Hasan demands extra WCF allocation to recoup disaster losses

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has demanded World Climate Fund's (WCF) separate allocations to offset the billions dollar water related damages incurred by Bangladesh due to climate change induced disasters.

The minister was addressing a sideline session of the ongoing COP-27 titled "Highlighting Loss and Damage to Water and Sanitation Infrastructures due to Climate Hazards in Bangladesh" organised by the WaterAid at Bangladesh pavilion in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Friday evening.

He said many, at first, didn't want to admit the issue of massive damage to water and sanitation due to the natural disasters.

But, the extent of damage in many climate vulnerable countries including Bangladesh is huge said Hasan, also Awami League (AL) joint general secretary.

He said funding should be allocated separately by creating different sectors for meeting and mitigating these losses.

He termed the joining of the world leaders including the US President Joe Biden in the COP-27 as a ray of hope.

He also expressed his apprehension over the climate fund due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The minister said immediate initiatives should be taken to stop the Russia-Ukraine war to save the world.

Hasan, who is also an environmentalist, highlighted different climate change impacts on Bangladesh's water supply and sanitation.

Those impacts included the rise of sea level and increasing temperature, unseasonal rainfall, increased drought and saltwater intrusion into coastal areas, erosion of river banks, the occurrence of cyclones and floods and damage caused by flash floods in urban areas, he added.

At the function, the other speakers have highlighted the financial damage caused by cyclones during the last 15 years.

They mentioned that 2.31 billion dollars damage was made in 2007's Sidr, 1 billion dollars in 2009's Ayla, 127 million dollars by Roanu in 2016, 63.6 million by Fani in 2019, 13 million by Amphan in 2020, seven lakh dollars by Yas in 2021, highlighting other damages caused by floods in different times.

Environmentalist Selim Ul Haque, climate change expert Collin McQuistan, researcher Md Shams-ud-Doha, WaterAid Bangladesh chapter director Partho Hafez Shaikh and senior advocacy officer Adnan Kader, among others, addressed the session as WaterAid Bangladesh country director Hasin Jahan conducted it.