Since then, India has abstained from publicly condemning Russia and has abstained from all U.N. commitments that censured Moscow. But Russia’s struggle with Ukraine has also had a mortal charge for India. Following reports that some of its people were forced to fight in Ukraine, New Delhi announced in FebruaryContinue Reading
In recent days, a torrent of torrents have swept through large areas of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, causing millions of dollars in damage and causing results of deaths.
Officials are conducting extensive rescue operations, sending food and supplies to stranded people, and directing thousands of people to homes.
Major streams, including those that pass through many nations, the Brahmaputra and the Koshi, have overflowed their businesses as a result of heavy rains.
Floods and landslides are no unusual during South Asia’s rain season, when it receives up to 90 % of its annual precipitation.
However, according to authorities, climate change has caused the situation to havegotten worse in recent years.
Officials in Nepal reported 14 deaths over the weekend, with some of the most significant deaths occurring on major highways blocked and some bridge swept aside by swollen rivers.
Specialists say that so far this year’s rainfall has killed more than 40 people. They have urged people to stay alert as the Koshi valley, which passes through Nepal and India, is flowing above the dangerous levels.
” This is not new for us, but the timing is incorrect,” Rajkumar Bk, a native of Kathmandu, told the Reuters news agency.
” The flood caused by heavy rains started in July, earlier this year. Our legs are now at the top of the water. We will have to flee for our life if the rain continues.
About 2.4 million people in the American state of Assam have been affected by storms, and 66 have died since mid-May. Authorities have issued a warning about even more weather, with Brahmaputra water levels expected to rise in the coming weeks.
Roads and large areas of land have been submerged along the institutions of the Brahmaputra, which flows through parts of India and Bangladesh, and other waterways.
In recent days, people were seen removing their belongings and removing their flooded homes by boat. Isolated villages have been cut off from the roads and bridges as a result.
Assam’s Kaziranga character supply, home to nearly 2, 200 one- winged rhinos, was also under waters. So far, there have been four animals and numerous antelope and other wildlife ‘ deaths. According to experts, this inundation incident is one of the worst in recent memory of the number of pets killed.
Authorities in Mumbai’s economic money closed some schools on Monday as heavy rains flooded some roads.
Officials in Bangladesh reported that at least eight people have died as a result of floods that have affected two million people.
A quarter of the towns in the nation have been flooded by the brimming Brahmaputra.
” We live with storms around. However, this time, the ocean was extremely high. In three days, the Brahmaputra rose by 6ft to 8ft ( 2m- 2.5m )”, Abdul Gafur, a local councillor in the district, told the AFP news agency.
” We are attempting to provide food, particularly corn and edible petrol,” the company said. But there is a consuming water issue”.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization is predicting “above normal” rainfall for the South Asia monsoon season that is expected to last till September.
More than two million people are affected by heavy rains that caused major rivers to burst their banks in Bangladesh this week, according to officials who confirmed the death toll on Saturday ( July 6 ). The South Eastern region of 170 million people, crisscrossed by thousands of river, hasContinue Reading
The Asia Pacific region is currently facing a significant gap in the race to fund decarbonisation – estimated at $US1.1 trillion by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
However, this is not the only problem for a region whose coal-fired economies represent around half of global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
China alone accounts for 35% of global CO2 emissions, the agency says.
Speakers at the Sustainable Finance Asia Forum 2024 said that regulators will need to rebalance sustainable investment priorities – placing more emphasis on adaptation rather than mitigation – if the region’s most heavily polluting emerging economies are to meet their carbon zero targets.
Debanik Basu, the head of responsible investment and stewardship APAC at APG Asset Management, told a panel on harnessing transition finance for sustainable transformation that investment in mitigation (reducing greenhouse emissions at source) now represented the majority of transition funding.
He said the often more complicated task of climate adaptation – the need to change systems, behaviours and whole economies – was receiving scant attention.
