A/HRC/15/55* C. Climate change 39. Bangladesh is considered the most vulnerable country in the world to tropical cyclones, and the sixth most vulnerable country to floods.18 It is predicted that as many as 70 million people in Bangladesh will be affected by climate change.19 Six to eight million people could be displaced by 2050 and will have to be resettled if the sea level rises higher than currently expected and the coastal protections are not reinforced or replaced.20 As a result of climate change, people are more vulnerable to impoverishment. The loss of access to safe drinking water and sanitation because of events related to climate change further increases the risk of falling into and remaining in poverty. 40. The independent experts welcome the adoption of the Bangladesh climate change strategy and action plan and the creation of a climate trust fund to meet the challenges caused by climate change to ensure continued human development. They particularly welcome the fact that one of the pillars of the strategy and action plan is social protection, and that there is a special focus on ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation. 41. Climate change phenomena have different effects in the different regions of Bangladesh; but in all regions, it is the people living in extreme poverty who are the most affected. Their houses are less able to withstand extreme weather and floods, and their livelihoods are threatened by damage to agriculture and infrastructure. Schools are destroyed, thereby depriving children of education and hampering their capacity to escape poverty. Climate change phenomena also jeopardize access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The experts were informed that the extremely high rate of urbanization in Bangladesh, including the burgeoning slum population, is at least partially attributable to the impact of climate change in rural areas. 42. The independent experts call on the Government to continue to pay special attention to the effects of climate change on the poorest segments of society, and to provide social protection measures to alleviate the impact on them. They also recall the obligation of the Government to ensure that actions taken to adapt to climate change do not result in human rights violations or deepen the conditions of poverty in which many Bangladeshis live. Affected individuals and communities must participate, without discrimination, in the design and implementation of these projects. Their rights to information and to have mechanisms for redress and compensation in the event of damages must also be ensured. The introduction of human rights impact assessments and risk analysis prior to initiating mitigation or adaptation projects would greatly assist in anticipating and avoiding such adverse effects. 43. The independent experts urge the international community to provide Bangladesh with the necessary funds to support adaptation and mitigation measures. Such substantial funding should be separate and additional to pre-existing commitments of official development assistance. The Government of Bangladesh must ensure that the resources received through international cooperation reach the most vulnerable groups and are utilized in a timely and effective manner. 18 19 20 GE.10-15451 Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangladesh climate change strategy and action plan, 2008, pp. 5–6. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2007–2008, “Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world”, p. 9. Ministry of Environment and Forests, op. cit., p. 13. 11