Saleemul Huq, a leading climate scientist, dies at 71

Huq authored several assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Prof Saleemul Huq, a climate change expert and director of the International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD), has died at the age of 71.

The ICCCAD announced his death in a post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you about the passing away of our director, Prof Saleemul Huq, on 29 October, 2023. His unmatched legacy will remain as a shining example for years and generations to come,” the ICCCAD said.

Born in 1952, Huq received his early education in Germany, Indonesia, and Kenya. He later completed his B Sc in botany from the Imperial College at London University in the United Kingdom in 1975, and a DIC as well as a PhD in botany from the same university in 1978.

Huq was the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and a professor at the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB).

He was an associate of the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED) in the United Kingdom.

In addition, he was the chair of the Expert Advisory Group for the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and also, a senior adviser on locally led adaptation with the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), headquartered in the Netherlands.

An expert in adaptation to climate change in the most vulnerable developing countries, Huq was the lead author of the third, fourth and fifth assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He wasalso an adviser to the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Huq was affiliated with the UN Food System Summit for 2021 as co-chair of the Action Track 5 on Building Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks & Stress.

He published hundreds of scientific as well as popular articles and was recognised as one of the top 20 global influencers on climate change policy in 2019 and top scientist from Bangladesh on climate change science.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to combating international climate change.