Dr. Saleemul Haq was one of the founding members of BCAS in 1986 and its first Executive Director. When he left in 2000 he became an Academic Visitor at the Huxley School of Environment at the Imperial College in London, where he at present teaches a course on Global Environment Policies. At present Dr. Haq is the Chairman of BCAS Board of Directors and also the Director of the International Centre for Climate and Development (ICCAD) at the Independent University in Dhaka.
He completed his BSc (with Honours) in 1975 from Imperial College, London, United Kingdom and his PhD in plant sciences also from Imperial College in 1978. He was the winner of the prestigious Robert- Macnamara Fellowship from the World Bank, Washington DC, USA (1986-87) and Duggan Fellowship from NRDC, Washington DC, USA, in 1989. He taught at the University of Dhaka until 1984 when he set up (and became the first executive director) of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – as contributor to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In the same year, he was also awarded the Burtoni Award for his contribution to capacity building in climate change negotiation of the developing countries.
Presently Dr. Saleemul Huq is attached to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London as Director of the Climate Change Programme since 2001. His areas of expertise lies in the inter-linkages between climate change (both mitigation as well as adaptation) and sustainable development from the perspective of developing countries with special emphasis on the least developed countries (LDCs). He runs the Climate Change Programme at the IIED as an Adaptation Team Leader of South North projects involving S. Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
He has served as a consultant in the World Bank, UNFCCC, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Washington DC. He was the member of the advisory panel on Climate Change for Shell Canada. He was a consultant to SIDA, Sweden on capacity strengthening of least developing countries, NORAD (Norway on developing climate change programme).
He has served a team leader of National Team of Experts (NTE) on Least Cost Green House Gas Abatement Strategy (ALGAS) for the Asian Development Bank. He was consultant to the Netherlands Govt. on Reviewing Participatory Water Management in Bangladesh and Netherlands.
He has published numerous articles in scientific and popular journals, was a lead author of the chapter on Adaptation and Sustainable Development in the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and was one of the coordinating lead authors of ‘Inter-relationships between adaptation and mitigation’ in the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (2007).
Other Qualifications
Associate of the Royal College of Science, (ARCS) UK, Member, Institute of Biology, UK
Member, IUCN Commission on Environmental Strategy and Planning, Gland, Switzerland.
Current Research Activities
Capacity strengthening of civil society in the least developed countries (LDCs) for adaptation to climate change.
Capacity strengthening of climate change negotiators on climate change.
Enhancing the sustainable development benefits of the clean development mechanism (CDM).
Improving research on adaptation to climate change in developing countries.
Editor, Tiempo, IIED, London (quarterly journal on climate and development).
Advisory Roles
Board Member, Greenpeace UK
Chairman, Board of Governors, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)
Member, Advisory Group, Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), UK (currently renamed as Practical Action)
Visiting Faculty, Centre for Environment, Imperial College, London
Key Publications (Books)
Co?editor of Management of Inland Fisheries of Bangladesh co?published by Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and International Centre for Living and Aquatic Resource Management, Manila, Philippines, 1989.
Co?editor of Environmental Aspects of Surface Water Systems of Bangladesh, co?published by University Press Ltd., Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and IIED, London, UK, 1990.
Co?editor of Environmental Aspects of Agricultural Development in Bangladesh, Co?published by UPL, BCAS and IIED, London, UK, 1990.
Editor of Trees and Tenure in Bangladesh published by BCAS, 1990
Co?editor of Forest Resources Management in Bangladesh: Issues, Problems and Prospects, published by BCAS, 1990.
Co?author of Environmental Profile of Bangladesh published by DANIDA, Copenhagen, 1990.
Co?editor of Environment and Policy aspects of Groundwater Use in Bangladesh published by University Press Ltd, Dhaka (1994).
Editor of Environmental and Policy Aspects of Shrimp Cultivation in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh published by BCAS (1994).
Co?editor of Cyclone 91 : An Environmental and Perceptional Study published by BCAS, 1991.
Co-editor of Cyclone 91 Revisited: A Follow-up Study published by BCAS, 1992.
Co-editor of Environment and Development in Bangladesh published by University Press Ltd (1994)
Co-editor of Wetlands of Bangladesh published by BCAS, (1994).
Co-editor of Rivers of Life jointly published by BCAS and PANOS, London, UK (1995).
Co-editor of Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change of Bangladesh published by Kluwer Publications, Netherlands (1998).
Key Publications (Selected Papers)
Huq, S. and Rahman, A., Global Warming and Bangladesh: Implications and Responses, in Responding to the Threat of Global Warming: Options for the Pacific and Asia, East?West Centre, Hawaii, USA, 1990.
Rahman, A., and Huq, S., Greenhouse Effect and Bangladesh: A Conceptual Framework, Coastal Area Development and Management Association, Vol. 2, Dhaka, 1989.
Huq, S., and Ali, S. International Sea Level Rise: A National Assessment of Effects and Possible Responses for Bangladesh, Centre for Global Change, University of Maryland, USA, 1990.
Huq, S., Biodiversity in Bangladesh, Task force on Environment, Ministry of Planning, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1991.
Huq, S., A development Plan for Wetlands of Sylhet for UNDP and Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1990.
Huq, S., Towards a Framework Convention on Climate for Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1990.
Huq, S. Barriers to Technology Transfer for Developing Countries for WIPO, Meeting of Experts, Geneva, 1991.
Huq, S., and S.I. Ali, NGOs and Environment, ADAB News Special Issue, Dhaka, 1990.
Heil, G; S.Huq and R.Koudstaal, Vulnerability of Natural Ecosystems to Global Climate Change: A Case Study for Bangladesh, Proceedings of IPCC Coastal Zone Meeting for Eastern Hemisphere, Tokyo, 1993.
Huq, S., Environmental hazards in Dhaka, in Crucibles of Hazard: Mega-Cities and Disasters in Transition published by United Nations University, Tokyo, 1997.
Huq, S., Climate Change and Natural Disasters, The World Today, Journal of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, May 2000.
Huq. S. and H. Reid, Climate Change and Development Links, Gatekeeper 123, 2006.
Huq, S. and C. Toulmin, 2006, Three eras of Climate Change, IIED Opinion Papers.
Huq, S. Community Based Adaptation, 2007, IIED Policy Brief.
