[🇧🇩] Save the Rivers/Forests/Hills-----Save the Environment

[Saif]

Climate debt is an unfair burden for Bangladesh

COP29 must secure fair climate finance for vulnerable nations

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Climate debt is an unfair burden for Bangladesh
COP29 must secure fair climate finance for vulnerable nations

VISUAL: STAR

The fact that a climate debt has been accumulating in Bangladesh's name is both alarming and unjust, especially considering the country's minimal contributions to global climate crisis. According to a report citing data from the Dhaka-based research organisation Change Initiative, the country's per capita climate debt climbed to nearly $80 (about Tk 9,500) in 2022 from just over $2 in 2009. This places an unfair burden on our citizens that they should not have to bear.

This debt has reportedly accumulated because Bangladesh has funded projects to address the impacts of climate change. In 2009, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) was created to support adaptation and mitigation initiatives. Currently, around six to seven percent of the national budget is allocated for climate adaptation each year, with 75 percent of this funding coming from domestic sources. Still, Bangladesh had to take $12.78 billion in climate debt to finance multiple projects between 2009 and 2022.

This might not have been an issue if Bangladesh had received the international financial support pledged for climate-vulnerable nations. At COP15 in 2009, developed countries committed to providing $100 billion annually by 2020 to help vulnerable nations adopt adaptation and mitigation measures. But the developed countries—primary contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—have failed to fulfil this commitment. In fact, in many cases, the pledges have turned into loans when those should have been grants (finance without any conditions).

Bangladesh, contributing just 0.56 percent of global GHG emissions, is ranked seventh in the long-term climate crisis index. Yet, between 2009 and 2022, the country received only $268 million in grants from the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and LDC Fund. Meanwhile, as climate change worsens, the situation grows more severe: in coastal regions, around 3.6 crore people are now at heightened risk due to rising sea levels, river erosion, severe cyclones, and saltwater intrusion. Annual losses due to climate-related disasters are estimated at $3 billion, and climate-induced displacement is on the rise. Reversing these impacts in the country would require $230 billion, according to the National Action Plan (2023-2050). Why should we bear this cost when we have done so little to cause the crisis?

The refusal of developed countries to take full responsibility, leaving vulnerable nations saddled with debt, is unacceptable. Bangladesh must use COP29, which is being touted as the "Finance COP," to emphasise the need for substantial increases in climate finance as grants, not loans. This is non-negotiable, and Bangladesh and other climate-vulnerable nations must stand firm. We hope the chief adviser attending COP29 will succeed in conveying the urgency of this situation and pressing for genuine climate justice.​

 

[Saif]

Haggling over climate cash 'very humiliating': Prof Yunus

"I think that's very humiliating, for nations to come and ask for money to fix... (the) problem that others caused for them," Yunus told AFP in an interview in Azerbaijan

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Haggling over climate cash 'very humiliating': Prof Yunus

Photo: AFP

In the three months since becoming Bangladesh's interim leader following a student-led revolution, Muhammad Yunus has endured political turmoil, impatient cries for elections, and destructive flooding across the low-lying nation.

Now, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has been thrust into a brawl over money to help poorer countries deal with climate change -- and he is not pleased about it.

The 84-year-old micro-finance pioneer, who took over after the toppling of autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina in August, likened the haggling at the UN COP29 climate summit to a "fish market".

"I think that's very humiliating, for nations to come and ask for money to fix... (the) problem that others caused for them," Yunus told AFP in an interview in Azerbaijan, which is hosting the talks.

"Why should we be dragged here to negotiate? You know the problem."

Nations hope to land a deal at COP29 that boosts funding for climate action in developing nations like Bangladesh, which are least responsible for global warming, but most at its mercy.

Some want $1 trillion a year to cover the enormous cost of shifting their economies to clean energy, and adapting to ever-more erratic and extreme weather.

But rich countries -- whose rise to prosperity and associated carbon emissions have driven global warming -- are reluctant to commit such large sums and want others to chip in.

The talks have hit a wall, frustrating leaders of climate-imperilled nations who left behind populations in dire straits to travel to Baku.

Among them is Yunus, who said his riverine homeland had been smashed by six punishing floods -- "each one worse than the previous" -- in the short time since he took over.

Hundreds of thousands of people were forced into emergency shelters in the floods, which also destroyed rice crops.

Bangladesh is among the world's most vulnerable nations to climate change, with large areas made up of deltas where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers wind towards the sea.

The country of 170 million is particularly at risk of devastating floods and cyclones -- disasters that only stand to accelerate as the planet keeps warming.

Yunus said it was "not a secret" that rich nations would have to help poorer ones adapt and they should "figure out how much is needed -- not me".

"This is not something we are demanding out of your generosity. We're asking because you are the cause of this problem," he said bluntly.

Yunus said juggling a peaceful democratic transition and a flood response was "difficult" enough and adding a flight to Baku to feud over climate finance didn't help.

Impatience for elections in Bangladesh has gained pace since Hasina's ouster, and the silver-haired technocrat said he shared concerns for peace and security in the nation of 170 million.

