At COP-31, Bangladesh seeks advanced technology and finance for disaster early warning
Bangladesh has sought advanced technology and financial support to further strengthen its early warning system, in order to protect lives and property from climate-change-driven disasters.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam made the call at a high-level event titled 'Early Warnings for All: Delivering on Our Promise to Protect Everyone', hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the COP-31 conference in Turkey.
The information was given in a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Heads of state and government of various countries, along with ministers responsible for environment and disaster management, took part in the event. Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Dr Fahmida Khanam was with the state minister at the time.
At the event, the state minister highlighted the continuity of Bangladesh's development of its early warning system since independence.
She said that through its forecasting system, the building of shelters, the safe evacuation of people during disasters and the training of a large number of volunteers, Bangladesh has significantly reduced the number of deaths in disasters.
She said a large number of community volunteers work on disaster response in Bangladesh, about 50 percent of them women, and that they play an important role in disaster preparedness and response.
Shama Obaid said the government is emphasising the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to increase the effectiveness of the early warning system in protecting the country's citizens from the impacts of climate change.
She said huge financing and technical support are needed to install a state-of-the-art early warning system, and she called on developed countries to come forward in this regard.
The state minister also emphasised increasing information sharing and cooperation at the regional level to build an effective early warning system.
