Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on weather-vulnerable countries 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 emphasized the need for timely action to prevent further increases in costs. Hasina made these remarks while inaugurating the Climate Vulnerable Forum 2011 at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday. The Climate Vulnerable Forum has emerged as a prominent voice on climate change since the UN summit in Copenhagen two years ago. Hasina emphasized that climate change is a serious injustice that must be recognized by the global community, pointing out that countries like Bangladesh bear the brunt of the damage despite making minimal contributions to the issue. The initial Climate Vulnerable Forum took place in Malé, Maldives in 2009, followed by the second one in Kiribati the following year. This forum consists of small island nations, countries with extensive low-lying coastlines like Vietnam and Bangladesh, and arid nations in East Africa. Hasina expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete support for adaptation efforts by vulnerable countries. She emphasized the need for easier access to funding and technology, as well as clarity on how the global community plans to raise funds for the Green Climate Fund between 2012 and 2020. Prior to the COP17 in Durban, the prime minister called for vulnerable countries to unite and voice their concerns in the program. She stated that in order to address climate change, it is essential to work with international partners and establish a strong partnership. The United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who was the keynote speaker during his three-day trip to Dhaka, emphasized the importance of launching the Green Climate Fund in Durban. He stressed that Durban must fulfill the agreements made in Cancún the previous year, stating that an empty fund would not be enough. In Cancún, Mexico, it was agreed that the fund would be established. The speaker emphasized the need for Durban to develop a plan of action regarding loss and damage in order to assist countries like Bangladesh that are heavily impacted by severe weather events. He stressed the importance of not burdening the poorest and most vulnerable populations with the associated costs. The UN chief 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 cited the example of how a cyclone in 1991 resulted in 140,000 deaths, while a cyclone in 2007 only claimed 4,000 lives in Bangladesh. He attributed the lower death toll in 2007 to the Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness program, which involved volunteers using bullhorns and bicycles to evacuate over three million people. Bangladesh is known as one of the most at-risk countries to climate change globally. If sea levels rise by two meters, approximately 30 million Bangladeshis would have to relocate from their residences. The Dhaka declaration from the climate forum will be officially adopted at 4:30pm.