Bangladesh Seeks Urgent Global Support to Confront Escalating Climate Change Challenges

By Faridat Salifu
In the midst of intricate negotiations and divisions at COP28, Bangladesh is fervently
urging the international community for immediate support to address the escalating
impacts of climate change and fortify its adaptation efforts.
Emphasizing a clear call to action, Bangladesh underscores the imperative of mobilizing
finance to mitigate the effects of climate change and advance renewable energy
infrastructure.
According to Bangladesh's Prime Minister, the nation grapples with the repercussions of
rising emissions and tangible effects of climate change, including soaring temperatures,
punishing heat waves, and devastating flooding. Despite contributing only 0.47% of
global emissions, Bangladesh stands as the seventh most vulnerable nation to climate
change, highlighting the urgent need for international solidarity and financial assistance.
The Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan outlines a transformative strategy aimed at steering
the country toward climate resilience and reducing vulnerability. This involves ambitious
targets to increase renewable energy capacity to 30% by 2030, modernize grids, and
embrace sustainable agriculture. Bangladesh actively implements measures such as
flood defenses, satellite warning systems to track weather patterns, and the cultivation
of mangrove forests to mitigate climate disasters and save lives.
However, Bangladesh underscores the essential role of bold investment to realize its
ambitious climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The nation emphasizes the
pressing need to make solar technology more affordable, reconsider prohibitive taxes
on inverters, and secure international investment to bridge the significant financing gap,
which currently stands at a staggering US$194–366 billion per year.
At the core of Bangladesh's appeal is a call for world leaders to fulfill their climate
finance commitments, emphasizing adequacy, routine disbursement, and accessibility.
The urgency is underscored by the daunting challenges that lie ahead for vulnerable
countries like Bangladesh, emphasizing the critical need for financial assistance to be
timely and impactful in addressing immediate and long-term climate change impacts.
Amidst these impassioned pleas, Bangladesh urges global leaders to align with the
latest scientific assessments, exhibit solidarity, and move decisively to address pressing
climate finance disparities. The Prime Minister's appeal echoes the shared responsibility
to confront climate change as an urgent global priority, recognizing that the costs of
further delays will be substantial. As the international community confronts the rising
tide of climate change, Bangladesh emphatically implores collective action to secure a
sustainable and resilient future for all.