S Asia climate 'crisis' talks due
July 3, 2008
Environment ministers from the South Asian regional grouping, Saarc, have gathered in Bangladesh to discuss a plan to tackle climate change.
Experts say millions of people in the region could be at risk from rising seas, melting glaciers, floods, droughts and cyclone.
Bangladesh is proposing the creation of a joint fund to help communities adapt to the changing climate.
It says South Asian countries should counter the challenges jointly.
The BBC's Mark Dummett in Dhaka says the South Asian environment ministers have chosen a good time to come to Bangladesh's capital for Thursday's meeting.
The monsoon is in full swing and flood waters are beginning to rise - a reminder of how exposed this region is to the climate.
In a matter of weeks, as it happens every year, half the country will be covered with water.
Bleak scenario
The fate of the 140 million people living in Bangladesh is closely tied to the weather.
They are squeezed between the Bay of Bengal and the huge rivers which flow down from the Himalayas.
As temperatures rise, scientists forecast that sea levels will inundate coastal regions, and storms will become more frequent.
As the Himalayan glaciers melt, there could be worse floods and then droughts.
It is not only Bangladesh which faces this bleak scenario.
All coastal areas along with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the heavily populated states of north India are likely to be badly affected by the melting glaciers.
On Monday, India unveiled a national action plan to confront the threat posed by climate change.
The plan envisaged a gradual shift to greater reliance on sustainable sources of energy.
A recent Greenpeace report on climate change in South Asia warned that if greenhouse gas emissions grow at their present rate, the region could face a major human crisis.
It estimated that 75 million people in Bangladesh will lose their homes.
The report also predicted that about 45 million people in India will also become "climate migrants".
Around 130 million people now live in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in what are called low elevation coastal zones, which comprise coastal regions that are less than 10m above average sea level.
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