DHAKA, Sept 26, 2018 (BSS)- Nearly half of South Asia’s population,
including more than three-quarters of Bangladesh’s people, is at risk of
declining living standards due to rising temperature and erratic rainfall
caused by climate change, says a new World Bank (WB) report.
The report, titled ‘South Asia’s Hotspots: The Impact of Temperature and
Precipitation Changes on Living Standards’ was released at Sonargaon hotel in
the city today.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith attended the report launching ceremony as the
chief guest while WB Vice President for South Asia Region Hartwig Schafer,
Report author and WB Lead Economist in the South Asia Region Muthukumara Mani
and WB Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal Qimiao Fan were,
among others, present.
Muhith said the government is trying its best to cope with the adverse
impacts of climate change. “The government has already achieved a marked
progress in all socioeconomic indicators, including alleviating poverty and
inequality,” he added.
The Finance Minister said Bangladesh is moving forward to become a
developed one under the prudent policy and dynamic leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The report launching event brought together multiple stakeholders to
discuss best adaptation strategies, identifying key bottlenecks, as well as
ways to strengthen institutional capacity to respond to the increasing threat
of climate change and natural disasters.
The report reveals that in the last 60 years, the region’s average
temperatures have increased and will continue rising, which is affecting
agriculture, health and productivity. This could cost Bangladesh 6.7 percent
of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and depress the living standards of more than
three-quarters of the country’s population by 2050.
Bangladesh’s average annual temperatures are expected to rise by 1.0
degree Celsius to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2050 even if preventive measures are
taken along the lines of those recommended by the Paris climate change
agreement of 2015.
If no measures are taken, then the country’s average temperatures are
predicted to increase by 1.0 degree Celsius to 2.5 degree Celsius, a WB press
release said.
Hartwig Schafer said: “Around the world, and especially for Bangladesh,
climate change is an acute threat to development and efforts to end poverty”.
“In addition to the coastal zones, the warming weather will severely
affect the country’s inland area in the next decades. To deal with climate
change, the country needs to focus on creating jobs outside the agriculture
sector and improve the capacity of its government institutions. The World
Bank is committed to helping Bangladesh become more resilient to climate
change,” he added.
By 2050, Chittagong Division will be most vulnerable to changing climate.
Seven out of the top 10 most – affected hotspot districts-where changes in
average temperature and precipitation will have a negative effect on living
standards – will be in the Chittagong Division.
The top two climate hotspots will likely be Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban,
which may suffer from a more than 18 percent decline in their living
standards, followed by Chittagong, Rangamati, and Noakhali.
Muthukumara Mani said: “These weather changes will result in lower per
capita consumption levels that could further increase poverty and inequality
in one of the poorest regions of the world, South Asia.”
“Identifying hotspots will help policymakers in finding specific
locations and household types where the resources are needed the most to
address the rising risk to living standards,” he added.