Joint Communiqué from Civil Society groups in South Asia

14 January 2008

GCAP is a global campaign with national platforms in more than 100 countries that is committed to the agenda of achieving and exceeding the millennium development goals (MDGs), alleviation of poverty and lessening of inequality.

Climate change is a key component of Goal 7 of MDGs to ensure environmental sustainability as a poverty reduction measure. Target 9 of MDG-7 in particular promotes measures that reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, energy use and the use of solid fuels. Climate change will also impact on the achievement of all other MDGs.
 
South Asia GCAP follows the strategy to create political will by promoting the campaign throughout the region by means of communication as well as by facilitating joint modes of mobilization in the region. GCAP aims to minimize and oppose the negative impacts of trans-boundary issues, actions and high-handed development interventions on people’s lives. In October 2007, GCAP mobilized 43.7 million people on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, of which 23 million were in the South Asia region.

Known for its poverty, illiteracy, hunger and ill-health, South Asia is home to 40% of world’s poor struggling to survive on less than $1 a day. There is a lot of commonalities within these states of South Asia to come up with common visions to fight against poverty.

The members of GCAP coalitions from South Asian countries and other civil society groups met in Dhaka and renewed their commitment to fight against the structural causes of poverty and inequality.

This assembly of concerned citizens and civil society organizations feels concerned about the growing and alarming situation in most parts of the region that are effecting millions without remedy and help.

It resolves that:

• We the concerned citizens and civil society action groups believe that climate change is an emergency and if this crisis is not tackled urgently, all other development efforts in coming decades runs the risk of being wiped out. We also take note with great concern that the global emissions of carbon dioxide along with other greenhouse gases are rapidly contributing to an overall rise in global temperatures, as well as in sea levels.

• The first and worst hit countries are the LDCs where billions of people live below the poverty line. These people are experiencing the negative impacts of climate change today. They experience climate change in the form of tropical cyclones, delayed winters, heavier monsoon, landslides, and drier winter. Unpredictable weather patterns are playing havoc with the livelihoods of millions of farmers, fisher-folk and others who rely on regular weather. In addition, access to safe drinking water and sanitation is becoming more scarce due to pollution, river erosion, increased salinity and other sources.
  

• In many areas there has been a marked rise in the number of mosquitoes and thus incidences of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. Incidences of cholera and diarrheal diseases are on the rise especially in times of floods. These are only a few examples of the health impacts from climate change.     

A recent report noted that sea levels could rise by up to one meter by 2050 potentially creating 30 million refugees in Bangladesh alone as one third of the countries land mass is inundated. Recently millions of people in India suffered the lass of their homes in devastating floods. The same flood also severely affected parts of the region especially Bangladesh and Nepal. Here in Bangladesh, Cyclone SIDR affected the lives of 10 million people and caused damages worth almost $3 billion as it raged through the coastal areas wiping out whole communities, crops and livestock. Extreme weather events such as Cyclone SIDR are becoming more frequent due to climate change.

We also note with concern that other drastic changes in the weather patterns have caused serious damages to the agriculture pattern, livelihood and natural resources further adding to the already worse poverty situation in the region. Although all these climatic changes are damaging livelihood resources of majority of the population especially the vulnerable groups like women, children, peasants, fisher folk, forest dwellers and several other groups that are dependent directly on natural resources. The irony is that neither national governments nor global forces are willing to take the responsibility or any role in providing remedy or any sustainable solutions to their plight.

GCAP therefore demands:
1.    All governments in the region, inter-governmental bodies, global leaders, and developed countries should urgently pay attention to these climatic changes and their causes to the world especially the weaker and vulnerable communities. Efforts need to be accelerated to address all those factors that cause such damages.
2.    We demand that climate change and its effects and immediate remedies should be the key agenda item at the G8 summit in Hokkaido.
3.    The UN climate change process commits to a legally binding target of a minimum of 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050
4.    Any commitments on climate change made at the G8 summit should be on a fair and equitable basis
5.    Voices of the poorest and most marginalized people are heard and listened to during all negotiations relating to climate change
6.    Immediate agreements on increased funding for poor nations to adapt to climatic changes. Further that these commitments must be over and above any existing international aid commitments.
7.    National governments should adopt environmental friendly and low emission industrial practices and pro-people development plans. People should be involved in screening all such industrial and mega projects that causes damages to ecology and livelihood resources of majority of people.
8.    Acknowledgement by the UN and its member governments that climate change restricts poor countries’ ability to meet the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals.
9.    Promote sustainable technology transfer from rich to poor nations
10.    The World Bank and all other funders should stop funding fossil fuel exploitation and honor its earlier commitments that such funding should not contribute to climate change, whose impacts hit poor people disproportionately hard.
11.    The World Bank should phase out its investments in oil production by 2008 and aggressively increase investments in renewable energy and other measures that delink energy use from greenhouse gas emissions. It should also stop funding investments in greenhouse gas producing projects, big dams that cause mass displacement of populations and damaging ecosystems instead invest in small-scale hydro.
12.    We also renew our commitment to continue with our efforts to mobilize communities and effectees on these issues, bring their voices to the global, regional and national forums.

We the civil society will not rest until these factors are addressed and the justice is brought to these people.
  
Signed on behalf:

Constituency of GCAP South Asia, which includes:

• Wada Na Tado Abhiyan (Don’t break the promise) India
• Bas Bahot Ho Chuka (Enough is Enough) Pakistan
• People’s Forum on MDGs (PFM) Bangladesh
• Citizens’ Campaign for Democracy, Social Transformation-Nepal
• Sri Lanka-United Nations Friendship Organization (SUNFO)
• Sanayee Development Organization (SDO) Afghanistan