A free and fair vote would come as promised, he said, but the speed of democratic reforms "will decide how quick the election will be".

He wouldn't offer a date or timeline, but said the caretaker administration was hoping to build "a quick consensus".

"We are the interim government, so our period should be as short as possible," he said.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh interim govt chief for ‘zero carbon’-based lifestyle to save planet

Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday suggested creating a new lifestyle based on ‘zero waste and zero carbon’ to protect the planet from climate catastrophes, presenting his longstanding dream of creating a new world of three zeroes...

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Bangladesh interim govt chief for ‘zero carbon’-based lifestyle to save planet
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka 13 November, 2024, 16:03

BSS photo

Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday suggested creating a new lifestyle based on ‘zero waste and zero carbon’ to protect the planet from climate catastrophes, presenting his longstanding dream of creating a new world of three zeroes.

‘In order to survive, we need to create another culture. A counter-culture which is based on a different lifestyle. It is based on zero waste. It will limit consumption to essential needs, leaving no residual waste,’ he said while speaking at the opening session of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit in COP29, held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

This lifestyle will also be based on zero carbon where there will be no fossil fuel but only renewable energy, Professor Yunus said, adding there will be an economy that will be based primarily on zero personal profit like the social business, according to a message received here.

Defining the social business as a non-dividend business addressed to solve social and environmental problems, he said a vast part of social businesses will focus on protecting the environment and mankind.

‘Human lives will not only be protected but qualitatively enhanced through affordable healthcare and education. It will facilitate entrepreneurship for the youth. Young people will get prepared through new education of entrepreneurship. Education of creating job seekers will be replaced by entrepreneurship-focused education,’ the chief adviser said.

Mentioning that the safety of the environment needs a new lifestyle, the 2006 Noble Peace Laureate said the lifestyle would not be imposed but it would be a choice.

He said the young people would love that lifestyle as a choice, while each young person will grow up as a three zero person - zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, through building social businesses only, and zero unemployment by turning themselves into entrepreneurs.

‘Each person will grow up as a three zero person, and remain a three zero person all his/her life. That will create the new civilisation,’ he said.

‘It can be done. All we need to do is accept a new lifestyle consistent with the safety of the planet and all who live on it. Today’s generation of youth will do the rest. They love their planet.’

‘I hope you’ll join me in this dream. If we dream together, it will happen,’ Professor Yunus said.

About global climate change, the chief adviser said the climate crisis was intensifying and that was why human civilisation was at grave risk as people continued to promote self-destructive values.

‘We need to mobilise our intellectual, financial and youth power to lay the foundation for a new civilisation -- a self-preserving and self-reinforcing civilisation. We, the human inhabitants of this planet are the cause of the destruction of the planet,’ he said.

Professor Yunus said the people were doing it deliberately and they had chosen a lifestyle which worked against the environment, while they justified this with an economic framework, which was considered as natural as the planetary system.

‘That economic framework thrives on limitless consumption. The more you consume the more you grow. The more you grow, the more money you make. Maximisation of profit is treated as the force of gravity which lets everything in the system play its role according to our desire,’ he added.​

 

[Saif]

A dumping zone called Manu river

The Manu river in Moulvibazar is facing severe pollution as various types of waste, including household garbage, are routinely dumped along its banks.

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A dumping zone called Manu river

Photo: Star

The Manu river in Moulvibazar is facing severe pollution as various types of waste, including household garbage, are routinely dumped along its banks.

As a result, the riverbed is being gradually filled with non-biodegradable materials such as plastic and polythene. Moreover, the water itself is being contaminated with decaying waste.

During the monsoon, the river's swift currents temporarily conceal the waste, but as the water recedes, heaps of garbage become visible along the two-kilometre stretch from Chandnighat Manu Bridge to Borahat in Moulvibazar Municipality.

Locals, many of whom rely on the river for bathing and household activities, are unknowingly exposing themselves to health risks by using this polluted water. Additionally, market waste, spoiled produce, and animal remains are also discarded into the river, often under the cover of night.

Md Abdul Khaliq, a retired teacher, and Mujahid Ahmed, editor of the literary magazine Chotokagaz Chorus, said the situation is not limited to the Manu River; even the Shanti Bagh Walkway, located along the riverbanks, has become a dumping ground, further polluting the environment.

Acknowledging the issue, Abdul Motin, waste management officer for Moulvibazar municipality, said they have undertaken plans to raise awareness through loudspeakers, as well as banners and posters in prominent locations.

"However, locals' cooperation is essential to make these efforts successful," he added.​

 

[Saif]

'Mercury Bomb': A gift from climate change

What effects will the mercury bomb have on humans?

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'Mercury Bomb': A gift from climate change

Keeping mercury, together with the GHGs, locked away in the permafrost is enough reason to make sure these landmasses do not melt. PHOTO: REUTERS

"Mercury Bomb," an unknown weapon until recently, yet a deadly one, is a gift to humanity from climate change. So, what is it after all? To answer this question, we have to know a little bit about this metallic element in liquid form, its properties and how it can affect, or more precisely, kill human beings, including animals, and threaten the food chain.

