‘Children most valuable stakeholders of climate crisis’
City Desk :
During the week of World Children’s Day, Bangladeshi children called on national leaders to renew their commitment and take climate action to ensure a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.
They highlighted the urgent need to invest in climate education, water, and sanitation services for children and engage them as active participants in decision-making processes that shape their lives ahead of COP28, the annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting taking place in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December, reports UNB.
As a continuation of the first Children’s Climate Summit in November 2020, which engaged over one million children in Bangladesh, a representation of children sent a revised version of the Children’s Climate Declaration to the Speaker’s Office of the Bangladesh National Parliament.
The updated declaration emerged from a UNICEF-supported collaborative consultation with 35 children representing all eight divisions of Bangladesh.
Children, including youth advocates, climate activists, climate change-impacted children, and child journalists, collectively assessed the progress of the Children’s Climate Declaration, identified challenges, and outlined a path forward.
“In the face of recent cyclones, droughts, floods, and heavy rains, we’ve suffered the loss of our loved ones, and the mental and physical toll has become overwhelming for us,” said Naier Haque, from Chattogram division, on behalf of the children at the consultation.
“There’s an urgent need to increase investments to address the impacts of climate change on our lives,” she added.
Ahead of COP28, they emphasized that children should be included by the government in the decision-making processes, and the country’s delegation representing at the COP28 should take decisive actions for a clean, healthy, and sustainable future.
Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP, Deputy Speaker, said, “The children of Bangladesh are our most valuable stakeholders in the climate crisis.
We must not merely articulate our commitment to child-centered climate policies but actively implement them.”
