4 crore could be displaced
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that there was a possibility that around 4 crore people of 70 upazilas in 19 districts might be displaced due to climate change.
She, however, did not mention how many years it might take.
In reply to a query of Awami League lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarker, the PM also informed the House that the average temperature of Bangladesh went up by one degree Celsius in May and by 0.5 degree Celsius in November in recent times.
In a written answer, Hasina, also leader of the House, said salty water of sea was now entering up to 100km into the river during summer as a result of climate change.
“The average rainfall has increased. Excessive rainfalls in a short time caused waterlogging in town areas. The trend of cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has risen.
The rough sea has caused adverse impacts on fishermen’s livelihood,” Hasina said.
The PM added that the balance of the environment was also damaged due to climate change. That’s why they did not now see variation among different seasons like in the past.
It has put negative impacts on the biodiversity as well as on the agriculture. This is posing a threat to agricultural production, said Hasina.
She opined that climate change caused outbreak of different insect-borne diseases.
Hasina also outlined her government’s various measures, including the formulation of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, to increase the national capacity to combat the climate change impacts.
The PM added that her government had taken up a programme to plant 1 crore trees this year across the country to mark Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary. This would play a significant role in curbing global greenhouse gas emission, she said.
Responding to another question from AL MP Anwar Hossain Khan, Hasina said there are 40 transponders in Bangabandhu Satellite, and it is expected that $1 million to $1.25 million might be earned a year from each transponder as per the present market rate.
Answering to a query from AL MP AKM Rahmatullah, the PM said through celebrating Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, it would be possible to spread the life and work of the Father of the Nation in the international arena.
She mentioned that the Unesco has 59 proposals for 2020-21 and celebration of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary is one of them.
“They [Unesco] did not make the decision considering Bangabandhu a political leader, rather they considered him a symbol of realising people’s rights,” Hasina said.
The PM added that she was very much fortunate that in 2020 the AL is in power and for this, the party got the chance to celebrate her father’s birth centenary.
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