Global Warming and Bangladesh

Global warming is much more disastrous than other environmental pollution. The green house gas emission all over the world is causing ecological changes, disturbing natural balances and affecting adversely mankind, animal and plant life. Scientists say that global warming will be more severe than they had thought of earlier and the effects would endure for centuries. The temperature has already risen considerably over the last century with the 1990s the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year on record since 1961. Industrialization, which has been a great boom for modern materialistic civilization and which is the main gateway to and the most coveted means for all nations, developed and developing for prosperity and affluence, is ironically the catastrophic cause. The poor nations say that climate change is the product of a century of US and European industries fuel led by oil and coal. And their mounting anger is expressed on the US welshing of the promise made in the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The protocol set targets for carbon emission cuts by developed nations.

There are signs of the onset of global warming. The analysis of the IPCC scientists is that since the late 1960's global snow cover has decreased by about 10 percent. A tourist visiting North Pole a few years back found a 1.5 km wide lake of ice melt water and seagulls flying over it. In the past two decades average temperature went up by 4 degree centimetre in Alaska, Siberia, and parts of Canada. Sea ice is 40% thinner and covers less area than in 1980. Already many species of. Birds in Europe and mammals in parts of the Arctic are beginning to fell the impact of the reduced sea and the warming of the Tundra habitat. The UN inter Govt panel on the climatic change (IPCC) portrays changes in climate that will raise global sea levels and temperatures and put pressure on agricultural production and strain on water resources. A report on global warming and terrestrial biodiversity states that in the northern latitudes of Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia warming will be more rapid. Russia, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Uruguay, Bhutan and Mongolia are likely to lose 45% or more of their current habitat, while many coastal and island species will be at a risk from the combined threat of warming oceans, sea level rise and range shifts.

Bangladesh will be one of the badly vulnerable countries. With only 1 meter rise in the sea level, 17.5% areas of the countries will go under water. The economic loss will be huge because 31% of GDP is got from that land. There will be temperature change in all seasons. The temperature in 2030 will be 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than it is today if the green house emission continues at the present rate. There will be increase in monsoon rainfall in areas where rain is already heavy. Increased heat will cause more severe drought in March-June period. Bangladesh won't be able to produce the present quantity of rice. Again inundation and salinity will cause a great loss of crops. Higher sea level will also destroy our coastal mangrove forests on which about 30% of our population depend. More rain and higher river levels would increase the depth and duration of flooding. Raised sea level furthermore, would increase the rate of salinity both on the surface and ground water. Two big cities, Chittagong and Khulna, Cox's Bazar, patuakhali, Barisal and Mongla are likely to be affected badly. The brunt of adverse socioeconomic consequences will fall on the poorer and weaker section of the population rural landless, small and marginal farmers, urban squatters and migrants. The conditions of the children and woman would be worse since they are more malnutritions than male. Unemployment and migration will increase further. Positive climatic changes for global warming are taking place in the patterns of increasing floods, cyclones and heavy rainfall, for example, in China, Europe etc. (2007). Countries of Asia are being more affected than those of other continents. Bangladesh is experiencing this along with more rain and heat and the continuance of seasons especially the rainy season beyond the traditional climatic character. A very dreadful news published in the Janakantha on April, 2007 that the world's largest Garan forest is gradually going down to the sea owing to sea level water rising caused by global warming. The information claimed to be based on the UNESCO Report states further that in the on-going century most areas of Bangladesh including the Sundarbans will disappear for good? When (2010) entire Bangladesh has been very much anxious, our Bangladeshi scientists from Center for Environmental and Geographical Information Services (CEGIS) in their research gave positive opinion that the going down under water of 17% of our low lying areas (UN IPCC's forecast) will not be lost owing to sea level rise because of pali deposits along the coastal areas of Bangladesh including the Bay of Bengal. This is a most welcome finding as it is a most pleasant relief. We are to pray to allah for its being so. It appears that the threat from green house effect based on happening and indications is real serious. Global warming is due to the excess emissions of green house gases. The emissions of a large quantity of carbon dioxide three fourths of the emission from fossil fuel consumption apart from the gas we release during respiration is crucial. Methane whose a quarter of global emissions is produced by such activities as rearing of livestock, agriculture, etc. is next in importance. other important gases in the generation of green house effect are nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbons, chloroform carbons (CFCS), sulphur haxafluoride CFCS brings about disastrous consequences as it mainly depletion of ozone layer allows more harmful CV rays. The depletion also affect adversely plant and animal life and may cause cancer, eye damage, and suppression of immune system in human body. The global warming and the climatic are the product (stated earlier also) of a century of US and European industrialization fuelled by oil and coal. With only 4% of world population the USA produces 23% carbon dioxide that mankind's, vehicles, factories and power plants send out in large quantities into the atmosphere. Oil and car industries of the USA and other developed countries are responsible for the 55% of world's carbon emission, Experts of late have found out that aviation industry's contribution to global warming which is not included in Kyoto Treaty in 1997 is as much as it is necessary to be taken into account. While ascribing to the west, the globe's principal generating of carbon dioxide we should not considerable deforestations like massive deforestation in the Amazon, bonfires, recently in Australia, the USA and some European countries including Portugal.

