MPs’ role vital to combat climate change in South Asia FRIDAY, 13 JULY 2012 22:02 SUDHIR MISHRA | BHUBANESWAR HITS: 7 ·

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 Bhubaneswar  MPs’ role vital to combat climate change in South Asia

MPs’ role vital to combat climate change in South Asia

FRIDAY, 13 JULY 2012 22:02

SUDHIR MISHRA | BHUBANESWAR

HITS: 7

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Members of Parliament have a crucial role to play in tackling the impact of climate change on people of South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka effectively as they formulate policies and laws having large bearing on the people of their nations and regions, observed the speakers on the second day of the workshop on “Community resilience to climate change in the Bay of Bengal 2012” held by the RCDC here on Friday.

Bangladesh MP Tanvir Shakil Joy said his country, despite emitting less carbon, suffers a lot. On its northern side, people living on islands inside rivers face flood, river bank erosion, and in the dry season face severe water shortage and desertification. On its southern side, cyclone is a regular feature destroying lives and livelihoods of people, resulting in intrusion of salinity into paddy fields and increasing food insecurity. Although Bangladesh is not responsible for this, yet it faces the calamities.

He observed that there is the need to recognise the local knowledge and indigenous practices to meet the impact of climate change.

Country Director, Practical Action, Nepal, Achyut Luitel said his country also faces the consequences of climate change as apple production in two districts has declined due to the rise in temperature. This has resulted in a decline of apple exports and affected the people’s livelihood.

He said the landslides in Nepal have led to creation of more islands in the rivers in Bangladesh as heavy sedimentation is deposited there, resulting in flash floods. A united effort by all South Asian nations is required to tackle the challenge, he observed.

Regional Director of South Asia Climate Parliament Mukul Sharma said renewable energy should be promoted and utilised extensively among local communities rather than using fossil fuel, which adds to emission of more carbon and aggravates the climate change crisis further. Thanks to sustained campaign, a good amount of emphasis has been given on renewable energy in the 12th Five-Year Plan. At the international level, a 2.5-billion fund for renewable energy could be created in Uganda due to effort by an MP.