Changing the development path is key to curb climate-induced damages, she says
Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. File Photo: Collected
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Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. File Photo: Collected
The damage caused by climate change can never truly be compensated, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources.
“We often say losses must be recovered. But in reality, climate-induced losses cannot be compensated. Our main priority now should be to bring fundamental changes to our development trajectory and consumption patterns,” she said today at an event titled “Policy Formulation Led by People: Bangladesh’s Position for COP30” at the Department of Environment in Agargaon.
Rizwana stressed that adaptation alone is not enough to secure a sustainable future and called for real action to reduce emissions. “At COP conferences, we learn new terminologies like ‘loss and damage’ and ‘adaptation fund,’ but their practical implementation back home remains inadequate,” she said, adding, “Bangladesh wants to be not just a country of discussion, but a country of implementation.”
Highlighting the impact of riverbank erosion, she said it is “Bangladesh’s most silent yet devastating disaster,” often overlooked compared to cyclones or floods. She noted that while a major portion of the national budget goes to urban-centric development, people displaced by erosion “do not receive state priority,” calling the disparity unacceptable.
“Leadership is not just about delivering speeches on international platforms — it’s about bringing real change within the country,” Rizwana said.
On carbon trading, she questioned the fairness of global practices: “If developed countries do not reduce their own emissions but instead buy carbon credits from us and claim to be ‘clean,’ then where is global justice?”
She urged the formation of volunteer networks in every upazila and district to involve communities in environmental conservation, adding that the most vital transformation must come from within.
“What matters more than money is a change in mindset. If we can turn away from consumerist development and make a U-turn toward sustainability, only then can we ensure a safe planet for future generations,” she added.