Bangladesh is among a number of countries seeking hefty money to tackle the climate change impacts
It is difficult for Bangladesh to avail a fair share of Loss and Damage funds without proper policy as it is among a number of countries seeking hefty money to tackle the climate change impacts, said experts.
Particularly, Loss and damage funds are not enough for climate migrants, they added.
The observations came in the “Post-COP 29 Bangladesh Loss and Damage Policy Workshop”, which was organised by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Dhaka on Thursday.
Deepa Joshi, gender, youth, and inclusion lead specialist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), said that waiting for Loss and Damage funds is not enough and wise for affected countries like Bangladesh.
National-level innovation and steps must be taken broadly to tackle this crisis, she said after a presentation “India’s local solution: Insights from the Sundarbans region.”
Deepa termed the subject of the presentation a good example of climate adaptation.
Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha said that rural-urban migration is nothing new, but climate change is becoming a trigger factor for increasing rural-urban migrations.
“Climate migration is not voluntary; it’s forced. Migration is not an adaption choice; migration is a failure of adaptation. Migration is a consequence of a failure of adaptation,” he added.
Funds for non-economic losses stressed
Existing policy mechanisms overlook displacement, cultural loss, and psychological impacts, while gender-sensitive approaches and mental health support remain underemphasised, said the experts.
They recommended prioritising non-economic losses and funding for those in existing Loss and Damage fund policy.
Non-economic loss and damage, encompassing the loss of biodiversity, culture, heritage, mental health impacts, and social disruptions, must be paid equal attention in mechanisms and policies to address loss and damage, they added.
A holistic approach that accounts for both tangible and intangible losses will be more effective in addressing the full scope of climate impacts, the speakers said.
