South Asia adopts action plan on climate change

DHAKA (Reuters) - Environment ministers from South Asian countries adopted a three-year action plan on Thursday for regional cooperation to combat climate change effects.

The meeting agreed to share information and best practices on nationally appropriate actions to mitigate carbon emissions, technology transfer, increasing climate change awareness and other areas.

The meeting was also attended by environment experts from the eight countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

They blamed industrialized nations for global warming and asked them to fulfill their commitment as per the U.N. climate change conference in Bali to provide additional resources to other countries.

"The industrialized economies must provide adaptation funds and facilitate technology transfer without any conditionality," said Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of Bangladesh's army-backed interim government, in opening the one-day meeting.

"Given our vulnerabilities, inadequate means and limited capacities, we need to ensure rapid social and economic development in our region to make SAARC climate change resilient," said SAARC Secretary-General Sheel Kant Sharma.

"Development provides the best form of adaptation," he added.

Bangladesh urged the SAARC states to work together in international forums, including the U.N. climate change meeting scheduled to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009.

"Between now and Copenhagen, we must work closely to take a common position on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology transfers," Fakruddin said.