'Frame policy to face impacts'

Speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the government to formulate appropriate policy to face the adverse impacts of global climate change and warming.

They also stressed the need for strong alliance of the least developing countries (LDCs) to keep pressure on the developed nations to reduce emission of carbon dioxide.

The seminar titled 'Climate change and its impact on Bangladesh' was organised by the local office of Press Information Department (PID) at a city hotel.

Addressing the seminar as chief guest Industry Minister Dilip Barua said the present government would not allow any industry that pollutes environment.

The government has already made the setting up of waste management devices mandatory in all the state-owned industries, he added.

He said the new industrial policy will encourage environment-friendly industrialisation in the country.

"We must demand compensation from the developed countries for the damages that we are facing because of their acts,” he added.

Presided over by PID Principal Information Officer AKM Shamim Chowdhury, the seminar was attended by Additional Divisional Commissioner (Development) Shyamapada Dey as special guest while Assistant Professor of geography department at Chittagong University Dr Alak Paul presented the keynote paper.

In his paper Dr Alak said Bangladesh as victim of universal climate change is frequently facing natural calamities like draught, sudden flood, increased salinity and tidal upsurge.

As a result millions of people in the country are becoming climate refugees and crowding the densely populated cities, he added.

Dr Alak said around three crore people living in the coastal districts of greater Chittagong, Noakhali, Khulna and Barisal are vulnerable to sea level rise.

If the sea level rises up to one metre by 2100, 17 percent of low-lying areas will go under sea, he added.

He said with the increase of salinity in the coastal areas agricultural production will drop by two lakh tons per year.

In the second session, a discussion was held on the issue.

Director of the Department of Environment, Chittagong Abdus Sobhan, Chittagong Press Club President Abu Sufian, Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts Chief Executive Shishir Dutta, Deputy Principal Information Officer of Regional Information Office Md Mostafa and Dr Alak Paul were the panel discussants.

It was moderated by Shamim Chowdhury.

The speakers underscored the need for taking immediate steps and launching awareness campaign to stop pollution of Karnaphuli river and hill cutting.