Youth in Khulna have recently pledged to tackle climate change in an event organized by JAAGO Foundation Trust under its Nobodoy Project. The stakeholder dialogue titled "Youth Dialogue: What Do Youth Think About Tackling Climate Change?" was held at Chalna Municipality in Khulna, where participants wrote three promises to address climate change and displayed them on a “Promise Wall.” They also collectively took an oath to protect the environment. The Senior Manager of the Project Implementation Team at JAAGO Foundation Trust, Iftikhar Ul Karim, led the participants in the oath-taking ceremony with the following pledge: "I pledge to protect Bangladesh from the threats of climate change. I will play an active role and inspire others. I will contribute to leading our country toward a sustainable and safe future. I am committed to acting as a guardian of the environment." During his speech, he stated: "JAAGO Foundation works nationwide with youth to drive development initiatives. The southern region of Bangladesh, particularly Khulna, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; and while developed nations preserve their forests and import wood from countries like ours, we lack awareness of the harmful effects of deforestation - so it is crucial to recognize the importance of preserving forests in combating climate change.” Ratan Kumar Adhikari, Regional Manager of Khulna Zone at HEED Bangladesh, said: "Thirty to forty years ago, this region was rich in resources, such as sweet sap from date trees and large fish in the canals - however, due to the effects of climate change, these resources are now scarce. We are responsible for this change, and it is our youth who must step forward to address this and take effective action." Senior journalist Sheikh Didarul Alam also spoke at the event, sharing his professional experiences of working on climate change issues: "Government-led social service initiatives and climate change projects need to be implemented with sincerity and accountability by officials. To contribute to the country's development, we must change our mindset and perspective." The event also featured speeches by Kali Pada Mistry, Head Teacher of Par-Joynagar Government Primary School; Md Azizul Haque, Operations Manager of the Nobo Jatra Project at World Vision Bangladesh; and Md Saiful Alam, District Coordinator of YouthNet. Representatives from youth organizations, Nobodoy project participants, and climate youth leaders also shared their insights.

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.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is prioritizing international organizations over climate-vulnerable countries in granting funds, contradicting its core principles, according to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). This has resulted in developing nations like Bangladesh being deprived of necessary support. TIB’s findings highlight GCF’s failures in fulfilling its mandate over the last 12 years, including inadequate fund collection from developed countries and the imposition of loans instead of grants on climate-vulnerable nations. TIB released the research “Accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Vulnerable Countries like Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Way Forward” during a press conference in Dhaka. This study, conducted from January 2023 to May 2024, used both qualitative and quantitative methods. UZ elections: Predominance of businessmen points to era of politics for profit, says TIB TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized GCF’s stringent conditions, which have nearly barred developing countries from accessing funds. He emphasized that GCF’s failure to adhere to its principles has led to significant delays in fund transfers and insufficient grant amounts for the intended recipients. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman pointed out the GCF's preferential treatment of international organizations like the UNDP, IDB, ADB, and EBRD, calling it unacceptable and contradictory to the GCF’s mission. He also highlighted the problematic shift towards loans over grants, burdening countries like Bangladesh with additional financial strain. Furthermore, despite corruption allegations, the UNDP’s accreditation was renewed, undermining GCF’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption. DUJ, DRU, TIB condemn ban on journalists entering Bangladesh Bank The research revealed that GCF’s recognition process is overly complex and time-consuming, hindering vulnerable countries like Bangladesh from directly receiving funds. It found a disproportionate focus on mitigation over adaptation, with GCF failing to achieve a balanced 50:50 funding ratio or set a timeline for this goal. Despite the need for USD 215 to 387 billion, GCF provided only USD 5.9 billion for adaptation in developing countries. The study also noted a worrying trend of increasing loans compared to grants, contrary to the Polluters-pay-Principle that mandates developed countries to provide grant-based climate finance. Currently, 40.6% of GCF’s finance is in loans, while 41.6% is in grants, adding financial pressure on already burdened countries. In Bangladesh, the selection of the National Designated Authority (NDA) for GCF has been criticized for lack of transparency and clear policies. The accreditation process for government entities has seen significant delays, with four entities yet to receive accreditation after five years of attempts. A Bangladeshi organization had to wait two years for accreditation due to insufficient support from the GCF