Providing an interactive platform for deliberations, knowledge sharing, and collaboration amongst young climate professionals, activists, researchers, and policymakers for building capacity on climate diplomacy, advocacy, and policy negotiation skills, the 2024 edition of Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Bangladesh concluded on Wednesday. Hosted by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) from 6th to 9th October 2024 at Hotel Sarina, LCOY Bangladesh 2024 was designed in tandem with the goals of COP 29 and COY 19, enabling the young leaders with diversified capacities for informed climate action at both national and international levels. The event has unfolded in two key segments: first, the Young Negotiator Programme on Climate Diplomacy from October 6-8, a three-day intensive workshop that has trained 26 selected youth leaders and climate professionals. It included key modules on climate diplomacy, policy drafting, and advocacy techniques that can get them through some of the difficult climate negotiations at the global level. Upstream, downstream countries must work together to tackle climate change: Rizwana The second part of this year’s LCOY edition, on October 9 at Hotel Sarina, was a day-long conference joined by 100 participants, alongside 50 youth delegates, government officials, and delegates from international organizations. In dynamic plenary sessions, panel discussions, and a vibrant showcasing of youth-led climate initiatives, the event brought together a pool of climate diplomats and advocates. In the segment named ‘Stories of Change’, 13 youth organizations presented their youth-led initiatives to protect the environment in front of the guests. Co-convened by UNDP, ActionAid, and VSO Bangladesh, with strategic support from the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP) and the Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh, LCOY Bangladesh 2024 emphasized the importance of youth empowerment in climate policy discourse. The Young Negotiator Programme on Climate Diplomacy was a core component of this year’s event, focusing on honing negotiation and diplomacy skills that will enable young leaders to contribute meaningfully to global climate decisions and agreements. Training encompassed the areas of climate finance, mitigation policies, climate diplomacy, and climate justice providing a comprehensive foundation for policy engagement; and this year’s event was also intended to increase the number of females by 10% from previous years, hence enhancing its commitment to inclusivity and gender equality in response to climate action. The conference also brought about the Bangladesh Youth Statement 2024--a set of actionable policy recommendations that will be taken to COP29 and COY19 later this year, amidst great contribution by Bangladeshi youth toward the Global Climate Dialogue. South Korea keen to support interim government in improving investment climate The conference started with inspiring speeches from special guests. Dr Abdul Hamid, Director General (Grade 1), Department of Environment, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; Md Mamunur Rashid, Joint Secretary (WH Wing), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Khabirul Haque Kamal, Country Director of VSO Bangladesh; and Dr Rudaba Khondker, Country Director of GAIN were the speakers for the opening session. In the closing plenary, Edwin Koekkoek, First Counsellor, Team Leader - Green Inclusive Development, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, joined as the Chief Guest. While sharing his closing speech, he mentioned, “Climate negotiation is the most exciting form of negotiation because it’s the young people who care about the world”. Dr Rudaba Khondker encouraged young people to reflect upon their experiences of this year’s LCOY and the Young Negotiator Programme. while the vote of thanks on behalf of the LCOY Bangladesh Secretariat was provided by Mehedi Hasan Bappy, Coordinator of the LCOY Bangladesh Secretariat and Project Coordinator at GAIN.

Though Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change with almost no contribution to the cause, experts have bemoaned that the wealthier nations--who have historically contributed the most to the depletion of the ozone layer--are doing very little to help the country overcome this problem. They said Bangladesh should boost its climate diplomacy to make tackling climate change an important issue of bilateral discussions with developed countries and thus encourage them to fulfill their pledges made in the Paris Agreement. “Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of extreme weather caused by climate change for a long time. Climate change is a global issue that needs a global solution through collective efforts,” Dr Ainun Nishat, a noted climate expert, told UNB. Also read: Small solutions, big impacts: How five community-based projects tackling climate He said they have long been highlighting the issue of climate finance for reducing the climate change impacts, but only pledges have been made so far instead of allocating sufficient funds globally.  “Bangladesh and other vulnerable countries should play an active role in different forums and international conferences on climate change in encouraging the developed countries to deliver on their commitments to support the badly affected countries to face the devastating impacts like flash floods, droughts, heat waves, storms, cyclones, and rising sea levels,” the expert said. “Our country has been experiencing frequent natural disasters like floods, cyclones, increasing incidents of lightning strikes and landslides triggered by global warming, causing huge losses to human lives and natural resources,” Dr Nishat observed. Bangladesh was the seventh most-affected country in the world by “extreme weather events” over the 20 years, according to a report by Global Climate Risk Index 2019. Renowned environmental expert Dr Atiq Rahman, who was recognised by the UN as one of the Champions of the Earth in 2008, Bangladesh is not only facing the loss of lives and resources due to the adverse impacts of the climate change, but also facing a threat to food security due to an abnormal shift in its traditional six seasons. Also read: Dhaka calls for more IOM role in helping climate migrants He said farmers in Bangladesh are going through serious difficulties with the cultivation of various crops due to changes in temperature, wind-flow and rainfall patterns. “For an example, farmers face problems in the process of ‘retting’ the jute plants for lack of rainwater. At the same time, the farmers cannot plant their paddy timely during the monsoon period for lack of adequate rainfall.” Besides Dr Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, said winter in Bangladesh is getting less biting, but foggier, hampering the crop production. Dr Ainun Nishat also the impacts of climate change will continue to affect the country‘s agriculture sector in many ways. “The agricultural calendar that has long been followed by the farmers of the country is changing erratically due to rise in temperature and variations in wind-flow and rainfall patterns which is eventually harming the food chain. Besides, he said crop production is also being hampered due to flash floods and droughts caused by growing temperature. Citing different local and international studies, the expert said around 30 million people are “predicted to be at risk” of sea-level rise in Bangladesh by 2050 while the annual rise in sea level in the country ranges between 6mm and 20mm. He said the rise in sea level is contributing to increasing salinity and climate-induced migration in the coastal areas. “People in some coastal districts are being forced to migrate to different districts due to an increase in salinity. According to a World Bank study, climate change will cause significant changes in river salinity in the southwest coastal region during the dry season (October to May) by 2050, and will likely lead to shortages of drinking and irrigation water and cause changes in aquatic ecosystems. Under the circumstances, Both Dr Nishat and Dr Rahman said Bangladesh should focus on climate diplomacy to mount pressure on the industrialised countries to compensate for the losses and damages the country is facing due to climate change and ensure sufficient financing for adaptation and resilience building.