The environment and forest adviser, Chowdhury Sajjadul Karim is expected to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the conference, spoke to New Age special correspondent Shahidul Islam Chowdhury on November 18, 2007, at his secretariat office.

What will be the thrust of Bangladesh delegation at the COP 13 and MOP 3 to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in December?
   The focus of the Bali talks will be on what measures the world societies can take in the post-Kyoto era, more specifically after 2012. It is high time to be prepared for the post-Koyoto regime as it would take time to make the regime operational even if the countries makes specific commitments and determines a strategy acceptable to all.
   
   Will the least developed and vulnerable countries be able to play an effective role there?
   The problem is that we are not sure when the climate talks would reach a consensus yet we have already been facing severe calamities evidently caused by climate change. The country experienced recent cyclone SIDR with tidal surge (on November 15). We experienced three floods this year and landslides in Chittagong. It can be mentioned that intense rain caused the floods and landslides and all of those calamities that caused huge loss of life and properties. The cyclone, tidal surge and recurrent floods were a wake up calls for us.
   So the least developed and the low lying countries, including Bangladesh, must take a common strategy as we will be prime victims of climate change yet we do not emit even a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs). We are on a high moral ground because our per capita emission of GHGs is very low, only about 200 Kgs, which is almost next to nothing when individuals in many societies emit 20 tons. So they owe us compensation as we are the prime victims of a crime we had no part in.
   
   Should we not build a common front that exerts pressure on the West for our predicament?
   We must continue to pressure them as developing nations cannot wait for long to take precautionary measures against climate change that is likely to cause irreversible damage. Taking actions after 15 years would be useless. The developed countries will have to make commitments to reduce emission of GHGs. And those commitments must be implemented within a set time limit. Moreover they should provide assistance us to take adaptive measures to cope with climate change. And that assistance should be in addition to the current support they provide to our development efforts as we cannot stop our current development targets.
   We need development, but not at the cost of sustainability. But we cannot do everything overnight. So those who emit more GHGs are morally responsible to provide us assistance to face climate change. Basically we will try to place those demands at the negotiations along with the other least developed and low lying countries. We will work hard so that our demands can be embedded in the post-Kyoto documents.
   
   A section of regional experts is suggesting that South Asian countries should take a common stand on climate change. How do you consider the suggestion?
   In fact, these countries do not have common stands as everyone tries to ensure their own benefit from climate change. But for a regional or global consensus, each country must make some sacrifice. It will not work if everybody wants everything. If we request unwilling countries to cut their emission levels, they may say ‘I don’t bother’, or ‘I need time’ or something like that. As one cannot force another country to compromise their interests— all countries, either rich or poor, should voluntarily reach a consensus considering socio-economic conditions of their own as well as of other countries.
   
   What does Bangladesh expect, in Bali, regarding adaptation?
   Bangladesh has strength in facing disasters as our people have both adaptive capability and resilience. But it is yet to be clear if we would be able to face climate change with the resilience and traditional knowledge based on disaster management. At the same time we need appropriate technology for further adaptation. Moreover we need to go for low carbon strategy in future.
   The chairman of IPCC, Rajendra K Pachauri says it is a crime to ask Bangladesh to fund its own adaptation plans, and that he plans to work for Bangladesh in this regard
   It is their moral obligation to help Bangladesh in its efforts for adaptation with adverse impacts of climate change. We are open to accept others’ experiences, expertise and knowledge. An imposed idea may not work in all situations. We will consider, at both public and private levels, what is good for us. It is meaningless to repeat the outmoded things.
   
   Some experts are suggesting suspending the intellectual property rights to smoothen transfer of technology to developing countries. What do you think of this proposal?
   Suspending IPR for transferring technology may not work. I think it is necessary to revisit and reassess overall WTO regime on technology transfer in general, IPR and TRIPs in particular, to identify if these provisions create an enabling or a disabling atmosphere to transfer technology to the countries like ours. They [developed countries] should give us technology to meet our requirement as we are victim of climate change by default, not by choice. In the past, the countries worked to uphold the economic interests of respective countries only. Now they need to work and make sacrifice together to protect global interests.
   A blend of traditional knowledge and foreign, but appropriate, technology would be useful to combat adverse impacts of climate change on Bangladesh. Even we can share our experience in adaptation with other nations. So it is necessary to revisit the WTO regimes to accommodate.
   Many countries are widening their focus of climate change. Apart from environmental aspects, both political aspects and economic interests are getting importance in bilateral, regional and global dialogues, as well as in in-country exercises, on climate change.
   I believe it is necessary to mainstream climate change in all phases and sectors of development as a segregated approach would not be useful. In managing natural disaster we become reactive. A cyclone hit us, we could not stop it. We just address the problems caused by the cyclone. When the cyclone SIDR was about to hit, we quickly took the people to cyclone shelters. Now we are conducting rescue and relief operations. But becoming reactive overnight to address adverse impacts of climate change would not work. It is necessary to become pro-active to face climate change with innovative plans. We are to plan and prepare people far ahead of the change. In some cases we can take low level technology such as preparing floating seed bed on water. But in many cases we would need higher level technologies to get rid of the damage caused by climate change.