Rushanara Ali, Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow and Shadow Minister for International Development will be visiting Bangladesh to highlight the impact of climate change on communities there. 

Speaking ahead of the visit Rushanara Ali said:

“Bangladesh is a country which is prone to cyclones and rising sea levels cause frequent flooding across coastal communities.  In recent years, the weather has become more extreme and unpredictable and some areas have experienced extreme drought. These unpredictable weather extremes have affected millions of people across Bangladesh.  That is why it is so important to highlight the effects of climate change in Bangladesh and continue to raise awareness of the challenges the people in Bangladesh will face over the coming years.

Last year, I attended a climate change tribunal in Dhaka where I heard testimonies from a wide range of people including academics, experts and the Bangladeshi people about the effects of climate change.

In December this year, delegates will meet in Durban for the UN Climate Change Conference and it is vital that we use this opportunity to highlight the impact of climate change on Bangladesh and to ensure that progress is made in providing support and help to these communities in areas including disaster preparedness.

Now is the time to act against climate change and to ensure that steps forward are agreed across countries to mobilise support to help developing countries to cope with the effects of climate change. I am calling on the British Prime Minister to show international leadership on this issue and act now before it is too late.”