The assembly found that the Bangladesh government’s reliance on fossil fuels has been consistent and continuous
Expressing concern and suggesting several proposals, the two-day Climate Justice Assembly has been concluded with the pledge of “Dhaka Declaration” demanding climate justice for all in Bangladesh.
The event participated by national and regional stakeholders working on several issues of climate, energy and environmental protection ended on Sunday, when they voiced 13 crucial pledged and points.
The assembly found that the Bangladesh government’s reliance on fossil fuels has been consistent and continuous.
While reviewing the decisions of the COP29, the speakers expressed disappointment and resentment over the lack of significant progress in generating the climate fund, rather the decisions taken will pave the way for business profits.
Local communities coming from the coastal area are facing a food crisis due to extreme weather calamities, cyclones, tidal surges, waterlogging, salinity, erosion, and sea level rise.
Furthermore, due to river erosion and the destruction of forests and natural resources, they are being deprived of various basic needs like food, social security, education, and housing, and have become permanently displaced by losing livelihood and land.
Unplanned industrialization, and polluting industries, like coal, and gas-based power plants have already generated extreme adverse effects on the lives, livelihoods and ecosystem of the coastal areas.
Therefore, the assembly demanded the cancellation of all coal-based power plants including the Rampal to Matabari power plant, and the scrapping of all gas and LNG-based power plants.
The assembly called for:
- Development of site and context specific adaptation plan following an inclusive process of grassroots participants, inducing peoples’ establishing multi-actors’ partnership for their implementation and introducing peoples’ monitoring on their implementation.
- A comprehensive vulnerability analysis to understand diverse, differentiated and disproportionate climate vulnerabilities on women, indigenous peoples and marginalized professional group to address the issues of marginalization and exclusion that might be resulting from climate change impacts and development stresses
- The assembly demanded Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment beforehand of planning and designing any climate change and development projects. The project must ensure environmental and social safeguards, gender and indigenous peoples rights in project implementation. The projects Must Not cause maladaptation while hearing the local ecology, biodiversity, ecosystems and public commons etc.
- Ensure transparent, science-based, and inclusive environmental and social impact assessment of the large-scale infrastructure with the participation of the affected communities.
- Ensure adequate and equitable freshwater flow in the common transboundary river systems including the protection of all the rivers, canals, and natural wetlands across the country.
- Bring the corporates, coal plants etc. to the legal obligation of compensating losses and damage caused by the serious impacts of fossil fuel and development projects on the communities.
- Bring back the sources of livelihoods and incomes of the farmers and fishers. Ensure alternative sources of livelihoods.
- Repair and strengthen the embankments and polders that already have townships and agricultural or firm lands inside the polders to save life and livelihoods. Solve the water logging issue inside the polders and save deltaic character in the coast with a comprehensive plan for alternative township and livelihoods in an open approach towards the sea, rivers, wetlands, and floodplains.
- The assembly calls for full disclosure of MDB financed coal-and-gas fueled power plants which should include loan agreement, production sharing agreement, EIA, Environmental and social safeguard measures.
- Introduce peoples/citizen audit on the social and environmental compliances of the energy projects.
- The assembly called for 100% withdrawal of subsidies on production, transportation and use of fossil fuels and redirect the subsidies in the expansion of renewable energy sources.
- The Assembly called for a clear roadmap for ending/abandoning all the fossil-fueled power plants and a shift towards renewable energy sources
- The Assembly demanded immediate stopping of polluting to the water, air and soil in the coast of Bangladesh and across the country.
National speakers include Jalal Ahmed, Chairman, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Council, Prof. Dr. Mohammed Jahirul Haque, Vice Chancellor of Metropolitan University, Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, Md. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive from CPRD, Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman of Center for Renewable Energy Services Limited, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Chief Moderator of the Equity BD, Rabeya Begum, Executive Director of Shariatpur Development Society, Professor Anu Mohammad, Mohin Kumar Mondol, Executive Director of LEDARS.
International speakers who presented their valuable remarks include Donna Lisenby, CEO, Riverfox Environmental, Ian Rivera, National Coordinator, Philippines Movement for Climate Justice (PMCD), Syed Baluch, General Secretary, Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum, Yuki Tanabe, Program Director, JACSES, Ayumi Fukakusa, Friends of the Earth Japan, Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, APMDD, Malou Tabios Nuera, Senior Energy Campagner, APMDD, Makiko Arima, Finance Campaigner, Oil Change International, Shibayan Raha, Partnership Coordinator, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.