Environmentalists call for mechanisms to tackle climate induced loss

Environment experts have called for developing mechanisms to tackle climate induced loss and damage immediately as there is a lack of such means in India and Bangladesh.

A national level action plan and a system to locally assess the impact of climate change also need to be developed, said the environmentalists at a webinar on "The Way Forward for Loss and Damage Fund: From International Developments to Impacts on Local Communities" Wednesday.

Speakers at the programme organised by Climate Trends and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) emphasised raising funds, developing operational processes, and reaching marginalised people to fight climate change induced damage most effectively.

ICCCAD Director Dr Saleemul Huq said, "Bangladesh and India are most affected by climate change. This is the most densely populated region in the world with less than an average income of $2 per day. This implies extreme vulnerability and increased exposure to climate related threats for millions of people."

He said, "Now we need to discuss practical issues related to operationalising loss and damage finance, focusing on the needs of vulnerable communities and enabling progress on other aspects of climate negotiations right away."

"At COP26 in Glasgow, there was a demand for a 'Loss and Damage Finance Facility' which would support technical and financial mechanisms to address the issue, but the proposal was not accepted," he added.

Emphasising gender issues related to climate change, ActionAid (Bangladesh) Country Director Farah Kabir said, "We need proper policy, facility and finance. Most importantly, the funds must be accessible to the people who need it."

Shri Kaliyamurthi Balamurugan, chief environment officer (West Bengal), said, "Many people do not know about the issues, so we need to raise awareness among the people. To successfully tackle the issues, technological as well as national and international financial support is crucial."

CAN International representative Harjeet Singh said, "We became a failure in tackling loss and damage. It seems that we are not even ready and we cannot rely on developed countries anymore."

"We need to develop an action plan and include it in central policies," he added.