Bangladesh can tackle climate change on its own

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque yesterday said the government will be able to tackle climate change-related losses with its own fund.

"Climate change will have a severe impact on the country's agriculture sector. We're giving agriculture top priority to save it from the consequences," he said.

The minister said this during a seminar on "World Climate Summit 2021: Bangladesh's Expectations", organised by the subcommittee on forest and environment affairs of Bangladesh Awami League at CIRDAP, reads a press release.

The minister mentioned that the government has formulated a strategic action plan and created a climate change trust fund worth Tk 700 crore to tackle adverse impacts of climate change.

The implementation of the plans is going on, he added.

He said Bangladeshi scientists and officials have been prioritising invention and expansion of salinity, drought and submergence tolerant rice.

"We've seen many successes in these areas," he added.

Razzaque said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will highlight damages due to climate change and Bangladesh's expectations at the World Climate Summit 2021.

Professor Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, pro-vice-chancellor of Dhaka University; Professor Khandker Bazlul Haque, chairman of Awami League Sub-Committee on Forest and Environment and Professor Dr Sadeka Halim, Dean of Social Science Faculty, Dhaka University spoke at the event, among others.

Dr Delwar Hossain, Professor of International Relations, Dhaka University, presented the keynote speech.