Secretariat. Arbitrary introduction of mergers caused further unrest in banking sector: TIB The analysis of GCF project financing revealed that Bangladesh has received inadequate funding for its climate needs. Of the USD 12 billion required by mid-2025, only USD 1.18 billion (9.9%) has been approved from various sources, with USD 448.8 million allocated from readiness and GCF funds (3.7%). Furthermore, GCF has allocated USD 256.4 million (76.9%) for mitigation projects and USD 76.8 million (23.1%) for adaptation projects in Bangladesh, with 75% of these funds as loans and only 25% as grants. Disbursement has been slow, with only 13.3% of funds released for Bangladesh's nine GCF projects, including a three-year delay for the first instalment of one project. The press conference featured TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Adviser-Executive Management Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Director of Research and Policy Muhammad Badiuzzaman, and Senior Research Fellow Md. Mahfuzul Haque. The event was led by TIB Director of Outreach and Communication Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, with research presentations by Research Fellow Newazul Moula and Research Associate Md. Shahidul Islam. TIB voices concern on relaxing wealth statement provision for govt servants  

Six young people argued that governments across Europe aren't doing enough to protect people from climate change at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday in the latest and largest instance of activists taking governments to court to force climate action. Legal teams for the 32 nations — which includes the 27 EU member countries, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Turkey — questioned the admissibility of the case as well as the claim that the plaintiffs are victims of climate change harm. But lawyers representing the young adults and children from Portugal said the nations they're suing have failed to adequately address human-caused warming and therefore violated some of the group's fundamental rights. Barrister Sudhanshu Swaroop, a counsel for United Kingdom, said national governments understand the threat of climate change and its challenges and are determined to tackle it through international cooperation. He said the plaintiffs should have gone through national courts first, and stressed that since they are not nationals of the countries they are attacking, other than Portugal, the European Court of Human Rights cannot have jurisdiction. European Film Festival presents a true cultural collaboration between Bangladesh, EU: Dutch Ambassador "There was no attempt by the applicants to invoke, let alone exhaust domestic remedies," agreed Isabelle Niedlispacher, a legal expert for Belgium. Pleading on behalf of the young people, Alison Macdonald told the judges about the urgency to tackle the "biggest crisis that Europe and the world" have perhaps faced, and that they should play a bigger role in helping control planet-warming emissions. "It cannot be within a state's discretion whether or not to act to prevent catastrophic climate destruction," she said. Although there have been successful climate cases at national and regional levels — young environmentalists recently won a similar case in Montana — the activists' legal team said that because national jurisdictions did not go far enough to protect their rights, the group felt compelled to take the matter to the Strasbourg-based court. Arguing that their rights to life, to privacy and family life, and to be free from discrimination are being violated, the plaintiffs hope a favorable ruling will force governments to accelerate their climate efforts. "We've put forward evidence to show that it's within the power of states to do vastly more to adjust their emissions, and they are choosing not do it," lawyer Gerry Liston told The Associated Press at the start of the day-long hearing. The court's rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court. "This judgement would act like a binding treaty imposed by the court on the respondents, requiring them to rapidly accelerate their climate mitigation efforts," Liston said. "In legal terms, it would be a gamechanger." Bangladesh Judicial Service Association slams European Parliament for ‘interference’ Liston said a ruling in favor of the group would also help future climate cases taken at domestic level by providing guidance to national courts. But the plaintiffs — who are between 11 and 24 years of age and are not seeking financial compensation — will need to convince judges that they have been sufficiently affected to be considered as victims. The group will also need to prove to the courts that governments have a legal duty to make sure global warming is held to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. "We have put forward evidence before the court that all of the respondents' state climate policies are aligned to 3 degrees (Celsius) of warming within the lifetime of the applicants, or in the case of some states, worse than that," Liston said. "No state has put forward evidence to counter that position." Science is on the activists' side. The world is way off track on limiting warming to 1.5 C, scientists say, with global average temperatures projected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees C (2.6 to 7.2 F) by 2100 on current trajectories of warming and emissions reductions plans. As the world warms, climate scientists predict more frequent and more extreme weather events, from heavier flooding and rainfall to prolonged droughts and heat waves and increasingly intense