The summit began in Dhaka on Friday aiming at building a climate-resilient South Asia. At the summit, speakers said that climate was a global issue and that the South Asian countries were the worst victims of it though they were not responsible for it. ‘Responsible nations are not working fast enough. To address our problem, we can share all possible scope such as renewable energy through a regional sharing,’ said Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, speaker of Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh. The countries need to think now beyond borders as the climate is borderless, she said.

Climate Parliament, a global network of parliamentarians working on climate, its Bangladesh chapter, non-government organisation the Earth and Observer Research Foundation organised the summit in cooperation with others. Coca Cola and Grameenphone sponsored the event. Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said that impacts of climate change were affecting people faster as heatwaves, extreme weather, disasters and biodiversity loss were occuring in south Asia. ‘Regional cooperation such as cross border power trading can benefit all the nations,’ he mentioned. Nepal parliament member Pradip Paudel said that Asian countries could address climate change through sharing green energy. ‘Nepal can generate green energy using its water resources and we want to sale it and think Bangladesh a potential market,’ he said. Special envoy to the prime minister of Bangladesh, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, also urged all to invest in addressing climate issues as investment was important for saving future.

Climate Parliament India chairman and a member of Indian Parliament Sanjay Jaiswal targeting the global leaders attending the G-20 summit in India urged them to take urgent actions to save the planet, home to all the human beings. Among others Climate Parliament Bangladesh chairperson Tanvir Shakil Joy, its convener Nahim Razzaq spoke at the inaugural session where over 200 delegates, including members of the parliament from different countries, experts, academics and missions participated in the event. Three panel discussions were also held following the inaugural session. Local government minister Tazul Islam and state minister for power Nasrul Hamid spoke as chief guests at separate events.

International Centre for Climate Change and Development director Saleemul Huq at a discussion said that global temperature had already increased and counties were facing adverse impact of it as they were not ready. ‘As a climate victim countries Bangladesh is facing climate impacts badly. Finding solutions to climate problems, Bangladesh can lead the world in climate issue,’ he said. He thought that what is happening today in Bangladesh would happen tomorrow in other countries and Bangladesh then would lead them from its experiences.

He suggested promoting local leads, nature-based solutions to climate change instead of malpractices. He said that problems were spreading faster than actions being taken to address those. UNDP Bangladesh assistant resident representative Anowarul Haq moderated the event where local government division secretary Muhammad Ibrahim, Swedish embassy first secretary Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, Chandpur municipality mayor Jillur Rahman and Standard Chartered Bangladesh corporate affairs, brand and marketing head in Bnagladesh Bitopi Das Chowdhury spoke.

News Link: Regional green energy grid for South Asia stressed