Climate impacts cause 1.5pc GDP loss
Says Hasan Mahmud
Bangladesh loses 1.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as more natural disasters caused by climate change impacts hit the country now, said Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud at a seminar yesterday.
"The negative impacts include flood, draught, salinity, cyclone, and sea level rise. These natural disasters are leading to fall in GDP growth," he said.
The minister described Bangladesh as "an innocent victim," as, he said, the country lies at the bottom on the list of the most carbon releasing countries.
He said the country's people have been fighting the climate-induced natural disasters for years. Now all types of harmful impacts of climate change hit the country, he added.
The minister said that with an average global carbon emission of two tonnes per person, Bangladesh emits only 0.3 tonnes while developed countries release more than 15 tonnes.
The seminar on climate change impact was organised by NGO Forum for Public Health and Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) at the Jatiya Press Club.
Presenting the keynote paper, BCAS research fellow Golam Rabbani said some 95 percent of the climate victims, who die every year worldwide, are from developing nations.
He put emphasis on ensuring safe water and sanitation system for the people of coastal areas, as climate changes affect water most and make coastal people more vulnerable.
"But it is difficult as natural disasters in the coastal areas destroy our fresh water sources and sanitation system every year", Rabbani said.
BCAS executive director Dr A Atik Rahman, NGO Forum for Public Health executive director SMA Rashid, and Department of Public Health Engineering chief engineer Md Nuruzzaman were present on the occasion.
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