storms. Resolution moved by European Parliament disregards Odhikar’s error-ridden advocacy for radical forces, minority leader says The activists said climate change affects their daily lives and their studies, and damages both their physical and psychological well-being. They started judicial action in the wake of a series of deadly wildfires in central Portugal in 2017, where four of them live. "It's 43 degrees (109 F) one day, and the next it's hail, and that's dangerous because we can't predict what's going to happen," said 15-year-old André Oliveira, adding that the heat wave that hit Portugal in May hindered his schoolwork. Representing Portugal, Ricardo Matos questioned the "victim status" of the applicants, arguing that they have not established a direct link between states' emissions and the harm suffered because of the wildfires in their country. Matos insisted that because climate change has an impact on everyone, no one should be allowed victim status. It's the first climate case to be filed with the court. Two other climate cases — one by an association of Swiss senior women against Switzerland, the other by a French lawmaker against France — have been brought before the court since. Members of the Swiss association traveled to Strasbourg in support of the young Portuguese. They stood in front of the courthouse before the hearing, alongside a few dozens of other supporters. "I wish them a future, because they are very young," said Anne Mahrer, the group's co-president. "We probably won't be there to see it, but if we win, everybody wins." A decision is not expected for several months. It's still unclear whether the court will deliver its ruling on all three climate cases at the same time.

Schools in New Delhi were forced to close Monday after heavy monsoon rains battered the Indian capital, with landslides and flash floods killing at least 15 people over the last three days. Farther north, the overflowing Beas River swept vehicles downstream as it flooded neighborhoods. In Japan, torrential rain pounded the southwest, causing floods and mudslides that left two people dead and at least six others missing Monday. Local TV showed damaged houses in Fukuoka prefecture and muddy water from the swollen Yamakuni River appearing to threaten a bridge in the town of Yabakei. New Delhi schools close after monsoon floods kill at least 15, Pakistan on alert for more flooding In Ulster County, in New York’s Hudson Valley and in Vermont, some said the flooding is the worst they’ve seen since Hurricane Irene’s devastation in 2011. Although destructive flooding in India, Japan, China, Turkey and the United States might seem like distant events, atmospheric scientists say they have this in common: Storms are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall a more frequent reality now. The additional warming that scientists predict is coming will only make it worse. Heavy rains cause flooding and mudslides in southwest Japan, leaving 2 dead and at least 6 missing That’s because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which results in storms dumping more precipitation that can have deadly outcomes. Pollutants, especially carbon dioxide and methane, are heating up the atmosphere. Instead of allowing heat to radiate away from Earth into space, they hold onto it. While climate change is not the cause of storms unleashing the rainfall, these storms are forming in an atmosphere that is becoming warmer and wetter. “Sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit can hold twice as much water as 50 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Rodney Wynn, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay. “Warm air expands and cool air contracts. You can think of it as a balloon - when it’s heated the volume is going to get larger, so therefore it can hold more moisture.” 'Life threatening' flooding overwhelms New York roadways, killing 1 person For every 1 degree Celsius, which equals 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the atmosphere warms, it holds approximately 7% more moisture. According to NASA, the average global temperature has increased by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1880. “When a thunderstorm develops, water vapor gets condensed into rain droplets and falls back down to the surface. So as these storms form in warmer environments that have more moisture in them, the rainfall increases,” explained Brian Soden, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Miami. Along Turkey’s mountainous and scenic Black Sea coast, heavy rains swelled rivers and damaged cities with flooding and landslides. At least 15 people were killed by flooding in another mountainous region, in southwestern China. 15 killed by floods in southwestern China as seasonal torrents hit mountain areas “As the climate gets warmer we expect intense rain events to become more common, it’s a very robust prediction of climate models,” Soden added. “It’s not surprising to see these events happening, it’s what models have been predicting ever since day one.” Gavin Schmidt, climatologist and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said the regions being hit hardest by climate change are not the ones who emit the largest amount of planet-warming pollutants. Better flood management: China offers assistance for dredging rivers in Bangladesh “The bulk of the emissions have come from the industrial Western nations and the bulk of the impacts are happening in places that don’t have good infrastructure, that are less prepared for weather extremes and have no real ways to manage this,” said Schmidt.

