Regional cooperation vital to fight climate change

Speakers tell discussion

7 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Saarc should get dynamic to fight from the front the impacts of climate change affecting millions of South Asians, experts said at a discussion yesterday. "Six hundred million people in South Asia earn only $1 a day each. Climate change makes them even more vulnerable. So, it is imperative to form a special Saarc committee for their development," said State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud as the chief guest. The observations came ahead of the 16th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit scheduled to be held in Bhutan on April 28-29 where climate change will figure prominently. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised the discussion at its auditorium in the capital. Climate change would cause more disasters like flood, drought and cyclones in the region, the state minister said, adding that the climate change issues must be dealt with regionally. Many crucial issues in the region are dealt with bilaterally, whereas such issues are dealt with regionally in the cases of European Union or ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Mahmud said. He said economic prosperity cannot be achieved without energy, but it is imperative that the region goes for green energy, which could be possible by generating hydroelectricity in huge amounts in Nepal and Bhutan. "But we are not addressing the issues." Climate change expert Dr Ainun Nishat said South Asian nations, except India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, belong to the group of least developed countries and are very vulnerable to climate change effects. There might be differences in demands among the countries, but they could surely benefit through cooperation in water and power issues, he said, adding that the region could get advanced technologies from the developed countries to generate solar energy in bulk amounts. Saarc could think of how water flowing from the upstream in the region could be better used to generate hydroelectricity, he said. Former ambassador Farooq Sobhan said Saarc needs strong monitoring and evaluation of its activities, and frame new strategies to energise them in the era of free trade and trans-border threats like terrorism. Former diplomats CM Shafi Sami, QAMA Rahim and Muhammad Zamir, and BIISS Director General Maj Gen Golam Mohammad also spoke at the discussion chaired by BIISS Chairman Maj Gen Muhammad Firdaus Mian.