“Currently the region is getting around $300 billion in transition finance so there’s a massive gap that needs to be addressed,” he told the conference. “Even within the small portion of finance that we are getting, more than 80 per cent of the funds are moving towards mitigation.
“Consensus estimates suggest that ideally it should be 50/50 between mitigation and adaptation.”
He said the other critical problem was that aspects of climate finance were not well understood and appreciated by the market overall, in particular within the agriculture and forestry segment.
“When you look at the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contribution) put out by a lot of countries, there are specific targets around climate change, but there aren’t explicit targets around forestry and agriculture,” he said.
“And even when there are targets, there is no clear roadmap. What all this means is that the institutional capacity is lacking. There are gaps in infrastructure and there are gaps in knowledge.
“As an investor, conversations with companies around biodiversity are at a very nascent stage.”
A question of taxonomies
Kristina Anguelova, senior advisor and consultant on green finance strategy APAC at the World Wildlife Fund, told the conference that regulation was moving in the right direction, guided by hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
She added that the unofficial rivalry between Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of developing regulatory taxonomies was having a positive effect on the transition finance landscape in the region.
“I think the competition between Singapore and Hong Kong in this case is a good thing because it’s advancing regulation in the region quite a bit,” she said. “The Singapore Asia Taxonomy lays out transition taxonomy criteria across eight sectors.”
While the regulation is tailored to Singapore, she said she believed it would lay foundations for others to follow.
“It’s so important as a regulatory piece because it can serve as an incentive for investors to start to scale transition finance comfortably and confidently without the loopholes and the risks of potentially being accused of greenwashing,” she said.
In terms of biodiversity, she highlighted the nascent stage of biodiversity finance compared to climate finance, discussing the need for capacity building, regulatory clarity, and financial instruments to support nature-based solutions.
A case in point, she said, is the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) which is developing standards aimed at developing a high-quality, comprehensive global baseline of sustainability disclosures focussed on the needs of investors and the financial markets.
“On biodiversity, I think we’re moving a bit slowly, but we’re getting there. Obviously coming from a science-based NGO, efforts can never be fast enough,” she said. “But the good news is that the ISSB will also be integrating the TNFD or the Task Force for Nature-related Financial Disclosures soon.
“Those jurisdictions that have adopted or committed to the ISSB will also be adopting those nature regulations.”
The challenge as always, she added, was that regulators had to strike a balance between mitigating financial risk and overregulating such that it slowed economic development.
Blended solutions
Building capacity, both speakers argued, would be critical to transition finance solutions to climate change and that new instruments, particularly in blended finance, were likely to be leading the charge.
“We are seeing beyond transition bonds to different types of instruments that are designed to go into blended finance structures such as transition credits which are based on the assumption that we can get carbon savings out of early retirement of coal-fired power plants,” Anguelova said.
One avenue that was currently being explored in a number of jurisdictions was concessionary capital: i.e. loans, grants, or equity investments provided on more favourable terms than those available in the market.
These terms could include lower interest rates, longer repayment periods, grace periods, or partial guarantees.
Of these instruments, Basu said, guarantees were evolving as one of the methods currently being pursued in several markets.
“What we are also seeing is that, apart from concessionary capital, a lot of public institutions are more comfortable with providing guarantees instead of direct capital because that then keeps the overall cost of capital down,” Basu said.
“It might be at a very nascent stage – and it is difficult to say if this is going to be the future – but it is developing,” he said.
¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.
People everywhere looking for work when Sri Lanka’s market crashed in 2022, including ex-soldiers who joined forces fighting in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, sought employment there. The veterans are eager to return home, some of whom have invested their life savings in what they perceive to be profitable, non-combat jobs.Continue Reading
China expands its sea routes for its power supplies by expanding its proper footprint in the Indian Ocean. The Strait of Malacca, a constricting canal between Indonesia and Malaysia that extends south of the Indian Ocean, accounts for 80 percent of China’s fuel.