Known as "liquid silver" because of its shiny silvery appearance, mercury is a naturally occurring substance. It is also an inevitable by-product of coal-fired power plants and aqueous waste of the chemical industries. The element is highly toxic, acting as a potent neurotoxin by binding to and inhibiting the function of enzymes and proteins critical for nerve cell function.

When released into the atmosphere, mercury settles in nearby streams and rivers, thereby causing considerable damage to the aquatic ecosystem by polluting the rivers of the region. It eventually enters the food chain via algae and infects all forms of wildlife, in the rivers and on land, from fish to birds to mammals, whose diet includes fish.

The metallic element circulates in small amounts through the natural world too, because it is absorbed by plants, which then die and become part of the soil. Besides, because of an effect called the Cold Trap, our planet's natural atmospheric circulation tends to funnel pollutants toward high latitudes, leading to mercury accumulation in the Arctic region, where it bonds naturally to organic matter in the permafrost, and remains trapped for thousands of years. It should be noted that the Arctic communities have no typical mercury-producing industries.

What is permafrost? As the name suggests, it is a layer of soil and rock, with some extending 1,500 metres into the ground, that remains frozen. There are about 23 million square kilometres of permafrost covering roughly 25 percent of exposed land surface not covered with glaciers. It is found mainly in polar regions and high-latitude areas, such as the Arctic, Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada. In summer, the top several metres melt, creating an active layer where plants can take root and refreezes in winter, while the deeper layers remain permanently frozen.

This unending icy mass and its impressive size is a vital feature of the Earth's coldest climates with important impacts on human and natural systems. It acts as a gigantic storage vault for mercury, various minerals, dangerous microbes, viruses and pathogens, alongside greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide and methane that are responsible for rising global temperatures. The amount of mercury stored in the permafrost eclipses the amount in the oceans, soils, atmosphere and biosphere combined. Hence, keeping mercury, together with the GHGs, locked away in the permafrost is enough reason to make sure these landmasses do not melt. That is why climate scientists consider the health of our permafrost a likely climactic tipping point.

However, as the Arctic continues to warm as a result of climate change—four times faster than the global average—due to the phenomenon of "Arctic amplification," which is enhancement of near-surface air temperature over the Arctic relative to lower latitudes, permafrost is thawing at unprecedented rates in many areas, reaching deeper into the ground. Permafrost is therefore not so permanent and is rapidly becoming unstable as the planet becomes warmer. During a recent trip to Alaska with my family, we saw first-hand the physical effects of permafrost thawing—ground subsidence that buckled highways, damaged railroads, airstrips, homes and other structures, as well as uprooted trees.

As it defrosts, permafrost also releases whatever materials were locked inside of it, ranging from GHGs to toxic metals like mercury. Specifically, mercury that has been locked in the permafrost for millennia is being eroded by rivers and released into the environment. When released, it is often converted by microbes into methyl mercury, which is a neurotoxin that accumulates in the bodies of humans through the foods we eat.

A new study published in the Environmental Journal Letters (August 2024) concludes that the released mercury will potentially set off a "mercury bomb" that could greatly impact some millions of people living around the Arctic Circle. According to the researchers, a "giant mercury bomb" in Alaska is being washed away by rivers such as the Yukon River, depositing copious amounts of mercury into the riverbanks.

What effects will the mercury bomb have on humans? The researchers note that "Decades of exposure, especially with increasing levels as more mercury is released, could take a huge toll on the environment and the health of those living in these areas." In fact, they believe that leaked mercury may endanger approximately three million people who live in areas where permafrost is predicted to vanish completely by the year 2050.

Of the many substances that interact negatively with our physiological systems, mercury is the most dangerous because when ingested, it is stored in our body and has cumulative effect. The silvery metal can have serious effects on our nervous system, spanning from tremors, memory problems, cognitive thinking, brain and kidney damage, coordination issues (trouble walking) and mood changes to developmental issues in children, notably their motor skills. Pregnant women and children are primarily at risk of mercury poisoning. Eating fish from mercury polluted rivers can cause severe disability including deafness and blurring of vision, mental derangement, neurological defects and even death.

Mercury poisoning among indigenous people is of great concern. In Canada, traditionally fish-eating Aboriginal Peoples classed as Indians have been reeling from the harmful effects of mercury poisoning in their fish, where the pollution has been linked to high rates of attempted suicide among youth. One of the deadliest episodes of mercury poisoning occurred in 1953 among people who ate seafood from Minamata Bay (Japan) into which large quantities of methyl mercury was released by a chemical factory.

A particularly disturbing study shows that one-fifth of all Americans may have mercury levels exceeding EPA recommendations of no more than one part per million. No other pollutant even comes close to mercury for violating federal standards.

Finally, for millennia, the Arctic has kept our planet healthy and happy by locking away GHGs, mercury and other toxic metals. But after two centuries of an unyielding fossil fuel addiction, the ticking mercury bomb is waiting to explode with far-reaching consequences.

Dr Quamrul Haider is professor emeritus at Fordham University in New York, US.​