Blue Economy and Climate Change: Bangladesh Perspective

Blue Economy is related to economic growth through the sustainable utilization of ocean resources with technological inputs to improve livelihoods. Economically important coastal and marine resources are the main components of the Blue Economy for Bangladesh. These resources are categorized into living, non-living, renewable resources and trade and commerce. As Bangladesh is vulnerable to climate change, related extreme events are making the coastal and marine resources vulnerable which may hamper the smooth Blue Economy development in Bangladesh. Climate change extreme events include warming trend, cyclone, sea level rise, droughts, erosion, tidal surge, saline water intrusion, flood, change in precipitation trend and ocean acidification. These extreme events may cause coral belching, species migration, biodiversity loss, altered species life style, disruption in marine food chain and ultimately will affect the national economy. Thus, it is a prime need to build marine ecosystem’s resilience to climate change to get the maximum benefits from ocean. This background paper offers a strategic framework for climate change resilient Blue Economy practice in Bangladesh. This framework is a four steps process (i.e. identification of issues, focus on important areas for climate change resilient Blue Economy development, performing activities for achieving the goal and achievement of goal). Special focus is required on energy efficiency, marine and coastal biodiversity, ecosystem based adaptation, environmental resilience building in the coastal areas, ecosystem restoration, building economic resilience and policy formulation for climate change resilient Blue Economy development. Mangrove plantation, oyster reef building, mussel bed, sea grass bed, salt marsh bed and coral reef conservation, use of renewable energy, special interventions in fisheries and development of islands, crop insurance, salt tolerant and floating agriculture, eco-tourism development, MPA and ecologically critical area declaration, marine spatial planning, policy formulation, institutional integration and continuous ocean monitoring are example of some possible interventions required for climate resilient Blue Economy development in Bangladesh

The performance of the biological filters in removing the ammonianitrogen from the recirculating system of an intensive freshwater fishpond

Aquaculture is a rapidly developing industry worldwide. It is the best alternative for the decreasing sources of protein supply from sea and river. Heggberget (1996) observed that new technologies have made a rapid increase possible during the last decades, especially in developing countries

Gender-Ethnicity Intersectionality in Climate Change Adaptation in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Climate change effects are not uniform and have disproportionate impacts among different groups of people within communities. It is therefore important to understand the underlying issues of intersectionality for climate change adaptation and human well-being. This paper aims to measure human capabilities and freedom of choice by analyzing perceived climate change impacts and current climate change adaptation ability among ethnic and non-ethnic communities in Bangladesh. This study applies a range of participatory rural appraisal tools and key informant interviews to assess impacts of climate change when considering gender and ethnicity. Women in the coastal regions have less access to resources and services because of social capital and cultural practices and this directly or indirectly influences their adaptation to climate change. Women have limited or no participation in decision-making processes at family or community levels and this impacts their vulnerability and well-being. In consequence, women’s capabilities must be focused on moderating their vulnerability and risk, and developing effective adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change and natural hazards

Agreements of state-entity and state liability in international investment arbitration

Most often in an investment agreement between a State entity and a foreign investor the arbitral tribunal is faced with the question of the liability of the State for the conduct of its entities. To make it precise the crucial findings of this research is whether or to what extend the States hall be liable for the commercial conduct of its entities? State affiliates in general includes, ‘state organ, ‘state agency’, ‘instrumentality’, ‘state-owned entity’, ‘state-owned company’, ‘publicly owned corporation’, ‘government business enterprise’, ‘public sector undertaking’ and ‘parastatal entity’. ‘State entities’ with separate legal personality do not include the ‘state organ’, ‘agency’ and ‘political subdivision’ for which a State is responsible under the principle of customary international law. The main highlights of this research is whether the State shall be liable for the commercial, non-governmental activities of ‘State entities’ with separate legal personality having substantial structural and functional government control over them while they enter into investment agreements with foreign investors.This leads to the critical arguments to establish in the first place whether the State is a party to the investment agreements of its separate legal entities with foreign investors. To respond this, findings of this research leads to the point that has been highlighted in relation to the true separation of these State entities from the government. It is that the significance of structural and functional control by the governmental over the habitual affairs of these entities. For this purposes two significant reasons are taken into consideration. First, whether the government officials or members of the cabinet preside as the head of the corporations or entities? Second, whether they administer the daily affairs of the entities such as participating in the negotiation and decision making process while entering into the agreement with foreign investors. If that is satisfied then the requirement for a State to be a party to the investment agreement of its entities is considered fulfilled.The most striking point of this research is then whether the State and its entities are entitled to immunity both from jurisdiction and execution. However, following the greater participation of State through State entities in the international trade and foreign investment the restrictive approach of immunity has seen a resultant raise in relation to the jurisdiction of arbitral tribunal. As regard to immunity from the enforcement measure the final stumbling block is the process of identification of public assets which are held by the State to perform its sovereign non-commercial functions often mixed with the assets allocated for commercial purpose against which enforcement can be done, is continued to be an issue at large. The emphasis of this research has been extended to have a closer look at the State immunity laws internationally in relation to the limitations of various conventions and codifications and judicial precedent that address the issue of enforcement in investment arbitration

