Innovating action on climate Finance: Engaging local Youth
We have known for over a decade that Bangladesh, the least responsible countries for global warming, is first in line to feel the full force of its impacts. For proper utilisation of Climate Funds for facing challenges of climate change impacts, needed to prepare a Local Adaptation Plan engaging local peoples including youth urgently. Experts at a workshop underlined the importance of empowering local youth activists and supporting their potential innovating actions to ensuring transparency and accountability on Climate Finance to lead better lifestyle, building community resilience under adverse climate change impacts in coastal areas. Needed Justice and justified share of climate funds, with appropriate plans, stakeholders active participations for proper implementation of adaptation-mitigation projects including transparency, accountability, the speakers and participants viewed.
The opinions came at the concluding ceremony of a daylong training workshop on ‘Innovation action for Climate Transparency: Engaging local Youth’ held 21st August at Jahan Conference Center in Barisal city. Prof Dr SM Imamul Haque, Vice-Chancellor , University of Barisal was addressed this ceremony along with Abul Bashar from British Council, Md Abdul Jalil from UNICEF Bangladesh, Roufa Khanum and Rezwan Siddiqui from C3ER, Sohanur Rahman and Shakila Islam of YouthNet. The impacts of climate change is one of the biggest threat against human rights, justice and social security in Bangladesh and it is one of the great impediment to achieving SDGs, they told. Speakers also demanded justice, transparency and accountability in allotment, distribution and using climate change fund and focusing issues.
A total of 36 climate activists from different universities and affected districts have participated in the workshop. Center for Climate Change Environmental Research of BRAC University in cooperation with YouthNet for Climate Justice, a youth led organization network, organized the workshop under the ‘Climate Finance Transparency Mechanism (CFTM)’ project being funded by PROKAS progam, British Council and UKAid.
Mr Abul Bashar, representative of British Council have brief about CFTM project with background at inaugural session on this workshop. Rezwan Siddiqui, Task Manager of C3ER facilitated the workshop as resource person support with C3ER team. The resource person presented an overview of Climate Finance in Bangladesh and discussed about the role of local youth to ensure climate finance transparency.
Then youth participants are divided in 5 groups and find out vulnerability on their community and innovative solution through climate fund management game. After this participatory group work they had shown that global warming has been threatening all human rights specially women and children with social securities in coastal Bangladesh which are designed to prevent destruction of life, health, education, property, livelihood, migration etc. Due to climate change impacts various diseases spreading among the human and animal being, plants, causing deforestations, destruction of water resources and supplies by their group presentations. They have also planed some innovative solutions and adaptation project on their community level reducing various vulnerability and building resilience.
In concluding session, the prominent social scientist Prof Dr SM Imamul Haque, Vice-chancellor, University of Barisal stressed on the issues of adaptation to global climate change and its adverse impacts on the agriculture sector must get maximum priority to keep agro-production increasing for ensuring food and nutrition security. Young people can work to identify needs of people in coastal regions. They can also contribute on Climate smart agriculture by supporting local farmers.
He expressed this views putting emphasis on innovation of newer technologies and more salinity tolerance crop varieties to popularize those among the farmers for cultivation under adverse situations. Because adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture might severely affect food production in future.
Answering a question of participant Mr Haque told that, there are no ways without embankment to protecting riverside area by erosion. But we should building this embankment as climate resilient and give early warning to the targeted peoples for shifting others in safe places.
He also urging `Why we will be questioned for transparency with climate finance? It is shameful for us. Some peoples are devil but our nation is not corrupted nation. We should proper planning, coordination for utilise climate change funds with transparency and accountability. Young people can contribute on this social movement as change agent’.