Protesters and legislators converged on the European Union parliament Tuesday as the bloc prepared a cliffhanger vote on protecting its threatened nature and shielding it from disruptive environmental change, in a test of the EU's global climate credentials. Spurred on by climate activist Greta Thunberg, a few hundred demonstrators demanded that the EU pushes through a bill to beef up the restoration of nature in the 27-nation bloc that was damaged during decades of industrial expansion. A counterdemonstration of farmers demanded a slower approach that would lessen the impact on their income. Inside the legislature in Strasbourg, France, parliamentarians put in last-minute efforts to sway Wednesday's vote, which could push a key part of the EU's biodiversity protection plans off the table. The legislature's environment committee last month was deadlocked at 44-44 on it. Recent events that indicate Earth's climate has entered uncharted territory The bill is a key part of the EU's vaunted European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world's most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. The plans proposed by the EU's executive commission set binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species, with the aim by 2030 to cover at least 20% of the region's land and sea areas. "This is really a crunch moment, not only for Green Deal, but also whether Europe stands by its word," said Greens leader Terry Reintke. "Are we the ones that are talking and telling us what to do but not doing it ourselves?" Climate change keeps making wildfires and smoke worse. Scientists call it the 'new abnormal' The EU's executive commission wants the nature restoration law to be a key part of the system since it is necessary for the overall deal to have the maximum impact. Others say that if the EU fails on the nature restoration law, it would indicate an overall fatigue on climate issues. The bill long looked like a shoo-in as it gathered widespread support in member nations and was staunchly defended by the EU's executive commission and its president Ursula von der Leyen. But von der Leyen's own political group, the Christian Democrat European People's Party, turned sour on it and now vehemently opposes it, claiming it will affect food security and undermine the income of farmers and disgruntle a European population focused more on jobs and their wallets. Like some nations and leaders, they want to hit pause such far-reaching climate legislation. Bangladesh to get assistance on priority basis to deal with climate change impacts, natural disasters.: UN ASG Mami "For the next five years we have to care a lot about our industrial base. You have to care a lot about competitiveness in the European Union. So we have to manage the big changes needed in a way that we don't lose economic power," said EPP chief Manfred Weber. As the largest group, with 177 seats in the 705-seat legislature, its opposition has been key in turning the issue into a hot political debate. And on Tuesday few ventured to predict which way the vote would go. The member states have already agreed by a large majority to back a slightly more flexible version of the bill. If parliament backs the plan on Wednesday both institutions would sit down to broker a final layout in the second half of the year. The commission has said there is no reason to reject the plan now as too rigid, since there is still time for compromises on many of the issues. EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said the commission would show "openness to revisit and improve certain provisions and to enhance clarity, making sure the proposal reflects the current reality." If parliament rejects the plan Wednesday, it would be sent back to the drawing board and it's unlikely anything would emerge ahead of the June EU parliament elections next year. And that would undermine the EU's credibility abroad since it has put so much into its vaunted Green Deal. "This law is nothing less than the flagship initiative of the European Green Deal," Sinkevicius said. The Green Deal includes a wide range of measures, from reducing energy consumption to sharply cutting transportation emissions and reforming the EU's trading system for greenhouse gases. Beyond environmental protesters, hundreds of international scientists and even a large group of multinationals have called for the adoption of the EU's nature restoration law.  

Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jannik Jørgensen on Wednesday signed an agreement in Bagerhat to extend the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) project for two years from June 2023 to June 2025. Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen and UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller were present. With a funding support of 40m Danish Kroner (USD 5.6m approximately) from the Danish government, the extension phase of LoGIC will be implemented in two districts of the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) – namely Rangamati and Bandarban. Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark launch action plan to strengthen partnership on green transition The purpose is to strengthen communities’ resilience to the impact of climate change through locally-led adaptation strategies. The dignitaries from Denmark, along with representatives of UNDP and UNCDF, visited Mongla in Bagerhat to observe and understand the impact of climate change and how both agencies are building climate resilience through innovative and locally-led solutions. Minister Jannik Jørgensen, during his visit to climate-affected areas in Mongla took note of the adaptive measures taken by the affected communities to strengthen their resilience against climate change. Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark joint action plan for 2023-2028 to be launched soon  He said Denmark values the strong and longstanding bilateral relation with Bangladesh. "Recognising that Bangladesh is at the forefront of the climate crisis, Denmark is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s aspirations for climate-oriented economic growth and green transition in the years of graduation from the group of LDCs. Denmark is also one of the few development partners that have engaged long term in the CHT, most recently with a focus on climate resilience of communities.” Dan Jannik Jørgensen added. Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark sign Tk 474 crore framework agreement to implement dev programme Winnie Estrup Petersen, Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh, said, “Given the significant climate vulnerability of the region, Denmark will continue to support UNDP and UNCDF in the CHT through LoGIC. This model strengthens the national fiscal transfer systems for the channelling of climate adaptation funding to local governments and ensures institutional and financial sustainability.” Bangladesh is often cited as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, and it is the poor who are disproportionately affected, said Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh. Also Read: Danish Minister Dan Jørgensen in Dhaka "As such, we must focus on increasing communities' resilience to the impact of climate change. To this end, we here at UNDP, Bangladesh continue to work on mainstreaming climate change into local level planning and financing processes by blending scientific knowledge with local expertise to identify climate risks and support effective adaptation measures,” Stefan Liller mentioned. In 2016, the government of Bangladesh (GoB), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Sweden, together with UNDP and UNCDF, jointly designed the ‘Local Government Initiative on Climate Change’ (LoGIC) project to develop a mechanism to deliver climate finance to the most vulnerable households and local government institutions for building resilience and promoting local action on climate change adaptation at scale.  

The charcoal makers in the forests of northern Uganda fled into the bush, temporarily abandoning their precious handiwork: multiple heaps of timber yet to be processed. The workers were desperate to avoid capture by local officials after a new law banned the commercial production of charcoal. They risked arrest and beatings if they were caught. But what's really at stake for the charcoal makers is their livelihood. Also Read: Zimbabwe, Uganda launch first satellites "We are not going to stop," said Deo Ssenyimba, a bare-chested charcoal maker who has been active in northern Uganda for 12 years. "We stop and then we do what? Are we going to steal?" The burning of charcoal, an age-old practice in many African societies, is now restricted business across northern Uganda amid a wave of resentment by locals who have warned of the threat of climate change stemming from the uncontrolled felling of trees by outsiders. In reality, not much has changed as charcoal producers skirt around the rules to keep supply flowing and watchful vigilantes take matters into their own hands. Much of northern Uganda remains lush but sparsely populated and impoverished, attracting investors who desire the land mostly for its potential to sustain the charcoal business. And demand is assured: charcoal accounts for up to 90% of Africa's primary energy consumption needs, according to a 2018 report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Before the charcoal ban, local activists formed vigilante groups in districts such as Gulu, where a former lawmaker recently led an attack on a truck that was dispossessed of 380 bags of charcoal. Although Odonga Otto was then charged with aggravated robbery, the country's chief justice praised him as a hero. Also Read: Plastic Pollution: Harmful effects on human health and environment "I have not heard anybody who is destroying our environment being charged," said Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, who is from northern Uganda. "If you steal from