Gwadar Port, which is run by China, may be the country’s best chance to defend its passions in the Indian Ocean. Gwadar Port, a vital shipping street, close to the Strait of Hormuz, enables China to override any possible blockade through the Arabian Sea.
China is instantly strengthening Pakistan’s marine muscle and developing the government’s Gwadar Port. These actions, according to critics, represent China’s long-term investments that will yield long-term, proper dividends.
A potential area for a potential Chinese military foundation has been identified as Gwadar by the US Pentagon. China may do normal patrols in the Arabian Sea with the aid of a naval base in Gwadar.
Competition in the Indian Ocean’s race for dominance are facing new challenges due to China’s historic strategic partnership with Pakistan.
Syed Fazl-e-Haider contributes to Wikistrat’s South Asia office.
Following reports of a rise in snake wounds all over Bangladesh, all health facilities and hospitals have been given the order to share anti-venom.
Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, the health secretary, urged the general public to immediately visit snake-bites if possible.
In rural Bangladesh, hospitals have noticed a rise in snake struck people, particularly those who have South Asian Russell’s snake.
In recent days, the situations have become a hot issue on Bangladeshi social media.
As it feeds on rabbits, the Russell’s snake is usually found near individual settlements, and in farmland especially during harvest time.
A 2023 study said about 7, 000 people die in Bangladesh every month from snake bites. If rapidly treated with anti-venom, the majority of patients survive.
The Russell’s snake was declared dead in Bangladesh in 2002 but the species has then returned.
Experts believe the snake, which often lives found in dry regions, has adapted to various weather conditions, and has now spread to more than 25 towns in Bangladesh.
One of the most undertreated tropical diseases, according to the World Health Organization, makes battling snake wounds a goal.
In April 2024, intense temperature hit South and Southeast Asia, affecting nations like India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. These temperature waves greatly impacted some of the world’s most densely populated areas, taking a big toll on health, the economy, and knowledge.
Tens of millions of people faced risky warmth in May and June. India experienced its longest heat storm possibly, which started in the middle of May. In northern India, temperatures rose above 45 degrees Celsius ( 113 degrees Fahrenheit ), with some areas exceeding 50 degrees Celsius ( 122 Fahrenheit ). The official figures for May, which were reported in March and May, are 56 heat-related deaths, but the actual figure is likely higher because remote murders are frequently not reported.
Myanmar has faced extraordinary high heat in some districts, including Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, and Bago groups. Cambodia has recently experienced its highest temperatures in 170 years, reaching up to 43 degrees Celsius ( 109 Fahrenheit ).
In northern Thailand, temperatures soared above 44 degrees Celsius ( 111 Fahrenheit ), while Bangkok saw temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 Fahrenheit ). In 2024, Thailand‘s summers, which usually runs from late February to later May, was 1–2 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the previous year, with precipitation below normal.
Through May 10, 2024, at least 61 citizens in Thailand died from sunstroke, compared to 37 incidents throughout the whole past time.
The prolonged heat has caused problems in work performance and education. Specialists in the Philippines imposed a two-day suspension of in-person classes in order to instruct thousands of individuals to stay at home. More than 47 000 people schools were directed by the Department of Education to switch to internet instruction.
Local and global aspects play a significant role in intense heat. Geographically, reduced vegetation and ground water contribute to higher temperature. Urban regions, with their cement and asphalt areas, keep temperature, creating what is known as the urban heat island effect. Also, weather patterns and fog cover play jobs in regional temperature versions.
Globally, El Niño activities and climate change amplify intense heat episodes. Since May 2023, El Nio situations have increased the amount of heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming even more. Therefore, parts like South and Southeast Asia knowledge more regular, extended, and intense heat waves.
The central and eastern exotic Pacific Ocean experience unusually hot ocean surface temperatures, which are a conditions occurrence known as El Nio. Every several times, it occurs sporadically and has an impact on global weather patterns.
