In the context of climate change, buzz words like sustainable development, adaptation, resilience, vulnerabilities, and green skills always remain on top of our discourse. While the concepts are separate – addressing different, sometimes overlapping agendas – all of these can be grouped under a single agenda of achieving human and environmental welfare. Although there is still much to do, Bangladesh is making steady progress. That being said, working for the wellbeing of climate vulnerable communities has never been easy as their problems are multifaceted and complex. The vulnerabilities of these communities are not limited to their exposure to climate change only, but further constrained by the dire lack of basic needs. For an exposition, let's look into Gabura, a hotspot for climate change research and interventions. Gabura is a remote union of Shyamnagar upazila in the Satkhira district located on the southern coast of Bangladesh. It is widely known to both national and international stakeholders for its exposure to frequent cyclones, storm surges, floods, erosion, and salinity intrusion. Such extreme events severely affect the social-ecological systems of the communities, resulting in huge loss and damages. Moreover, the stressors further intensify their existing problems of basic facilities such as lack of freshwater availability, adequate healthcare, hygienic sanitation, and limited livelihood opportunities, are the key challenges that need to be addressed.
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.