'People's rising demands have bad impacts on ecology'
University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam yesterday said people's demands are on the increase with the growth of the country's economy and are having negative impacts on environment.
Global and local leaders are worried over the extreme weather events and climate change, he said, adding that Bangladesh has also been facing adverse impacts of the global climate change.
The UGC chairman said this at an international conference on 'Climate change: Problems and solutions' organised by Bangladesh National Geography Association at Jahangirnagar University (JU) auditorium.
JU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sharif Enamul Kabir was present at the programme as the special guest with Prof Mirza Mofizuddin, president of the association, in the chair.
With the increase of population, forest lands were being destroyed and rivers, water bodies as well as ponds being filled up for building dwelling houses, Prof Nazrul said.
He further said that effectiveness of environment policy and environmental courts have to be increased to get rid of this situation.
Dr Sharif Enamul Kabir said the papers presented in the conference would play an important role in preventing climate change and disaster.
Secretary General of the association Prof Dr Khandaker Shariful Huda gave an address of welcome.
Prof AHM Abdul Baqui of Dhaka University Geography and Environment Department presented a keynote paper while Prof Atia Habib Kidwai of India's Jawaharlal Nehru University also presented a paper.
A total of 60 papers were presented in the daylong conference where some 250 geographers and environmentalists from home and abroad took part.
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