‘Global action key to tackle sea-level rise’
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday issued a powerful call for urgent, coordinated global action to confront the existential threat of rising seas, warning that without decisive intervention, millions of Bangladeshis risk losing their homes, livelihoods and dignity within decades.
Addressing the “High-level Meeting to Address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-Level Rise” at Conference Room 4 of the United Nations headquarters,
the prime minister described Bangladesh as an active delta nation whose people, prosperity and future remain deeply tied to its coastline and hundreds of rivers.
Citing World Bank projections, Rahman warned that a 25-centimetre rise in sea level by 2050 could submerge nearly 4 percent of Bangladesh’s land, displacing an estimated 10 million people and stripping them of their homes and livelihoods.
Despite constrained resources, he said Bangladesh has taken significant steps to stave off this looming crisis, including building early-warning systems, strengthening cyclone preparedness, and investing heavily in coastal protection.
Looking ahead, the prime minister outlined an ambitious five-year climate resilience plan, which includes excavating around 20,000 kilometres of rivers and canals, advancing the Padma Barrage initiative for water retention, modernising the Teesta Barrage under a comprehensive master plan, and planting 250 million trees across the country.
Alongside adaptation, Rahman said Bangladesh is pursuing a green growth agenda, aiming for at least 20 percent renewable electricity generation by 2030 with a strong focus on solar power.
He added that the government is also promoting green industries and eco-friendly transport, developing a national carbon market, and reinforcing protections for forests, wetlands and fragile coastal ecosystems.
The prime minister cautioned that adaptation alone cannot offset the damage caused by rising global emissions, stressing the need for the world to fundamentally rethink patterns of consumption to curb the carbon footprint driving ocean change.
Noting that climate-vulnerable nations like Bangladesh cannot confront this crisis alone, Rahman called for four urgent global actions: faster, deeper and fairer cuts to global emissions to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach; predictable and accessible climate finance for vulnerable countries; wider access to climate-smart technologies, data and early-warning systems for coastal nations; and stronger international cooperation to address climate-induced displacement, loss and damage, alongside dignified pathways for affected communities.
“The sea is rising fast. Our ambition must rise faster,” Rahman told the gathering, urging the international community to act now to protect both the present and future generations.
He expressed confidence that nations would unite to convert the meeting’s declarations into concrete action, ensuring no country is left to face the rising tide alone. “Let our resolve rise with the sea,” he said, “and let our action rise even faster.”