The fact is that the rise of temperature is chiefly due to industrialized countries. Environmentalists have been successful in bringing, the issue and its gravity to leaders of the nations and the world community. The UNO has started observing "5th June", as "The World Environment Day, to high-light the issue's gravity and lurking danger and 10th Sept. as the "International Ozone Day" to raise global awareness on the importance of ozone layer and its depletion. Leaders of different nations under the auspices of the UNO met at several places and discussed the problem in many meetings and conferences. In Dec. 1997 over 160 nations adopted the effective step in the Kyoto Treaty. The Treaty set targets for emission cuts by developed countries to an average of 5.2 below 1990 levels between the years 2008 and 2012. The exemption of China & India from the Koyoto protocol was not right. For the fast-paced industrialization and economic growth in China and India have meant that are rapidly clambering the test of major pollution. Both of the countries are still refuting to the detriment of global environment to binding cuts on the plea of their developing country status. Though the cut was much lower compared to its 23% of global emission, the treaty rejected by the USA breaking her promise ignominiously. Her allies in Europe supported the treaty and ratified it. USA and some countries like Australia did not sign it although the Kyoto Protocol came into force in Feb, 2004, and would expire in 2012 and global warming has reached a record high They have shirked their responsibilities regarding carbon emission and even the sacres duty to humanity.

And poor nations like Bangladesh are forced to fond their own solution from their own resources. Of course the UNO has come forward to assist them. The GERIAP (Green House Gas Emission Reduction from Industries in Asia and the Pacific) project for three years of nine countries including Bangladesh is an example. It is co-ordinated by the UNEP and financed by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) Its objectives are to encourage company level action to increase efficiency of energy use in their production processes. It aims thereby, to achieve economic savings while reducing associated emission especially of green House gases. The project's targets will be high Green House gas emitting potentials - pulp and paper, iron and steel, lime and cement and chemical productions. And the Montreal protocol (1987) initaited the UNO eNVIRONMENT PROGRAM (UNCP) controlling ozone depletion substances also regulates its use in Bangladesh. Bangladesh, in addition to all this, has launched vigorously tree plantation campaign across the country. Endeavour of this kind will be simply a drop of water in an ocean ever growing bigger as the time passes on. In this context the recent reduction (2001) by America of its global warming aid that helps the third World Countries to combat global warming is a very inconsiderate act. Is there anything so unjust and even heinous to shift, as dose the offensive west, the responsibility of making amends for their wrong doing to the developing and poor nations while it will continue to make the world hotter and hotter? The fiasco of the leaders of the west to carry out promises made in the Treaty is sure to insure the coming calamity. Can the West escape it ? They cannot. Do they realize it ?

The UN Panel (IPCC), the most authoritative group of 1500 scientists from more than 130 nations assert now, 2nd Feb, 2007 that their prediction has 90% probability or certainty than the earlier one in 2001. The author sounded the warning for aggravation as 2004 and regretted much the irresponsibility and callousness of world leaders especially the permanent members of Security Council. The situation has worsened as the planet is now more towards irreversible climate change. There is a rise of global temperature more rise in the arctic, already there are more frequent occurrences of floods, cyclones tornadoes, storms, heavy rainfalls & the rising sea levels across the globe. The melting of glaciers of the Himalayas, a 2400 km range that sweeps through Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan, which provide waters for Asian rivers, the people life-lines for 1.3 billion peoples living below the range, has threatened. Receding glaciers in Nepal and Bhutan formed vast lakes threatening to burst, research studies in China had shown rapid melting of glaciers which would bring about an increase in flooding. Temperature has risen in the arctic regions. The UN panel on climate change, a UNO body regarded as world's top authority on climate change opined so, other serious apprehensions like the shrinking of crop land, of space for tree plantation and huge refugee problem are being surfaced or talked of.

Raising high expectations global stirrings with participation of 130 heads from 193 countries and with the registration 45000 peoples including delegates, journalists, etc. at Bele centre, UNO which could accommodate only 15000, the output of Copenhagen Conference on climate change (2009) is neither an accord nor agreement but a point of progress of a basis for further discussion on legal status, temperature rise, financial aid transparency of emissions, review of progress etc. There were, of course, a recognition of the need to limit target for mobilization of 100 billion US dollar by 2020 to help poor countries to cope with the fallouts of climate changes and a promise to deliver $30 billion for developing nations over the next tree years to support their projects related to mitigation, capacity building and technology. In the above matters there were no selection of countries, fixation of amount to be given to them, etc. In respect of transparency there would be "rigorous scruting" of the pledges of the rich countries. No pledges were there from the advanced developing countries like China, a top emitter, India, Brazil and South Africa, for their reduction of emissions. There was no fixation of the percentage of reduction of green house carbon emissions by any country by 2020. There is nothing of the sort provided in Kyoto Protocol, even the above referred countries were not asked to reduce their carbon emissions. All the countries were looking out for the interests of their national govts, not for saving the planet. The summit flopped down to the great harm of our earth with slim hopes of success in Mexico meet one year from now in 2010. It is feared that the meet would meet the same fate as WTO's (World Trade Organisation) negotiations in Mexico came to nothing after years of dithering.