ECBI Regional Workshop on Climate Change: South and Southeast Asia BANGLADESH COUNTRY PRESENTATION

1
ECBI Regional WorkshoponClimate Change South
and Southeast AsiaBANGLADESH COUNTRY
PRESENTATION

• By
• Mirza Shawkat Ali
• Deputy Director
• Department of Environment

2
Outline of the Presentation

• National Circumstances
• National efforts
• Institutional response to CC
• On-going activities of CCC
• How Bangladesh prepares for Negotiations
• Problems we experience
• Achievements
• Future Priorities at Negotiations
• Future Negotiations and what needs to be done
• How developing countries should respond?

3
National Circumstances Likely Impacts

• Flood
• Flash Flood
• Drainage Congestion
• Reduced flow in rivers (dry season)
• Drought conditions
• Salinity intrusion
• Tidal wave and cyclones
• Sea level rise

4
National Circumstances Likely Impacts

• Large floods affects almost two-thirds of the
  country. Bangladesh has experienced three major
  floods in recent years (1988, 1998, 2004)
• Floods damage crops, settlements and
  infrastructure and disrupt production activities
• Flash floods damage standing crops in northern
  and north-eastern part of the country.

5
(No Transcript)
6
National Circumstances Likely Impacts

• Reduced flow in rivers create water scarcity, and
  also increase in salinity intrusion
• Tidal surges and cyclones are the extreme events
  which are likely to be increased in frequency and
  intensity over the years (e.g.1991)
• Sea level rise and flooding during rainy season
  will create drainage congestion in the low lying
  areas (especially in the central part) of the
  country.

7
National Efforts

• Emission inventory, vulnerability assessment done
  with assistance of US Climate Change Country
  Study Program in 1994.
• Participated in Asia Least-cost Greenhouse Gas
  Abatement Strategy a project of GEF and ADB to
  develop least cost Mitigation Strategy.
• Preparation of National Report (National
  communication) UNFCCC

8
National Efforts

• Preparation of National Adaptation Program of
  Action (NAPA), Nov. 2005.
• Establishment of a Climate Cell at Dept. of
  Environment
• Establishment of DNA

9
Designated National Authority (DNA) for Bangladesh
Structure of DNA
National CDM Board
National CDM Committee
10
National CDM Board
Chairman of the Board Principal Secretary to the
Prime Minister

• Members
• Secretary, Ministry of Environment Forests
• Member, Planning Commission
• Secretary/Secretaries of the Relevant Ministry

Member-Secretary DG, Department of Environment
11
National CDM Committee
Chairman of the Committee Secretary, Ministry of
Environment Forests
Members
Members from Govt. Sectors Planning Commission,
Ministry of Environment and Forests, Industries,
Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Communications,
Science information and Communication Technology,
Power, Energy Mineral Resources, ERD, LGED,
BOI, Bangladesh Bank, Department of Environment.
Members from NGO Sectors FBCCI, BIDS, BUET, Waste
Concern, BCAS.
Member-Secretary Director (Tech.), Department of
Environment
12
The Institutional Response to Climate Change
Role of CCC

• Building the capacity of government to coordinate
  and integrate climate change issues in mainstream
  development activities across government
• Strengthening existing knowledge and availability
  of information on impact predication and
  adaptation to climate change

13
The Institutional Response to Climate Change
Role of CCC

• Awareness raising, advocacy and coordination with
  partners across government, NGOs, civil society,
  private sector and donor organizations
• Improving capacity to adapt livelihoods to
  climate change in the agriculture sector

14
Ongoing Activities of CCC

• Technical Advisory Group established
• Focal Points identified One training workshop
  held
• Compendium of CC publications completed

15
Ongoing Activities of CCC

• Knowledge network on CC (KNOCC) established
• Providing REgional Climate Impact Studies
  (PRECIS) model is being used by BUET, SPARRSO and
  BMD under the guidance of the Climate Change
  Cell.
• Data validation has been done as part of the
  modeling activities. Model run is underway

16
How we prepare for Negotiations

• Systematic Approach
• Through Partnerships with NGOs, civil society,
  researchers, etc.
• Review current decisions of negotiations, draw
  opinions from consultations and prepare
• Brief for national delegation
• Brief for Minister (high level segment)

17
Problems and Constraints faced

• Continuity of dedicated professionals
• Capacity building, utilization, retention
• Limited (in numbers) representation at
  negotiations
• Resource Limitation
• to promote and enable awareness and understanding
  among ministries and development agencies

18
Achievements

• Bangladesh was Elected as the LDC Chair during
  COP 10
• Under the able leadership of Bangladesh at the
  SB22 session in Bonn LDCs succeeded in reaching
  decision to operationalize the LDC Fund.
• Bangladesh on behalf of LDCs has submitted SBSTA
  5 year work programme.
• Others

19
Future Negotiations and what needs to be done

• Recognizing the scale of the problem with latest
  scientific findings
• Deeper emissions cut in the second commitment
  period
• Strict monitoring on the compliance.
• Developing analytical and scientific capacity and
  knowledge
• Participation of all NA-1 (big emitters) in the
  emission cut without compromising their right to
  development.

20
How developing countries should respond?

• Creating a high level, multi-sectoral multi-
  stakeholder body to oversee climate change issues
• Developing a high powered and well trained
  negotiating team
• Strengthening professional capacity to address
  CDM issues
• Focusing on building adaptive capacity
• Developing appropriate projects for accessing
  adaptation funding

21
Conclusion

• We dont see any tangible or real outcome of the
  UNFCCC Negotiation Process. We have to raise our
  voice to ensure better commitments from the
  Industrialized countries in the second commitment
  period so that the Climate Change process could
  be slowed down and then may be reverse it for our
  future generation.

22
THANK YOU