LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society), World Council of Churches (WCC), and International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS) organized a side event entitled “Faith communities & resilient frontliners responding to the nexus of food, water, climate change” on 9 December 2023, in the Climate Conference (COP28) in Expo 2020, Dubai, U.A.E. At the beginning of the event, Prof. Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, delivered the welcome speech through a video message. Then Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, Director of Programmes (Public Witness & Diakonia) World Council of Churches, delivered his speech representing the faith communities through a video message. At this point, Mr. Mohon Kumar Mondal, Founder and Executive Director of LEDARS delivered his speech with a PowerPoint presentation. He showcased the challenges of the climate change hotspot south-west coastal area of Bangladesh and LEDARS’ contribution to the nexus of food, water, climate change. Later Mr. Prem Prakash Budhathoki, the Vice President of External Relations at IAAS and Marie-Laure NOBS, Program Development, LIFE NGO also delivered speeches. At last, Faith SebwaMuchesia, 12 years old hearing impaired, student of Grade 6 at the Kambui School for the Deaf, Kenya, delivered her heart touching speech. She urges to include children with disabilities in climate discussions, negotiations and activisms. The whole session was moderated by Mr Dinesh Suna, the Coordinator of the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) at World Council of Churches (WCC), Geneva.
LEDARS, WCC, and IAAS also organized an exhibition in COP28 venue in Expo 2020, Dubai, U.A.E. UNFCCC allot the exhibition booth no 15 for 8-11 December, 2023. Thousands of COP participants visited the exhibition booth and exchanged their experiences and views. They expressed their solidarity with the mission of LEDARS and possibility of future collaboration. LEDARS exhibited how people of the south-west coastal region of Bangladesh are adopting different innovative technologies and techniques to adapt with the changed situation and fight climate change. People have traditional and indigenous knowledge on agriculture, livelihoods, water management, etc. Their best practices are replicable and scalable to the geographic locations with same vulnerabilities. In the exhibition, LEDARS exhibited its interventions contributing to the nexus of food, water, climate change towards achieving climate resilience in the south-west coastal region of Bangladesh.