Increased ocean temperatures during El Nio cause changes in the meteorological circulation, which can result in heavy rain in some places and severe drought in another. It even influences the flight stream, altering wind patterns worldwide.
In South and Southeast Asia, El Niño generally correlates with hotter and drier conditions, worsening heat waves and extending dry times. These issues pose serious obstacles to crops, which result in lower crop yields and increased risk of wildfires.
El Niño and La Niña are essential to the El Niño- Southwestern Oscillation ( ENSO ) pattern, a natural occurrence causing substantial year- to- year climate variations on Earth.
But, human- induced culture change is today affecting this cycle. Reports indicate that that issue is increasing the incident and power of extreme El Niño activities, multiplying their effects such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and altered storms patterns.
According to climate models, extreme El Nio events could occur every 10 years rather than every 20 because of global warming. This increased frequency might lead to more severe weather-related disasters occurring globally.
Due to their limited resources and ability to deal with climate change, Global South countries face a significant challenge. These countries are especially vulnerable to the unpredictable weather patterns brought on by climate change because of how heavily rely on agriculture as a major economic pillar. Consequently, they often experience crop failures, food insecurity, and heightened poverty levels.
Economically, the impact is substantial. According to projections from the World Bank, over 140 million people will be internally displaced by climate change-related causes, including water scarcity and agricultural productivity, by 2050, in areas like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.
Socially, climate change worsens existing inequalities within these countries. The poorest populations, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, bear the brunt of climate- related disasters such as floods and droughts. This exacerbates health issues, displaces communities, and sparks competition over essential resources like water and land. In addition, these nations struggle to manage the rise in the number of illnesses related to climate change, which adds to the complexity of the situation.
Heat waves pose a serious threat to low- income communities, worsening existing health and economic disparities. These areas frequently have inadequate infrastructure to deal with high temperatures, such as poorly insulated homes and limited cooling options.
Due to human activities, the urban heat island effect, which makes urban areas hotter than rural areas in the area, further exacerbates the issue. As a result, cooling costs rise, putting financial strain on many low- income families during heat waves.
The health impacts on these communities are significant, with more hospitalizations due to heat- related illnesses like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and potentially fatal heatstroke. Rapid treatment is a challenge when faced with limited access to medical care during heat emergencies. Moreover, existing health conditions prevalent in these areas, such as respiratory and heart diseases, worsen under extreme heat.
Economically, heat waves disrupt the livelihoods of low- income workers who rely on outdoor jobs or work in non- climate- controlled environments. Financial instability is caused by shortened work hours due to illness or caregiving obligations.
Heat waves present significant risks to vulnerable populations in third- world countries, particularly women, the elderly, and children, exacerbating their health and socioeconomic challenges. Women who work in agriculture are frequently exposed to heat-related illnesses because of limited access to medical care and outdoor work.
The elderly, with age- related health issues and reduced mobility, are at increased risk of heat stress complications, compounded by insufficient cooling infrastructure. Further affecting children’s development and future prospects in these areas is the prolonged heat waves, which can cause school closures and obstruct educational opportunities.
Third-world countries are faced with the harsh realities of escalating climate change and severe heat waves, while developed countries enjoy the comforts of modern life. These communities grapple with extreme temperatures that disrupt daily routines, endanger health, and undermine economic stability.
The disparate distribution of resources clearly shows how much more people with limited resources and the ability to adapt to change the world are affected by global temperatures.
Pranjal Pandey, a journalist and editor based in Delhi, edited seven books that cover a variety of topics for LeftWord. On NewsClick, you can read more about his journalistic contributions. in.
Published with the permission of Globetrotter.
For years, Sino- American competition for influence over Bangladesh has been a tough- driving pressure in South Asia’s geopolitics. As a cousin of India and a coastal state of the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh has often been embroiled in the conflict, and consequently, both Beijing and New Delhi have sought to expand their control over the country, often at the other’s expense.
