Swedish Embassy highlights climate crisis in Bangkok
by Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne



BANGKOK: -- The economy in Asia-Pacific has been booming the last decades. But it comes at a price. As the economy has been growing the environment has been suffering. Asia-Pacific is responsible for over half of the global greenhouse gas emissions. In the past five years, the region permanently lost approximately 27,000 square meters of primary forest every day.

Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok held a regional workshop focusing on the threat of climate changes in the Asia-Pacific region and the challenges it causes for human rights and gender equality or as the workshop was named: “Urgency in Action! – Understanding Human Behavior and Ensuring Human Rights and Gender Equality in the Response to Climate Change”.

The workshop took place over two days and was attended by more than 150 participants coming from civil society, UN organizations, ASEAN, Private sector, Academic and Research institutions, Donors and Governments.

It was hosted in Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn in central Bangkok 10-11th of May. Over 30 speakers were invited to talk about climate change, human rights and gender equality. Why is it important, ScandAsia asked Staffan Herrström, Swedish Ambassador to Thailand.

“The consequences are increasingly visible around the world. For instance, in Asia-Pacific, a number of islands are disappearing and sinking into the ocean, caused by rising sea levels. As a consequence, people are exposed to increased disasters and are losing their right to land and livelihood. They are forced to move elsewhere. The droughts in Thailand and India are another example causing a lot of negative effects on human lives and the environment”, he answered.

How is climate change, human rights and gender equality linked?

“Women and children are often more exposed to climate change because of social norms and cultural patterns and they are therefore affected more severely in terms of deaths, injuries etc. Women are surprisingly often not represented in decision making and policy development in general but also in relation to climate change.

Lack of attention to gender inequality and negative gender norms increases the risks for detrimental effects on women and vulnerable groups when the consequences of climate change take place.”

And human rights?

“States are responsible to respect, protect and fulfill human rights. Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What means should be taken to get the climate change on the right track?

“Civil society is necessary to reach out and support people on the ground. Engagement of local people, networking and movements for change are fundamental to create incentives to change and to develop local sustainable solutions.”

“Private sector engagement is necessary. Incentives and investments in “good business” contributing to sustainable solutions are needed. Bad business with a negative impact on human rights, environment and climate must be stopped and should be prevented from profitability. Actions to prevent corruption and improve accountability mechanisms are important to increase the pressure on bad business.”

Source: http://scandasia.com/swedish-embassy-highlights-climate-crisis-in-bangkok/


-- (c) Copyright Scandasia 2016-05-17

All we can do is roof garden. And then where is the water to water the plants ?

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

the greatest con since organised religion.

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

What about middle-aged white western males' rights?

Oh ...I forgot, we are the lowest of the low and everything we say or do offends someone else and abuses their rights.

What a farce!

'Let"s pretend it's the people's fault and their car fumes.Let's put the blame on them and make them pay for it.''

Their cynicism has no limit.

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

What about middle-aged white western males' rights?

Oh ...I forgot, we are the lowest of the low and everything we say or do offends someone else and abuses their rights.

Don't you understand by now. You haven't got any! Now take the guilty bastard away and give him a fair trial!

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

Can you prove it's a "crock"? I bet those at the Swedish embassy can prove their point with actual facts

They better HIGHLIGHT another crisis in their own country namely "the asylum/immigrant tourists" from we all know where! Have a feeling many Swedes are more concerned about that!!!

They better HIGHLIGHT another crisis in their own country namely "the asylum/immigrant tourists" from we all know where! Have a feeling many Swedes are more concerned about that!!!

If that were the case they are mistaken. But I think more Swedes are right than wrong.

great, I support this. grumpy old mens club can cry all they want

great, I support this. grumpy old mens club can cry all they want

No problem, that's your right mate. Support who and what you like.

Crying? Grumpy? Maybe, but not for the reasons you think we are. For me? Life is a bowl of cherries. Retired. No Debt. Have everything I need. It is you I cry for. If these lunatics get their way.

rather than try to explain, I will wish you a long and happy life, I don't know how old you are now, but perhaps in another 30-40 years of nothing much changing, apart from the weather (Old Blokes Word for Climate Change), you will look back and wonder, how did they ever suck me into believing this crap? What were we thinking?

Edited May 17, 201610 yr by cpofc

"The SE Asia region is loosing 27,000 sq mtrs of rain forest every day ! Why in the hell don't they just name the SE Asian countries, we all know that it is Malaysia and Indonesia.

great, I support this. grumpy old mens club can cry all they want

No problem, that's your right mate. Support who and what you like.

Crying? Grumpy? Maybe, but not for the reasons you think we are. For me? Life is a bowl of cherries. Retired. No Debt. Have everything I need. It is you I cry for. If these lunatics get their way.

rather than try to explain, I will wish you a long and happy life, I don't know how old you are now, but perhaps in another 30-40 years of nothing much changing, apart from the weather (Old Blokes Word for Climate Change), you will look back and wonder, how did they ever suck me into believing this crap? What were we thinking?

Gosh, that's a tough one - who to believe? On one side we gave a ton of data supported by pretty much every reputable state science agency, an overwhelming percentage (in the high 90s) of climate related academics/scientists and just about every credible independent research entity, and on the other we have you saying it is all crap.

A tough choice indeed. After a second or two I've decided to hedge my bets and go with the first (and yes I'm sure you can wheel out a couple of crackpots and a fossil fuel funded institute or two)

How dare you, starting to impact globally as we, the privilege ones have done for 100 years...

We will continue to fly to your country and do not care, but you must stop global pollution.

Does not really matter global warming is unstopable now,at 51 this will affect me only slightly,however the world will become a much grimmer place for coming generations.

Does not really matter global warming is unstopable now,at 51 this will affect me only slightly,however the world will become a much grimmer place for coming generations.

Just stand by until it reverses like it always does and we have global cooling. Then the climate nutters will jump on the bandwagon demanding trillions of dollars to fight global cooling.

Edited May 21, 201610 yr by Pimay1

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

Can you prove it's a "crock"? I bet those at the Swedish embassy can prove their point with actual facts

Can you prove it isn't a crock?

Climate change brings in negative and unequal consequences that threaten many people’s possibilities to enjoy a large number of human rights: e.g. life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing, self-determination, Indigenous Peoples rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, elderly, persons with disabilities.”

What a crock.

Can you prove it's a "crock"? I bet those at the Swedish embassy can prove their point with actual facts

Can you prove it isn't a crock?

Spend a few seconds looking online at the vast trove of supporting data. It's not hard to find and almost universally accepted.

Tell me, is that a peer-reviewed crock, or one you just made up?

Does not really matter global warming is unstopable now,at 51 this will affect me only slightly,however the world will become a much grimmer place for coming generations.

Just stand by until it reverses like it always does and we have global cooling. Then the climate nutters will jump on the bandwagon demanding trillions of dollars to fight global cooling.

There's a lot we don't know yet, but the last few millions years have seen many glcial periods followed by interglacials. The current interglacial started about 11,900 years ago and may last another 10 or 20 thousand years.

As we only slowly start to understand the mechanisms of this it's a bit too early to say what may or may not influence the fluctuation between 'hot and cold'. Human influence may have speed up already ongoing ice melting, which in tundra areas may lead to release of methane gas. Also the influx of cold water seems to effect sea currents. If the Atlantic Current now keeping Western Europe more pleasant in wintertime than the American East coast, is diverted Europe could get more extremes (cold winter, hot summer) and the NorthEast coast of the Americas could become more pleasant.

Of course for those effected in lower laying areas it doesn't really matter who or what caused the wet feet.