Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on countries that are vulnerable to weather to come together and express their concerns at the upcoming UN climate conference in South Africa. She stated that the economic cost of climate change is $130 billion and will continue to rise if appropriate actions are not taken. Prime Minister Hasina opened the Climate Vulnerable Forum 2011 at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday, emphasizing the need for global acknowledgment of the serious injustice of climate change. She highlighted that countries like Bangladesh are suffering the consequences of climate change despite making minimal contributions to the problem. The Climate Vulnerable Forum has emerged as a significant new voice on climate change since the UN summit in Copenhagen two years ago. The initial Climate Vulnerable Forum took place in the Maldives capital of Malé in 2009, followed by the second one in Kiribati the following year. This forum is comprised of small island nations at risk of extreme weather events and rising sea levels, countries with extensive low-lying coastlines like Vietnam and Bangladesh, and arid nations in East Africa. Prime Minister Hasina expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete support for the adaptation efforts of vulnerable countries. She highlighted the challenges in accessing funding and technology, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the financing of the Green Climate Fund between 2012 and 2020. Hasina called for vulnerable countries to unite and voice their concerns leading up to COP17 in Durban. She stated that in response to climate change, it is important to collaborate with international partners and establish a strong partnership. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Dhaka for a three-day trip, emphasized the need for launching the Green Climate Fund in Durban. He stressed that Durban must follow through on the agreements made in Cancún the previous year, as an empty shell would not be enough. In Cancún, Mexico, it was decided that the fund would be established. He stated that Durban needs to develop a plan of action regarding loss and damage to help countries like Bangladesh that are severely affected by extreme weather events. He emphasized that it is unfair to expect the poorest and most vulnerable to bear the costs. The UN leader expressed hope that governments would reach a compromise on the Kyoto protocol to pave the way for a more comprehensive climate agreement in the future. He pointed out that in 1991, a cyclone in Bangladesh led to the deaths of 140,000 people, whereas in 2007, only 4,000 people died due to a cyclone, highlighting the effectiveness of the Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness programme. Bangladesh is known as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. If sea levels rise by two meters, approximately 30 million Bangladeshis could be forced to leave their homes. The Dhaka declaration of the climate forum will be approved at 4:30pm.