Self-help options for climate vulnerable contries

In the Dhaka Ministerial Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum of 14 November 2011, the most climate vulnerable countries of Asia, Africa, Pacific, the Caribbean, and Latin America have turned to their own capacity-building to combat climate change effects, moving away from a sole reliance on assistance from developed countries. This is a wise move at a time when most developed countries suffer from successive financial crises as a result of their economic mismanagement and life-style unfriendly to the environment. The above countries are particularly vulnerable, as their low-lying tropical geographies and poor economies aggravate consequences and fatalities of climate change. They bear little responsibility for greenhouse gases causing global warming but will pay a very high price if the predicted catastrophe befalls. As frontline climate victims in their fight for survival, they have limited self-help options to face the challenges. Few such options worthy of adoption may be pursued under the WTO.