Mapping the Existential Threats of Climate Change

Dr. Peter Hefele (right), Director of KAS RECAP had a discussion on Bangladesh's latest political development with Major General ANM Muniruzzaman (retd), President of BIPSS.

Photos taken by BIPSS

Professor Abu Zayed Mohammed (left) mapped the security threats posed by climate change for Bangladesh.

Dr. Peter Hefele, Director of KAS RECAP, stressed the importance to understand the complex link between climate change and security.

The seminar was attended by representatives from different sectors in the society.

Ms. Ina F. Islam (right), Assistant Director, ICCAD revealed it is necessary to engage and empower every stakeholders in climate actions.

In collaboration with the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), KAS RECAP held a joint seminar to present the latest findings of a new KAS-funded study on "Energy Security and Climate Change in South Asia: a Threat Analysis for Bangladesh" on 23 January 2017 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The seminar was attended by country ambassadors and senior diplomats, heads of international organizations, civil society leaders, academics, media and young professionals.

The keynote presentation of the research work was made by Professor Abu Zayed Mohammed, Research Fellow, BIPSS. Chaired by the President of BIPSS Major General ANM Muniruzzaman (retd), the discussion session was introduced by Dr. Peter Hefele, Director, Regional Project, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and Ms. Ina F Islam, Assistant Director at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCAD), Independent University, Bangladesh.

Prof. Mohammed highlighted the role of climate change as a threat multiplier, which can have serious negative impacts on water security, food security, livelihood security and etc. Especially for Bangladesh, climate change is rather an existential threat. According to the field study results, the number of local people who expressed concerns on the climate-induced threats has significantly increased. If the impacts of climate change are not effectively and timely addressed, it can potentially destabilize the country socially, politically and economically as well as the whole region.

Several ways to deal with climate change in Bangladesh have been discussed. At the national level, there is a need to raise awareness about security implications of climate change among each sector in the society and engage every stakeholder in climate actions. Regionally and internationally, mutual exchange and cooperation between actors and countries has to be strengthened further and in a larger extent to achieve transfer of knowledge and know-how.

The study will be published in the coming few weeks on www.kas.de.