Equity without Justice is Unacceptable Cut Emission Deep, Cut it Now! No Debt-business by using Climate Crisis! Ensure Transparency, Equity and Justice in Climate Finance Allow Climate Migrants to the Developed Countries! Address Population and Reproductive Health in Climate Adaptation
11-17 November | Sunday-Saturday
Climate Justice Week 2012 The
least developed countries like Bangladesh are facing severe recurrent impacts of climate crisis. The millions of innocent people of these countries are victimised by global warming which is a consequence of excessive carbon emission by developed and industrialised countries. Due to low elevation from sea level, high population density and limited resources, Bangladesh is on the top of most vulnerable countries. The country is already facing huge loss of lives and resources due to frequent and severe cyclones, floods, storm surges, river erosion, hill slides, extreme salinity, drought and erratic rainfall. According to the scientists' prediction, by 2050: Risk to death will be increased by 3 times. 140,000 people died in the cyclone of 1991 while more than 3,500 were killed by cyclone Sidr in 2007, although Bangladesh maintains one of the best disaster management systems in the world. 17% of Bangladesh coast, which is the habitat of 40,000,000 people, is in risk of inundation. More than 400,000 people experienced 2 years long inundation after cyclone Aila in 2009. More than 100 kilometre upstream water of coastal zone likely to be affected by extreme salinity. Unwise water management can make it more complicated. 20-30 million people are in risk of forced migration from the climate hotspots. Already 600,000 people are migrating each year due to frequent sea-depression, cyclones, water logging, drought and salinity intrusion. Cereal food production will be decreased at a rate of 8-32%. People with hunger can be increased 3 times more due to population growth and cultivable land shrinking. People of southern coastal zone and northern drought-prone areas likely to face severe water scarcity. Already the women of these regions have to walk 8-10 kilometres to collect potable water. Waterborne diseases might be spread out with the water scarcity. Biodiversity of forest and wetlands including Sundarbans will be degraded and many of the regions maybe left uninhabitable. Already a number of areas become abandoned according to environmentalists' opinion. To meet the situation and to make the planet inhabitable, deep cut of carbon emission is a must, and developed countries are liable to reduce their emission due to historical responsibilities. The people from all around of the world demand 45% emission cut (as of 1990) by 2020 and 95% by 2050. In response, European Union pledged to cut only 20% by 2020 while US is totally not interested to come under a legally binding agreement. But deep cut of emission is not the all. People of Bangladesh have fundamental rights to get reparations for the sufferings they are facing and going to face in near future. People living in vulnerable regions are forced to adapt with rapid and erratic change of ecology. A number of bodies were formed for climate financing but the major emitters are not providing adequate financial resources according to their pledges. Moreover, they are trying to involve private finance in the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which will create aggression of corporate companies in the market of LDCs. In this situation, World Bank is trying to take the control of GCF and other climate finances. Five MDBs formed 'Climate Investment Fund' to start debt-business by using climate crisis. Already a number of LDCs has received packages of grant and loan from CIF. Through this process, poor and most vulnerable people are trapped by MDBs. World Bank has grabbed the driver's role in country level funds, like Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF), which are formed by contribution of Annex-1 countries. For managing the funds the Bank is taking service charge which is totally unethical. The fund management process of WB is more opaque than any other funds. Bangladesh's own fund 'Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF)' also should more transparent, effective and just to create a positive image in global platforms. DISTRICTS OF BANGLADESH WHERE THE WEEK IS BEING OBSERVED
Bagerhat | Barguna | Barisal | Bhola | Chittagong | Comilla | Cox's Bazar | Dhaka | Feni | Gaibandha | Jessore | Khulna | Kishoreganj | Narail | Natore | Noakhali | Patuakhali | Pirojpur | Rangamati | Satkhira | Sunamganj | Sylhet
11-17 November | Sunday-Saturday
Climate Justice Week 2012 Government institutions, International NGOs and research institutions are implementing many adaptation programs in developing and least developed countries. A large number of the projects (such as coastal embankments, promoting industrial shrimp farms) are not climate proof in the long run and likely to create new hazards. So, local ecology-based adaptation should be taken as a principle for each and every development project. Population and reproductive health is a crucial sector where early investments come back with large benefits. But population and reproductive health is not included in national and international adaptation standards. Keeping all of the issues in mind, the global leaders are going to participate in 18th UN Climate Conference (COP-18) organised by UNFCCC from 26th November to 7th December 2012. Post Kyoto Protocol, modality of Long Term Cooperation, target of carbon emission, financing and Green Climate Funds are some hot topics all over the world. To draw the attention of global leaders to climate-hazards of Bangladeshi poor people we have organised Climate Justice Week 2012. It is the 3rd year Humanitywatch initiated the program to convey message of poor people to the leaders of the world. This year, Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN), Oxfam and its global campaign GROW is supporting us to organise the programs. Activists from India, Indonesia, Pakistan and USA already organised solidarity events with us. WHAT CAN YOU DO 1. Very simply, gather 10 or more colleagues hold an A4 size page with writings on solidarity with Bangladesh. Just use the Week's logo on the page. Please send the photo to us for using in campaign. 2. Organise a picketing, rally, human chain or discussion on Climate Justice. Please use the Week's logo on Banner and other visual materials. 3. Organise a media stunt with solidarity to the sufferings of Bangladeshi people. WHAT WE ARE DEMANDING
Break the Silence: Sandy Attacks Us Everyday Cut the Emission Deep, Cut it Now! Stop debt-business by using Climate Crisis Allow climate forced migrants to the Developed countries Ensure Transparency, Equity and Justice in Climate Finance Address Population and Reproductive Health in Climate Adaptation Keep WB and ADB out of Climate Finance Implement Local Ecology Based Adaptation
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO 11 November 2012: Press Conference in Khulna city to kick off the Climate Justice Week 12 November 2012: Media Stunt and Gathering in Chittagong, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Feni and Noakhali remembering death of 300,000 people in cyclone of 1970. 13 November 2012: Media Stunt and Human Chain in Dhaka, Kishoreganj, Sunamganj and Sylhet to show sufferings of Haor (deep wetland) area 14 November 2012: Remembering death of 3,500 people by cyclone Sidr in 2007 through media stunt and gathering in Bagerhat, Khulna, Pirojpur and Satkhira 15 November 2012: Gathering, and Media Stunt in Barguna, Barisal, Bhola and Patuakhali to recall the sufferings in cyclone Sidr in 2007 16 November 2012: Showing sufferings of Drought, Water Logging and Indigenous Communities through media stunt and gathering in Gaibandha, Jessore, Narail, Natore and Rangamati. 17 November 2012: Students Gathering and adoption of 'Bangladesh Climate Justice Declaration 2012'
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Secretariat: Humanitywatch, Nuri Manjil, 39 Farukia Mosque Cross Road, Khulna 9000, Bangladesh Phone : +88 017 1670 2006, +88 017 1213 0040 Email:
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