UK concerned about Bangladesh's climate vulnerability: Brown

Source(s): National News Agency of Bangladesh

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his country supports Bangladesh's stand for giving preferential treatment to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for adaptation to climate change.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here last night, Brown said his country is very much concerned about the climate vulnerability of Bangladesh and its necessity for adaptation and resilience to cope with the challenges of climate change.

Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad told reporters at Hotel Radisson Blu that the two prime ministers discussed various development issues including future regime of reducing carbon emissions and ways of help to developing
countries to adapt to climate change effects.

Gordon Brown told the Bangladesh Prime Minister that his country believes that China and other high polluting developing countries should come under binding commitment for emission reduction and their commitment should be measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV).

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is an innocent victim of climate change which has threatened lives and livelihood of millions of people of her country. She reiterated that all support to the developing countries for tackling climate changeeffects should be in addition to the existing ODA so that regular development of the country is not hindered.

British Foreign Minister David Miliband, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Health Minister Dr Ruhal Huq, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud and Ambassador-at-Large Zia Uddin were present, among others, in the meeting held at Hotel Radisson Scandinavian.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh wants `first track' financial support for climate disaster prone countries so that the fund might be released without any complicated disbursement process or bureaucratic tangle, Dr Hasan said.

The British Prime Minister informed the Bangladesh Prime Minister that his country would propose constitution of an ad-hoc working group to ascertain the modalities of the adaptation fund. The group, he said, would be asked to give report as soon as
possible.

Sheikh Hasina urged the British Prime Minister to give the ad-hoc committee maximum three months time to submit its report
aimed at making the adaptation fund operational at shortest possible time.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina informed Gordon Brown of her government's steps for combating the climate events including
programmes for recovering the losses of Aila, Sidr and river dredging with its limited resources.

She also thanked Brown for discussing the climate relating issues with her over telephone before coming to climate
conference in Copenhagen, Azad said.

Youngest daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Rehana's daughter Ruponti Siddique was also present on the occasion.

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