Gender-Ethnicity Intersectionality in Climate Change Adaptation in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Climate change effects are not uniform and have disproportionate impacts among different groups of people within communities. It is therefore important to understand the underlying issues of intersectionality for climate change adaptation and human well-being. This paper aims to measure human capabilities and freedom of choice by analyzing perceived climate change impacts and current climate change adaptation ability among ethnic and non-ethnic communities in Bangladesh. This study applies a range of participatory rural appraisal tools and key informant interviews to assess impacts of climate change when considering gender and ethnicity. Women in the coastal regions have less access to resources and services because of social capital and cultural practices and this directly or indirectly influences their adaptation to climate change. Women have limited or no participation in decision-making processes at family or community levels and this impacts their vulnerability and well-being. In consequence, women’s capabilities must be focused on moderating their vulnerability and risk, and developing effective adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change and natural hazards

Gender-Ethnicity Intersectionality in Climate Change Adaptation in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Climate change effects are not uniform and have disproportionate impacts among different groups of people within communities. It is therefore important to understand the underlying issues of intersectionality for climate change adaptation and human well-being. This paper aims to measure human capabilities and freedom of choice by analyzing perceived climate change impacts and current climate change adaptation ability among ethnic and non-ethnic communities in Bangladesh. This study applies a range of participatory rural appraisal tools and key informant interviews to assess impacts of climate change when considering gender and ethnicity. Women in the coastal regions have less access to resources and services because of social capital and cultural practices and this directly or indirectly influences their adaptation to climate change. Women have limited or no participation in decision-making processes at family or community levels and this impacts their vulnerability and well-being. In consequence, women’s capabilities must be focused on moderating their vulnerability and risk, and developing effective adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change and natural hazards

Confidentiality and public policy in alternative dispute resolution

One of the debatable issues in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes is the extent to which the proceedings, written or unwritten, has to be kept confidential by the parties to the dispute and the mediator or arbitrator, as the case may be, and statement(s) given by third parties or amicus curiae, especially in international arbitration. The US law on dispute settlements by courts contemplates the law to be sparse. But if disputes are to be settled by mediation, arbitration, negotiation or by any other alternative means of dispute resolution, the need to preserve the confidentiality of proceedings becomes pressing. It is because in a subsequent court case, any of the disputing parties may wish to use the proceedings of any previous ADR mechanism, or the mediator, for instance, who failed to bring the parties to an agreement may be asked to uncover the reason for the failure of the ADR. This is more so in multi-party disputes. On the other hand, some information of purely commercial or economic nature from the proceeding should be allowed to be used in later court cases, unless something personal or otherwise is implicated. This will make the judicial proceedings closer to justice. In view of this, it is said that it is better for the disputing parties to enter into a confidentiality agreement to be signed also by the arbitrator or negotiator as the case may be. It may be an ADR agreement, or separate, entered into simultaneously between the disputing parties or at a later stage. The confidentiality in ADR has also been the subject matter of state policies, law and judicial delineations. They also emphasise on the importance of confidentiality in the ADR mechanism of dispute resolution with few exceptions. The Guidelines of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia and the Singapore law on arbitration and mediation are worth referring in this respect. International law is mainly there in the rules developed by the International Court of Arbitration under the International Chamber of Commerce. International courts and centres around the world have also developed rules for resolving disputes on the basis of ADR. International law is also enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by implication, demonstrate confidentiality to be maintained in the situations of sexual harassment, rape, infertility and any other genetic infirmity or disease. If they are part of the any ADR mechanism, they have to be kept confidential by laws enacted by the member states. Likewise, any family genetic deficiency, disparity, disease or infirmity has to be protected under ICCPR. It may be noted here that many states have personal data protection laws to enforce it. They too, in turn, strive to maintain confidentiality in judicial and ADR proceedings