e-News® | The NEWS Company…DHAKA, Sept 14, 2015 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been announced as one of the winners of the highest environmental accolade of the United Nations, in recognition of Bangladesh’s far-reaching initiatives to address climate change. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s name as one of the ‘Champion of the Earth” in Policy Leadership category for her proven leadership in addressing the impacts of climate change.
Announcing the award today, Regional Office of the Asia Pacific (ROAP) of the UNEP in a release said, “Sheikh Hasina has proven that investing in climate change is conducive to achieving social and economic development.” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the award at a Gala Ceremony at the close of the Sustainable Development Goals summit, on September 27, 2015 in New York, a release of the UNEP said.
“The award recognizes Bangladesh’s first-off-the-block initiatives under Prime Minister Hasina’s government to prepare the ecologically fragile country for the challenges it faces from climate change,” UNEP said. The annual “Champions of the Earth” award is the highest environmental accolade that the United Nations can confer upon outstanding individuals and organizations. Previous laureates of this inclusive award range from leaders of nations to grassroots activists – all visionaries whose leadership and actions drive the world ever closer to its aspirations of environmental sustainability and a life of dignity for all.
To date, the award ‘Champions of the Earth’ has recognized 67 laureates in the categories of policy, science, business and civil society. With a population of more than 159 million, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most populated countries and one of the world’s least-developed countries. It is also one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Cyclones, floods and droughts have long been part of the country’s history, but they have intensified in recent years, the UNEP release said.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in a statement said, “Through a number of forward-looking policy initiatives and investments, Bangladesh has placed confronting the challenge of climate change at the core of its development.
“These initiatives, from climate change adaptation measures to ecosystem preservation legislation, mean that current and future generations of Bangladeshis are better prepared to address climate change risks and reverse the impacts of environmental degradation,” he said. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has demonstrated leadership and vision in both making climate change an issue of national priority and advocating for an ambitious global response,” Steiner said.
“As an early adopter and advocate of climate change adaptation policy, Sheikh Hasina continues to be an example to follow as world leaders seeking action on climate change as part of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate conference in December,” he said. The ‘Champion of the Earth’ award cited the progressive Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan of 2009, which Bangladesh made first among the developing country to frame such a coordinated action plan. Bangladesh is also the first country to set up its own Climate Change Trust Fund supported by nearly US$300 million of domestic resources from 2009-2012, UNEP pointed out.
In addition, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Constitution was amended in 2011 to include a constitutional directive to the State to protect the environment and natural resources for current and future generations, UNEP pointed out. Prioritized in the constitution along with wetlands and wildlife, the forestry policies initiative by Prime Minister Hasina has provided a natural barrier from some extreme weather events and the country’s forests cover has increased by almost 10 per cent, it mentioned.
UNEP said moving beyond physical and capital investment in climate change adaptation, the government of Bangladesh is implementing a wide range of measures to help citizens prepare for an increasingly unpredictable future. These include new health services dealing with waterborne diseases linked to increased floods, training community groups about early warning systems and promoting climate-friendly agricultural technologies, it said.
As part of climate change mitigation, the UNEP said, Bangladesh government is giving high priority to clean and renewable energy including one of the world’s largest solar home energy systems, covering 10 per cent of the off-grid population, and reducing emissions from brick-making, one of the largest sources of stationary emissions in the country. In a major initiative to protect environment, human health and livelihoods, legislation is being enacted to step up regulation of the coastal polluting from the ship-breaking industry that employs a huge workforce in hazardous conditions, UNEP said.
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Robert Watkins said, “As one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, Bangladesh understands the importance of addressing the impact of climate change. “From 1990 to 2008 Bangladesh averaged annual losses of 1.8 per cent of the country’s GDP due to natural disasters. Addressing the impact of climate change is more than just a question of economics for Bangladesh,” he said.
The other ‘Champion of the Earth’ named so far this year in different categories are- the National Geographic Society (Science and Innovation); Brazilian cosmetics firm Natura (Entrepreneurial Vision); and South Africa’s Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit (Inspiration and Action).