BIMSTEC nations call for establishing expert group on climate change

Voicing serious concerns over the adverse impact of climate change, India and six others BIMSTEC nations today decided to explore the possibility of establishing an inter-governmental expert group to develop a plan of action for a collective response as they reaffirmed their commitments to the 2016 Paris Agreement.

According to the Kathmandu Declaration issued at the end of the two-day 4th BIMSTEC summit which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the member states resolved to strengthen cooperation among them to protect and preserve the environment.

The leaders than expressed "Serious concerns over environmental degradation, adverse impact of climate change and global warming on the fragile Himalayan and mountain eco-systems and their inter-linkages with the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean," the declaration said.

The BIMSTEC countries agreed to strengthen cooperation to protect and preserve the environment to address the adverse impact of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of our peoples, it said.

They decided to "explore the possibility to establish an Inter-governmental expert group to develop a plan of action for collective response to climate change for the region; reaffirm our commitments to operationalise the Paris Agreement, in accordance with principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR & RC), taking into account different national circumstances and equity," the Kathmandu declaration said.

The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.8 trillion.

The declaration also called for the member nations to encourage closer cooperation in the area of disaster management through sharing of information.

It encouraged closer cooperation in disaster management through sharing of information, including early warning system, adoption of preventive measures, rehabilitation and capacity building and agree to build on the existing capacities in the region and decide to establish an Inter-governmental expert group to develop a plan of action to improve preparedness and coordination for responding to natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal Region," said the declaration.