“Dhaka Declaration” Meet the Press held for the Climate Justice Assembly 2024

Today, on December 08, a two-day Climate Justice Assembly has been concluded with the pledge of “Dhaka Declaration” demanding climate justice for all in Bangladesh.

The Climate Justice Assembly was participated by national and regional stakeholders working on several issues of climate, energy and environmental protection. National speakers include Jalal Ahmed, Chairman, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Council, Prof. Dr. Mohammed Jahirul Haque, Vice Chancellor of Metropolitan University, Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, Md. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive from CPRD, Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman of Center for Renewable Energy Services Limited, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Chief Moderator of the Equity BD, Rabeya Begum, Executive Director of Shariatpur Development Society, Professor Anu Mohammad, Mohin Kumar Mondol, Executive Director of LEDARS.

International speakers who presented their valuable remarks include Donna Lisenby, CEO, Riverfox Environmental, Ian Rivera, National Coordinator, Philippines Movement for Climate Justice (PMCD), Syed Baluch, General Secretary, Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum, Yuki Tanabe, Program Director, JACSES, Ayumi Fukakusa, Friends of the Earth Japan, Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, APMDD, Malou Tabios Nuera, Senior Energy Campagner, APMDD, Makiko Arima, Finance Campaigner, Oil Change International, Shibayan Raha, Partnership Coordinator, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

On the morning of the second day of the conference, the strategy session unfolded. In this session, representatives of communities affected by climate change, environmental activists, and local and foreign experts elaborated on the findings synthesized out of the previous day’s discussions.

The session was presided over by Dr. Mujibur Rahman Howlader, convener of the rally organizing committee and adviser of DHORA. Sharif Jamil, Coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Md. Mustafizur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of CPRD jointly acted as facilitator of the session. Shamsuddoha, Senior Energy Campaigner of APMDD Malo Tabuis Nuera and Vice Chancellor of Metropolitan University Mohammad Zahirul Haque.

Ian Rivera, Chief Coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, discussed the experience of the Philippines in the second session of the day moderated by Liddy Nakpil, Coordinator of APMDD Philippines, and chaired by Dr. Mujibur Rahman Howlader. “Like Bangladesh, the Philippines is also suffering from the impact of climate change. Natural disasters have also increased there. Agricultural production has affected people’s livelihoods, which is also affecting the economy.”

The assembly finds that the Bangladesh government’s reliance on fossil fuels has been consistent and continuous. While reviewing the decisions of the COP29, the speakers expressed disappointment and resentment over the lack of significant progress in generating the climate fund, rather the decisions taken will pave the way for business profits.

Local communities coming from the coastal area are facing a food crisis due to extreme weather calamities, cyclones, tidal surges, waterlogging, salinity, erosion, and sea level rise. Furthermore, due to river erosion and the destruction of forests and natural resources, they are being deprived of various basic needs like food, social security, education, and housing, and have become permanently displaced by losing livelihood and land.

Unplanned industrialization, and polluting industries, like coal, and gas-based power plants have already generated extreme adverse effects on the lives, livelihoods and ecosystem of the coastal areas. Therefore, the assembly demanded the cancellation of all coal-based power plants including the Rampal to Matabari power plant, and the scrapping of all gas and LNG-based power plants.

THE ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR:

1. Development of site and context specific adaptation plan following an inclusive process of grassroots participants, inducing peoples’ establishing multi-actors’ partnership for their implementation and introducing peoples’ monitoring on their implementation.
2. A comprehensive vulnerability analysis to understand diverse, differentiated and disproportionate climate vulnerabilities on women, indigenous peoples and marginalized professional group to address the issues of marginalization and exclusion that might be resulting from climate change impacts and development stresses
3. The Assembly demands Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment beforehand of planning and designing any climate change and development projects. The project must ensure environmental and social safeguards, gender and indigenous peoples rights in project implementation. The projects MUST NOT cause maladaptation while hearing the local ecology, biodiversity, ecosystems, public commons etc.
4. Ensure transparent, science-based, and inclusive environmental and social impact assessment of the large-scale infrastructure with the participation of the affected communities.
5. Ensure adequate and equitable freshwater flow in the common transboundary river systems including the protection of all the rivers, canals, and natural wetlands across the country
6. Bring the corporates, coal plants etc. to the legal obligation of compensating losses and damage caused by the serious impacts of fossil fuel and development projects on the communities.
7. Bring back the sources of livelihoods and incomes of the farmers and fishers. Ensure alternative sources of livelihoods.
8. Repair and strengthen the embankments and polders that already have townships and agricultural or firm lands inside the polders to save life and livelihoods. Solve the water logging issue inside the polders and save deltaic character in the coast with a comprehensive plan for alternative township and livelihoods in an open approach towards the sea, rivers, wetlands, and floodplains.
9. The Assembly calls for full disclosure of MDB financed coal-and-gas fueled power plants which should include loan agreement, production sharing agreement, EIA, Environmental and social safeguard measures.
10. Introduce peoples/citizen audit on the social and environmental compliances of the energy projects
11. The Assembly calls for 100 percent withdrawal of subsidies on production, transportation and use of fossil fuels and redirect the subsidies in the expansion of renewable energy sources.
12. The Assembly calls for a clear roadmap for ending/abandoning all the fossil-fueled power plants and a shift towards renewable energy sources
13. The Assembly demands immediate stopping of polluting to the water, air and soil in the coast of Bangladesh and across the country.

Source:

1. The Business standard
2. News today 24
3. Dhaka tribune