Since the late 1950s, Bangladesh, known as East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971, has been a geopolitical battleground between the dragon ( China ) and the elephant ( India ). East Pakistan was in the Foreign circle at the time that Pakistan and China forged close relationships.
But, after Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, the country’s international policy was based on the maxim “friendship to all, malice towards none”, and adopted a no- aligned, non- aggressive and positively natural foreign policy. So, the nation has successfully balancing and maneuvering their strategic competition with both India and China while maintaining rational and cooperative relations with both.
Despite this, many American analysts <a href="https://www.oneindia.com/international/chinas-growing-role-in-bangladesh-raises-concerns-for-india-us-3722347.html”>have expressed concern about the potential integration of Bangladesh into China’s sphere of influence. However, this is a total interpretation of Dhaka’s foreign policy, so it is necessary to respond to this claim from a balanced and objective perspective.
Second, under customary international law, Bangladesh is a sovereign, independent state, and as a result, it is fully able to conduct its international politics without interference.
Bangladesh has complete freedom of action over its foreign policy, both legally and morally, as long as its actions do n’t violate any of the UN’s ( UN) Charter’s provisions. No other state has the legal authority to obstruct negotiations between Bangladesh and any other country, including China, and Bangladesh has the right to do so.
Although Bangladesh has complete freedom to pursue its foreign policy, it is apparent that India may make an effort to increase its security and therefore feel a certain way about China’s involvement in its immediate vicinity. However, New Delhi may know that Dhaka’s collaboration with Beijing is not directed against any other condition, including India.
Bangladesh’s partnership with China aims to meet its own development needs, and it is solely concerned with its inside development. The Indians should keep in mind that Dhaka has consistently demonstrated its civility to New Delhi while taking into account India’s safety concerns.
For instance, Dhaka has interdicted north Indian rebel leaders to India, extradited them to India, and resisted putting the strong seaport project in Sonadia Island, which is supported by China, into operation.
American analysts frequently classify certain Chinese initiatives and projects as potential risks to Indian interests. These include the possibility of providing US$ 5 billion in Chinese loans, Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, the development of a Chinese-financed underwater center in southwestern Bangladesh, and the upcoming Sino-Bangladesh military training.
When you examine these tasks and activities closely, it becomes clear that none of them are directed at India or interfere with American security or other interests.
First, Bangladesh wants to borrow$ 5 billion ( at an interest rate of 1 % ) from China to pay for its expenses and the purchase of raw materials. American passions are unaffected in any way by this. Because China is the only state that will lend to Bangladesh at for a low interest rate, Dhaka is requesting this product from Beijing.
Dhaka would have been happy to accept India’s credit if it had been willing to lend a$ 5 billion loan to Bangladesh at a 1 % interest rate. Some researchers may worry that Bangladesh is falling into a “debt trap” in China, but another foreign experts contend that Dhaka has a wealth of knowledge and minimal risk of default.
Next, some Indian experts worry that China is developing network in Bangladesh close to the Siliguri Corridor to defame India. These problems, too, are false. It should be remembered that Bangladesh is an” India- locked” position and among 64 Bengal towns, 30 share edges with India.
Bangladesh, it is undoubtedly entitled to all of its border districts to have equipment projects, and it has the right to choose which state to invest in them. Additionally, none of the jobs China is implementing in Bangladesh’s border towns are focused on the defense.
Additionally, China does not have the right to stop soldiers or military technology on Bangladeshi place, and upon the completion of these projects, these infrastructures may become controlled by Bangladeshis, not the Chinese.
Additionally, there is no treaty signed between Bangladesh and China regarding Chinese troops ‘ use of Bangladeshi territory during combat. Accordingly, in case of a war between China and India, China would not be able to use these infrastructures.
In addition, Bangladesh has shown goodwill toward India by providing the country with transit and transshipment facilities because the Siliguri Corridor does not allow India to access its northeastern territories in sufficient numbers.
