Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this important meeting of the SAARC Environment Ministers. I welcome you all to Dhaka and wish you a pleasant stay in our bustling mega-city. This meeting takes place at a critical juncture, at a time when we are confronted with new and undeniable scientific evidence of climate change and how it threatens our very existence. The South Asian region- home to nearly one-third of humanity- is particularly vulnerable. According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, Bangladesh could lose as much as one-third of its landmass due to the rise in sea level. Maldives could disappear entirely. The flood-plains of India and Pakistan could face permanent inundations. Millions of our citizens could be permanently displaced. These are not scientific conjectures. They are cautious predictions - often the best case scenarios - based on rigorous data analysis and simulations. The question is not ‘if’, rather when and how soon the climatic meltdown will hit us with full fury. There is, however, a silver lining in this doom and gloom. The world is increasingly united to address the challenges of global warming and climate change. The current meeting is yet another testimony of that collective will. The meeting, I am confident, will make headway in implementing the recommendations that the SAARC leaders made at the New Delhi Summit last year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

IPCC has predicted that monsoon rainfall would continue to increase in South Asia, resulting in excessive flows in our rivers. The melting of the Himalayan glaciers is likely to further worsen the conditions. The IPCC also forecasts that global warming will result in sea-level rise, with resultant increase in coastal flooding and salinity. In 2007, two successive floods ravaged Bangladesh as well as parts of India. The rise in frequency and intensity of cyclones are ominous testimonies of climatic shifts in our region. The ferocity of cyclone “Sidr” in November last year took us all, even the experts and forecasters by surprise. Another killer cyclone “Nargis”, which originated in the Bay of Bengal in April this year, devastated the Irrawadi delta of Myanmar.

Climate change will disproportionately hurt the poor. Its irreversible impacts will steal the livelihood options of millions of our citizens living below the poverty line. Floods, droughts and salinity intrusion will wreak havoc on our agriculture and fisheries. Starvation, malnutrition and consequent fear of extinction will haunt our impoverished citizens. The adverse effects of global warming will derail all our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. It will unleash the gravest tragedy in human history, far graver than the ‘Black Death’ or the atrocities of World War II. We cannot, and must not, sit idle and let this happen to us.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

SAARC has evolved into an effective platform since its inception for addressing issues and concerns that have national consequences and regional implications. As a result of our collective efforts, SAARC has already received worldwide recognition. The inclusion of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, USA and the European Union as Observers in SAARC is a clear manifestation of this reality. The SAARC agenda reflects our shared concerns and provides an opportunity to consolidate our collective will to address the challenges of climate change from a regional perspective. This Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, I believe, will address ecosystem-specific vulnerabilities, and take into account specific concerns of our peoples and communities, including their livelihood, economic activities and sustainable development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is an evolving consensus within the scientific community to combat climate change on two fronts, namely mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation efforts are key to rein in the deleterious effects of global warming. The world cannot, perhaps, go back to pre-industrial age level of carbon emission, but it can surely contain a further surge in global warming. We can at least freeze the emission of greenhouse gases at an acceptable level. But this will require urgent collective action. And it will require the large industrialized economies - the historical polluters - to cut back their emissions. SAARC can occupy a high moral ground on this issue and put collective pressure on the developed countries. We must remind them - individually and collectively - that procrastination is not an option. The developed countries must make unilateral and unconditional commitments to reduce their emission levels. This is a must to save us from the perils of climate change. We must also work together to uphold the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ to ensure equity in mitigation efforts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the adaptation front, we can do much on our own. Adaptation is, in fact, the code-name for resilience. Many developing countries are already pursuing effective adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. Bangladesh is one such example. We have made significant progress in achieving climate-resilience with various adaptation measures. Our experience could serve as a model for many others facing similar challenges. We are actively seeking to establish an International Adaptation Centre in Dhaka to share our knowledge and best practices. SAARC members, I am confident, will extend full support to our endeavour in this regard.

But adaptation is often a costly proposition. SAARC countries should speak in one voice to ensure that the developed countries commit new and additional resources to support our adaptation efforts. We should also remain vigilant against any attempt to make adaptation support contingent upon our commitment in mitigation. The industrialized economies must provide adaptation funds and facilitate technology transfers without any conditionality.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

International negotiations on climate change have entered a new phase with the adoption of the Bali Action Plan at the 13th session of the UNFCC. In Bali and in other international forums, Bangladesh has worked closely with other SAARC member-states, the G-77 and China. We must continue this collaboration. The Bali roadmap will lead us to the 15th meeting of the UNFCC, scheduled to take place in Copenhagen, in December 2009. Between now and Copenhagen, we must work closely to take a common position on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology transfers. The SAARC Secretariat can play a critical role in forging a common SAARC position on these issues.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this regard, let me recall the SAARC Declaration on Climate Change, adopted by the 29th Session of the Council of Ministers on 7 December 2007. In addition to reaffirming the Summit Declaration, the member-states had also expressed their determination to contribute to global efforts, in conformity with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Given our vulnerabilities, inadequate means and limited capacities, we must ensure climate-resilient socio-economic development in our region.

This meeting should strive to uphold our basic right to climate-resilient development in the SAARC region. You should recommend specific measures, taking into account the following principles agreed upon by all SAARC members :

1. Deeper cuts to Greenhouse Gas Emissions by developed countries with effective time-frames for the forthcoming second commitment period;

2. Provision of adequate additional resources by developed countries to tackle climate change adaptation needs in addition to regular Overseas Development Assistance arrangements;

3. Compensation for climate victims and development of insurance mechanism as a tool of risk reduction;

4. Facilitating effective access to and funding assistance for the transfer of environment-friendly technologies to the developing countries, as well as for adaptation and mitigation;

5. Sharing the environmental burden equitably.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us demonstrate to the world that together we can tackle the threats of climate change through a cooperative and collaborative arrangement in South Asia. Let SAARC be a model of cooperation for combating climate change.

Thank you all.