learn from the best practices of the climate-resilient population”, said Saima.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem chaired the dialogue. As part of the newly formed CVF High Commissioners/Ambassadors Forum in London, Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister for Pacific, the Environment and COP26 at the UK FCDO, Md Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Prof Dr Saleemul Huq, Chair of CVF Expert Advisory Group and Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development and Prof Dr Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive Officer, Global Center on Adaptation spoke at the high-level segment of the dialogue.
Abul Kalam Azad, Special Envoy to Bangladesh Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, presented the keynote paper at the dialogue which was attended, among others, by High Commissioners/Ambassadors and diplomats of 40 CVF member countries based in London.
CVF High Commissioners/Ambassadors representing South Asia, Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Central and South America also made their country statements on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adaptation and resilient strategies, climate financing, transition to low-carbon economies and loss and damage issues.
In his speech as the guest of honour Lord Goldsmith reiterated the UK’s call to the governments for stepping up on finance for nature-based solutions (NBS), which provides around a third of the most cost-effective climate change mitigation.
He emphasised UK’s ambitious climate action plans as President-elect of COP26 as well as its long-term strategies towards a net-zero by 2050.
The UK minister referred to his recent virtual visit to Bangladesh and praised Bangladesh’s nature-based resilient programme. He also reaffirmed COP26 Presidency’s willingness to work closely with Bangladesh Presidency of the CVF and UK’s climate financing commitments to support CVF countries’ ambitious adaptation and resilience plans.
Speaking as the chief guest State Minister Md Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh remains one of the worst affected victims of global emissions, despite having a negligible carbon footprint.
But the country has made remarkable progress in both adaptation and mitigation measures with strong political commitment and prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the resilience and strength of its people, he added.
Bangladesh High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem in her opening remarks said, “Bangladesh has assumed the Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum this year for a second term, both under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when all the CVF nations are facing the gravest global challenges of our times, the climate crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s call to world largest emitters to declare new and ambitious NDCs as per the Paris Treaty under the ‘Midnight Climate Survival Deadline’ on 31 December 2020.”
In his presentation, Abul Kalam Azad highlighted the five key-areas of Bangladesh’s CVF Presidency including its first CVF Presidency in 2011-13, Midnight Survival Deadline, CVF-COP26 collaboration, climate prosperity plan and update on CVF activities.
He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as CVF President personally attaching the highest importance to ambition to safeguard 1.5c, carbon market for the global corporation and adaptation support, balanced funding for adaptation and mitigation and convening a dedicated forum on loss and damages to climate change.
The CVF in London was created by the Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK on-behalf of CVF Presidency to foster dialogue between CVF Presidency of Bangladesh and COP26 Presidency of UK.
Source: BSS
BDST: 1435 HRS, DEC 03, 2020
AP/SMS
