Staff reporter:
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has called for advanced technological and financial support to strengthen early warning systems to protect lives and property from climate-induced disasters.
She made the call at a high-level event titled “Early Warnings for All: Delivering on Our Promise to Protect Everyone”, convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of COP31 on November 11, said a foreign ministry press release yesterday.
Heads of state and government, alongside ministers responsible for environment and disaster management, attended the event. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Dr Fahmida Khanam accompanied the state minister.
Speaking at the event, Shama highlighted the evolution of Bangladesh’s early warning systems since independence, saying sustained improvements had significantly reduced disaster-related casualties over the years.
Bangladesh has invested extensively in forecasting, cyclone shelters, evacuation arrangements and the training of a large network of community volunteers, around half of whom are women, she said.
The state minister reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting citizens from the impacts of climate change, highlighting its focus on adopting artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of early warning systems.
Establishing advanced early warning systems requires substantial financial investment and technological support, she said, urging developed countries to extend generous assistance.
Shama also underscored the importance of regional cooperation in sharing data to make early warning systems more effective.
