[The speech was delivered by Professor Saleemul Huq during the UCL Humanitarian Summit on 15 June 2022]
Good morning, everyone.
So, what I propose to do, as you heard, is to share my perspective on climate change.
Roles in Climate Change Negotiations and Research
I have been deeply involved in the climate change arena, wearing several hats over the years.
The first one, which you just heard about, is attending all the Conferences of the Parties (COPs). I am one of the very few people who has been to all 26 of them.
I should clarify two things about this:
- I do not attend as a negotiator—I go as an observer.
- However, I do play a role in the negotiations as an advisor to the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which consists of 46 of the poorest and most vulnerable countries.
Most of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in Asia, including my country, Bangladesh.
My role has been to advise them in negotiations, mainly on adaptation, and now, increasingly, on loss and damage.
This is why I attend COPs, but I also have another important role: I am a scientist.
I work on climate change adaptation and have contributed as a lead author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Assessment Reports.
I was not involved in the latest Sixth Assessment, but I have been part of the IPCC process for many years.
Academic and Capacity-Building Work in Bangladesh
Most importantly, my day job is in Bangladesh, where I work as a professor at the Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB).
At IUB, we run a Master’s program in Climate Change and Development. This program has a dual focus—it is not purely climate science but a combination of climate and development.
Our goal is to train young professionals to understand the link between climate change and development so they can pursue careers in the development sector with climate expertise, rather than solely becoming climate scientists.
We also do a lot of training and research, particularly focusing on climate adaptation.
Locally Led Adaptation and Research Networks
One of our key areas of work is locally led adaptation, which means working with the most vulnerable communities and helping them build their own capacity to adapt to climate change.
At IUB, we coordinate two major research networks:
A Bangladesh Climate Network – This includes more than 50 universities and research institutes that collaborate on climate research.
- We call this platform Gobeshona, which means “Research” in Bangla.
- It has now become a large national network, where we conduct monthly seminars, an annual conference, and maintain a database of over 2,500 publications related to climate change in Bangladesh.
- To be included in our database, a publication must focus on both climate change and Bangladesh.
- Our goal is to promote research, engage decision-makers, and enhance knowledge-sharing within the country because climate change is an issue that everyone needs to understand.
That is my main work—this is what I do for most of the year.
Attending UNFCCC negotiations at COPs only takes two weeks annually, and I participate to provide guidance and input.
Understanding Loss and Damage and Climate Mobility
Now, I want to discuss an important issue—the concept of loss and damage in climate change.
For those of you working in disaster response, migration, and displacement, I strongly encourage engaging with the climate change discussions because these issues are interconnected.
However, one key challenge is terminology.
- In climate negotiations, we do not use terms like “climate refugees” or “climate migration.”
- Instead, we talk about “loss and damage.”
- Loss and damage occur when climate change destroys livelihoods, assets, and forces displacement.
If forced displacement can be scientifically attributed to human-induced climate change, then it falls under the framework of loss and damage in the UNFCCC.
For years, vulnerable developing countries have been pushing to have loss and damage formally recognized in climate negotiations.
However, this has been a long and difficult struggle, with very little success until recently.
The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage
A major breakthrough happened in COP 19 in Warsaw, where negotiators finally agreed that loss and damage was real and needed to be addressed.
As a result, they established:
- The Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage (WIM)
- An Executive Committee and a Work Program to analyze different dimensions of climate impacts
Loss and damage includes multiple aspects:
- Rapid-onset events – Cyclones, hurricanes, floods.
- Slow-onset events – Droughts, sea-level rise.
- Economic losses – Measurable financial damages.
- Non-economic losses – Loss of life, mental health effects, cultural heritage, and displacement.
Some non-economic losses are difficult to quantify—for example, loss of graveyards, cultural sites, or psychological well-being. These aspects are off the radar and understudied.
Scientific Advances in Climate Attribution
Previously, IPCC reports cautioned that climate change was projected to happen unless significant action was taken.
However, the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) clearly states that climate change is already happening.
This shift in scientific consensus has strengthened the argument for loss and damage attribution, meaning:
- We can now scientifically link extreme weather events to human-induced climate change.
- For example, the 51°C heatwave in Pakistan was clearly attributable to human activities.
Challenges in UN Climate Finance Negotiations
Despite these scientific findings, developed countries strongly resist financial commitments for loss and damage.
- Terms like “liability” and “compensation” are banned in negotiations.
- Instead, we use the term “loss and damage”, which serves as a euphemism for these concepts.
At COP 25 (Madrid, 2019):
- We secured a technical mechanism—the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage—but no financial commitments.
At COP 26 (Glasgow, 2021):
- Vulnerable countries demanded a financing facility, but developed nations only agreed to a three-year Glasgow Dialogue—essentially delaying financial commitments.
The Role of Researchers and the Way Forward
Now is a crucial time for researchers, especially at institutions like UCL’s Migration Hub, to engage with these discussions.
- Researchers must align their work with UNFCCC terminology to effectively influence policy.
- The Santiago Network on Loss and Damage provides an opportunity to contribute research on displacement, migration, and adaptation strategies.
- More research is needed on non-economic losses, such as mental health impacts and cultural displacement, which remain largely unexplored.
Final Thoughts
Climate-induced displacement is only going to increase in the coming decades.
If today’s refugee crises seem overwhelming, climate migration will be exponentially larger.
We must act now—not only by researching these challenges but also by influencing policy, finance, and adaptation strategies.
Thank you. I am happy to take any questions.
Original YouTube Video Link: Click Here.
[I am sharing this transcript as a tribute to Professor Saleemul Huq, in loving memory and deep appreciation. He inspired me—and thousands of other young professionals across the globe—to dedicate ourselves to the fight against climate change and to work tirelessly in support of frontline vulnerable communities striving for a better life. His legacy lives on in every step we take toward climate justice.]
