Nobel-winning Climate Chief Warns Asia at Risk

The head of a UN climate panel that shared the Nobel Peace Prize warned that Asia was particularly vulnerable to global warming, with the continent set for more disasters unless action is taken.

Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warned that fighting greenhouse gasses entailed more than adopting new technologies, with individuals required to change their lifestyles.

"Asia being the rapidly growing continent with the largest share of the human population located over here, clearly vulnerabilities in Asia are going to be of importance," Pachauri told an environmental conference in Tokyo.

The Indian scientist said Asia risked floods and diminished access to fresh water and food supply if global warming continued unabated.

"Poor communities are of course at the highest risk," he said, explaining that they did not have the capacity to adapt to climate change.

"In the case of coastal areas, flooding of the residences of millions of people could take place” in South, Southeast and East Asia.

He warned that the vital agricultural production of Asia's densely populated delta regions would be in jeopardy if temperatures kept rising.

Pachauri's panel, a network of 3,000 experts regarded as the world's top scientific authority on global warming, shared this year's Nobel Peace Prize with former US vice president turned environmental activist Al Gore.

The Independent, 20 October 2007

TIB for Commission to Stop Corruption in NGO Sector

An independent NGO Commission should be formed immediately to ensure

transparency in the country’s NGO sector, which has become by and large corrupt due to institutional irregularities and for lack of proper monitoring.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) made the suggestion in its research report titled ‘Problem of Good Governance in NGO Sector: The Way out.’

The Report observed that the NGOs were formed after the independence of Bangladesh with the aim to meet human demands, but now many NGOs got involved in corruption and irregularities.

“Though the condition of the service-recipients did not change, changes in socioeconomic condition of the NGO founders are recognisable,” it said.

The TIB completed the research conducting survey on 20 NGOs-one international, 8 national and 11 local-where it found that 85 percent of the national and local NGOs do not have financial transparency as their audit and financial reports are usually prepared with exaggeration.

The Report said the executives of 70 percent NGOs enjoy illegal financial and other facilities while employees of 35 percent NGOs do not get salaries regularly.

It said 65 percent of the national and local NGOs used bribes to get projects from the government departments.

The TIB Report recommended immediate formation of an independent NGO Commission as an umbrella body to supervise the NGO activities in the country.

TIB Chairman Prof. Mozaffar Ahmad said voluntarism was the main concept of NGO activities, but now the NGOs have lost in the practice of voluntarism.

Because of high unemployment the country, NGOs have also become a job sector. Hence, voluntarism is lost, he said.

The Daily Star, 5 October 2007

84.73% Areas Brought under Cent Percent Sanitation Coverage: Health Adviser

Health and Family Welfare Adviser Major General (retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman said 84.73 percent areas of the country were brought under cent percent sanitation coverage till June this year.

Bangladesh has been ranked the second after Sri Lanka in achieving cent percent sanitation coverage in the subcontinent, the adviser said while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural function of Sanitation Month October 2007 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on 1 October 2007.

Matiur Rahman said only 33.21 percent area of the country was under cent percent sanitation coverage in October 2003, when the sanitation programme was launched formally.

“So far, four districts, 54 pourasabhas, 95 upazilas, Tejgaon circle of the Dhaka City Corporation and 1,211 unions were brought under hundred percent sanitation coverage till June this year,” he added.

He said we have to achieve our goal for ensuring sanitation for all by the year 2010. He also called upon all concerned to work unitedly to make sustainable the achievements in sanitation programme.

NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation took active participation in the programme. Besides NGO Forum has been conducted Briefing and Planning Meeting on Sanitation Month Observation at 12 Regions in collaboration with Zila Administation and DPHE

The 12 districts under the Regions are: Faridpur, Comilla, Manikgonj, Pabna, Joypurhat, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Jessore, Satkhira, Sylhet, Tangail and Panchagar.

The Bangladesh Observer, 2 October 2007

October 2007

November 2007