POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Nov 9, 2021: US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has said
his country will confront the global warming crisis with Bangladesh through
supporting the country’s climate change adaption endeavors.
“The climate crisis is here. This is not a challenge for future
generations. Together, we must confront it today,” he said.
The envoy made the comment when visiting the US government climate
resilience projects in Cox’s Bazar.
He also traveled to St. Martin’s Island to assess the effects of climate
change and learn about local adaptation efforts while COP26 continues in
Glasgow, a Us embassy press release said here today.
“COP26 in Glasgow is a pivotal moment at the start of this decisive decade
to tackle the climate crisis,” Miller said
During the visit, he learned about severe coastal erosion and sea level
rise on the island, the impact on local fisheries, the degradation of coral
colonies, and local efforts to restore mangroves and protect shorelines.
The US has partnered with Bangladesh on many climate resilience projects in
the Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf area.
The US government, through its Agency for International Development
(USAID), has donated more than 140 renovated cyclone shelters to the Cox’s
Bazar district administration, including one on St. Martin’s Island, to
protect residents from frequent natural disasters.
Since 2001, USAID has constructed over 700 multi-purpose cyclone shelters
that serve as both safe havens and as schools in Bangladesh.
Additionally, USAID support has strengthened flood forecasting and early
warning systems to provide residents life-saving time to evacuate to shelter.
Ambassador Miller was also joined by Secretary of the Maritime Affairs Unit
of Bangladesh foreign ministry Rear Admiral (Retd) Md. Khurshed Alam, EU
Ambassador Charles Whiteley, Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki and Australian
High Commissioner Jeremy Bruer, among others.
USAID supports the Bangladesh Forest Service and local communities to co-
manage forests and wetlands, including the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, thereby
protecting more than 1.8 million acres of critical ecosystems across the
country.
The US government also supports restoration projects for degraded
landscapes and ecosystems within the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary.
Prior to his trip to St. Martin’s, Ambassador Miller visited USAID climate
resilience projects where U.S. investments have helped farmers adapt new
techniques to overcome soil salinity, use organic pest control, and plant new
trees while protecting existing natural resources.