a thief, are you a thief?" The week after Owiny-Dollo's public comments, President Yoweri Museveni issued an executive order banning the commercial production of charcoal in northern Uganda, disrupting a national trade that has long been influenced by cultural sensibilities as much as the seeming abundance of idle land. Commercial charcoal production is still permitted in other regions. The ban follows a climate change law, enacted in 2021, that empowers local authorities across the country to regulate activities deemed harmful to the environment. Trees suck in planet-warming carbon dioxide from the air, but burning charcoal emits the heat-trapping gas instead. Days after Museveni's order, a team of Associated Press journalists walked into a charcoal-burning enclave in a remote part of Gulu, 335 kilometers (208 miles) from the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Also Read: Climbers celebrate Mount Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers, rising temperatures One local official, Patiko Sub-County Chairman Patrick Komakech, gave chase when he heard fleeing footsteps. A small patch of bamboo opened up to an almost bare patch where trees were being cut, juicy stumps still fresh here and there. Komakech was agitated and on the verge of tears. Timber had been heaped like contraband ivory in different spots, and grey smoke rose from one pile being processed. Beside it stood loaded bags of charcoal. The charcoal makers slept in little tarp tents draped in dry leaves. "I am completely perturbed (by) all this destruction," Komakech said, speaking of charcoal makers who "are actually imported and put in this community, and they do this thing without the mercy of leaving any vegetation." He kicked at felled logs, saying they were those of the African Shea tree, a plant prized by the region's Acholi people for its fruit as well as its oil, often used in cosmetics. The charcoal burners eventually approached Komakech, who wished to destroy the heaps of timber with kerosene, and said they were simply earning a living and responding to demand. Uganda's population explosion has heightened the need for cheap plant-based energy sources, especially charcoal. In this east African country of 45 million people, charcoal is preferred in households across the income spectrum but especially in those of the urban poor — seen as ideal in the preparation of certain dishes that require slow cooking. Middle-class families maintain both gas cookers and charcoal stoves. "Even those policemen who are coming to beat us, they are cooking with charcoal," said Peter Ejal. "We are not here to spoil the environment. We are here by their orders, those people who are selling these trees." His colleague, the ragtag charcoal maker Ssenyimba, said bluntly, "When we finish this place we will go to another place." One charcoal maker asserted that charcoal from northern Uganda was likely used even in the State House. Others charged that they were cutting the trees with the complicity of landlords who sell charcoal-making rights by the acre to interested dealers. The industry can be lucrative for landowners and investors. In nearby towns a bag of charcoal fetches about $14, but the price rises further as the goods approach Kampala. Ssenyimba said he's paid about $3 for every bag he makes. An acre of property with plenty of trees goes for up to $150 in Gulu, although the sum can be much smaller in remote but vegetation-rich ranches owned by the poorest families. The investors then deploy men armed with power saws and machetes, working over specific places and leaving when they have cut down all the trees they were sold. District councils in the region raise revenue from licensing and taxes, and corrupt members of the armed services have been protecting charcoal truckers, according to Museveni and Otto, the former lawmaker now leading vigilantes against charcoal makers. Otto has helped cause the impounding of multiple trucks in recent weeks, including two recently seized ones parked outside a police station where a crowd gathered one recent afternoon, hoping to grab the goods. He said he plans to serve hundreds of local officials with letters of intent to sue for any lapses in protecting the environment. Otto told the AP his goal is to make the rest of Uganda "lose appetite" for charcoal from his region. "We go to the fields where the charcoal ovens are and we destroy the bases," he said. "We managed to make the business risky. As of now, you drive a hundred kilometers and you will not find any single truck carrying charcoal." The ban on commercial production in northern Uganda is almost certainly bound to push up the retail price of charcoal. Otto and others were concerned that charcoal dealers would avoid authorities by ferrying charcoal bags in small numbers — on the backs of passenger motorcycles — to towns where the merchandise could be stealthily loaded into trucks. Alfred Odoch, an environmental activist in the region, said he supports the work of vigilantes, describing charcoal making as "the biggest threat" since the end of a rebel insurgency in the region two decades ago. Vigilantes pressurize charcoal burners as well as local officials to minimize "mass tree cutting" in northern Uganda, said Odoch. Charcoal making, he said, should be acceptable only as a small business by families selling "two or three sacks" in a week or so. "My fellow vigilantes who are doing a lot of work to stop this, I support them," he said. "The fight for environmental justice is not only (for) one person."  

