The Dutch national weather service presented its latest report on sea-level rise recently. It’s stated very clearly: If we don’t succeed in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the sea level along the Dutch coast will rise up to 1.2 metres by the end of this century — compared to the beginning of this century. This may rise even further to …

Extreme weather, an undesirable consequence of global climate change, is already seriously affecting the lives and livelihoods of people all around the world, especially in Bangladesh.  A low-lying terrain and a high frequency of extreme events such as floods and tropical storms put Bangladesh and its 170 million people at a high risk in terms of climate vulnerability. Indeed, Bangladesh …

Climate change has and will continue to increase the intensity and frequency of global hydro-meteorological events such as cyclones and storm surges. Bangladesh is a country of more than 160 million people, with 35 million people residing near the coastline. Naturally, it is a hotspot for such cyclonic events. Numerous researches have highlighted that, on average, Bangladesh faces the most …

On 9 August 2021, the science working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming since 1850-1900. Climate change is not just what is happening now and will happen in the future but also what has been happening for over a century. Today …

The Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ended a few weeks ago. Its outcomes have received mixed reviews by observers and media. Some have touted it as a success, or partially successful and some others have dubbed it as a failure. I think the level of success or failure depends on the …

  ‘Loss and Damage’ (L&D) is a term used in climate negotiations to describe the unavoidable effects of climate change which has become increasingly evident in recent years, such as severe storms, major wildfires, frequent floods, heatwaves, droughts and so on. This year, at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26), L&D emerged as a significant point …

People in developing countries have been bearing the brunt of climate change for decades. But it has taken wildfires in Greece, flooding in Germany and Belgium and a heatwave and hurricanes in the US for the rich world to really sit up and take notice. The challenge now is ensuring that world leaders listen to what is being said in low-income countries and for wealthier countries to …

Losses are growing in rich as well as poor countries – and it’s time to have an effective system to deal with them The adverse impacts from human-induced climate change are known as “loss and damage” – and how to tackle this issue has been a politically contentious issue in the United Nations climate negotiations for years. But loss and …

In early 2021, a fast-growing group of experts will meet in Gobeshona to define a 10-year learning agenda to advance principles for critical locally led adaption to climate change. Saleemul Huq and Clare Shakya explain the importance of this group and the journey ahead. Collectively, the world has failed to respond to the triple crises of poverty, climate and nature …