Bangladesh should develop expertise both at public & private sectors for strong negotiations at international forums to face the challenges of climate change, said the experts & academics yesterday. They said designing appropriate adaptation technologies for agriculture as well as for victims of climate change is imperative to make sure the money received for these purposes is not misused. This was observed at a panel discussion on 'Climate change & Bangladesh's diplomacy' organised by Bangladesh Institute of International & Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium in the city. "The country's diplomacy should have three wings environmental, economic& conventional to give inputs on what is happening around climate change in the world" said Dr Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS). Before joining any international negotiation, the Bangladesh delegation must do homework in consultations with these wings, he added. The negotiators should come from the high level of the govt, he said, adding that it is not apprnmpiate to demand money forom here & there. "We should think of sustainable solution" he said. Dr Atiq a winner of 'UN Champions of the Earth Award 2008' said there will be displacement of people & change in food system & these issues must be dealt with utmost priority. Dr Ainun Nishat, contry representative of international Union fnr Conservation of Nature, said there are a lot of gaps among various ministries & these need to be bridged. "Let us have a strong team. Whoever represents the country in global forums must have full insights on climate changd" he said. As international negotiations are very tough & intensive, the cotinuity of the personnel im the government should be maintained to get to the right track of the negotiations & gain benefit from them, said Ainun Nishat, a water expert. "In any negotiations we have to include several types of expertise. There should be economists, sociologists & obligatorily an international legal expert" said Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development studies (BIDS) Dr M Asaduzzamam. Stating that Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, he said the polluters must pay for the cleanest technologies to be set up in this country. "If a coal based power plant usually requries $50 million, the cleanest technology will require $30 million more. The polluters should provide this extra money as grants" he said. Asaduzzaman said the govt must be very cautious about how the developed countries provide the money through multilateral organistions like World Bank or some other means. "We must find the best way to get it & spend it" he added. Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad Chairman Prof Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad & BIISS Director General Maj Gen (retd) Sheikh Md Monirul Islam spoke on the occasion.
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