Short films on Water - a film screening depicting adverse consequences of climate change will be showcased at the British Council premises on Saturday. The short films were produced under the project ‘Bangladesh Cymru Climate Stories’ by Dhaka DocLab and Wales One World Film Festival from the United Kingdom with support from the British Council. The films explore the experience of coastal communities and river dwellers against the backdrop of climate breakdown. The four films are- Doprujhiri by Asma Bethee and Latika by Samsul Islam Shopoon from Bangladesh; Our Home, the Sea by Mared Rees and She Sells Shellfish by Lily Tiger Tonkin from Wales, UK. Planning Minister M. A. Mannan will be joining the event as the chief guest that will begin at 5pm. Dr.Farhina Ahmed, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Tom Miscioscia, Country Director, British Council Bangladesh will be present as special guests. The screening is open for all and be followed by a conversation with the directors, producers , and characters of the four documentaries along with a question-and-answer session, said a media release on Wednesday. The film screening event is a part of the British Council's observation of the World Environment Day on 5 June, which encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. The Bangladesh-Cymru Climate Stories film project was created in collaboration between Dhaka DocLab and Wales One World Film Festival. Four filmmakers received financial and technical support from Dhaka DocLab and Wales One World Film Festival to complete their short films, which focus on climate change stories connected to women to create awareness among people. The project is funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Programme, which was introduced to support cultural partnerships in the UK and overseas and inspire independent artists to continue creative pursuits. So far, 94 projects from 41 countries have been completed with grant support from the British Council.  

Extreme weather events accelerated by man-made global warming caused 11 778 reported disasters in the last 50 years, with just over 2 million deaths and US$ 4.3 trillion in economic losses, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)  has said. Asia saw the highest death toll due to extreme weather, climate and water-related events during the period, with around one million deaths – more than half in Bangladesh alone. Also Read: Heat wave in Asia made 30 times more likely because of climate change, scientists say Developing countries were hit hardest, seeing nine in 10 deaths and 60 per cent of economic losses from climate shocks and extreme weather, it said on Monday.  Weather, climate and water-related hazards caused close to 12,000 disasters between 1970 and 2021, according to WMO findings. Also Read: The US leads the world in weather catastrophes. Here’s why WMO said that Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States suffered a “disproportionately” high cost in relation to the size of their economies. “The most vulnerable communities, unfortunately, bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. In Least Developed Countries, WMO said that several disasters over the past half-century had caused economic losses of up to 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). Also Read: Italy’s deadly floods just latest example of climate change’s all-or-nothing weather extremes In Small Island Developing States, one in five disasters had an impact “equivalent to more than five per cent” of GDP, with some disasters wiping out countries’ entire GDP. In Africa, WMO said that droughts accounted for 95 per cent of the reported 733,585 climate disaster deaths. Also Read: Pacific Island leaders say rich countries are not doing enough to control climate change WMO stressed however that improved early warnings and coordinated disaster management have helped mitigate the deadly impact of disasters. “Early warnings save lives,” Taalas insisted. The UN agency also noted that recorded deaths for 2020 and 2021 were lower than the previous decade’s average. Pointing to the example of last week’s severe cyclonic storm Mocha, which caused devastation in Myanmar’s and Bangladesh’s coastal areas, Taalas recalled that similar weather disasters in the past caused “death tolls of tens and even hundreds of thousands” in both countries.  The agency had previously shown that just 24 hours’ notice prior to an impending weather hazard can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent, calling early warnings the “low-hanging fruit” of climate change adaptation because of their tenfold return on investment. Also Read: Asia and the Pacific unprepared to face climate-induced catastrophes, warns new UN study WMO issued its new findings on the human and economic cost of weather-induced disasters for its quadrennial World Meteorological Congress, which opened on Monday in Geneva with a focus on implementing the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative.  Also Read: Scientists: Climate change worsened Eastern Africa drought The initiative aims to ensure that early warning services reach everyone on Earth by the end of 2027. It was launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the COP27 climate change conference in Sharm al-Sheikh in November last year.  Also Read: Asia must quit coal faster to stem worst climate woes: ADB Currently, only half of the world is covered by early warning systems, with Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries left far behind.