Other Indian analysts are concerned about China’s$ 1 billion investment in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. It should be noted, however, that the Indian- implemented Teesta Barrage Project has created a serious water crisis in Bangladesh, and Dhaka’s efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically has met with failure.
However, the river has a significant economic impact for five northern Bangladeshi districts that have 22 electoral constituencies and have more than 10 million residents. Therefore, the restoration of the river is a significant internal political issue that affects the careers of numerous local politicians. This project, in no sense whatsoever, represents a threat to Indian interests.
Third, China has been Bangladesh’s largest source of military equipment since the late 1970s, primarily because of the low cost, ease of maintenance and relative efficiency of Chinese weapons. This, in itself, does not pose any threat to India.
Bangladesh also imports weapons from a number of other states including Russia, Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Serbia, and is currently looking to further diversify its sources of arms. Bangladesh has also stated that it wants to purchase some military equipment from India.
Fourth, China has contributed money to the construction of Cox’s Bazar’s first submarine base, the BNS Sheikh Hasina, which will have the capacity to house six submarines and eight warships. Bangladesh has purchased two Ming-class submarines from China and is likely to purchase more naval vessels from the nation, so China has provided funding for the project.
The Bangladeshi government’s” Forces Goal 2030″ includes the transformation of the Bangladesh Navy into a ‘3D force, as well as the construction of the base and the acquisition of submarines. This is crucial to ensuring Bangladesh’s maritime security, and it is again no threat to India because of both Bangladesh’s hostile intentions toward any of its neighbors and India’s significantly larger submarine fleet.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army- Navy ( PLA- N ) will not be able to enter the base, despite China having funded the construction of the base. Moreover, Bangladesh opted for Chinese submarines because of their low price. Bangladesh reportedly had negotiated with India and Russia for the acquisition of submarines before engaging in negotiations with China.
Interestingly, India did not sell submarines to Bangladesh but later sold a Kilo- class submarine to Myanmar. Therefore, Bangladesh’s purchase of Chinese submarines and China’s financing of a Bangladeshi submarine base are purely commercial transactions unrelated to India.
Finally, the potential Sino-Bangladesh joint military exercise is a logical extension of the two states ‘ already-existing defense partnership and does not pose any real threat to India. It is its sovereign prerogative to conduct similar exercises with China and regularly participates in joint military exercises with India, the US, and the UK.
Last but not least, the Indian media has implied that Bangladesh’s positions on Tibet, Taiwan and the South China Sea is a result of Chinese coercion. Nothing is further from the truth, however.
It is illogical to suggest that Bangladesh does the same owing to Chinese coercion since Tibet itself recognizes Tibet as a part of China and adheres to the” One China” policy. Bangladesh does not have a significant stake in the disputed region in terms of the disputes in the South China Sea. Accordingly, its Indo- Pacific Outlook suggests ensuring peace and prosperity throughout the region.
Dhaka’s foreign policy is examined carefully and objectively to determine whether it intends to achieve its goals of maximizing its internal development through foreign policy initiatives while preserving its sovereignty and independence from external influences.
Dhaka, as always, has no intention or interest in provoking any other state, not least one that is close to India. Instead of embracing the dragon and the elephant, Bangladesh is open to developing and maintaining positive relationships with both.
Md Himel Rahman is a freelance analyst with a focus on international and strategic affairs based in Dhaka. His articles have been published in The Interpreter, The Diplomat, South Asian Voices, The Geopolitics, Eurasia Review, The Daily Star, The Daily Observer, Dhaka Tribune, and other platforms.
“UNSUSTAINABLE Costs” In a statement from July 2023, India’s government-run NITI Aayog public policy center forecasts a” steep decline in water supply by 2030.” Additionally, it issued a warning about “increasing water shortages, depleting water tables, and deteriorating tool excellent.” Groundwater tools “are being depleted at untenable costs”, it added,Continue Reading