Take steps to save coastal ecology

Speakers at a seminar yesterday called for immediate measures to protect the people and environment in the coastal districts from the adverse impacts of climate change including rise of sea-level and salinity in cultivable lands.
The seminar on 'Climatic change: Water logging and its adverse effect on coastal areas' was jointly organised by local NGOs SETU and BARSIK at SETU conference room in Tala upazila.
Natural calamities like cyclone, flood, drought, water-logging, salinity, deforestration, desertification, river erosion and rise of sea-level are taking place alarmingly in the coastal districts due to adverse impacts of climate change which will impede the country's development, particularly in reducing poverty level, speakers said at the seminar.
Large-scale emission of carbon-di-oxide from the industries of the developed nations is mainly responsible for the rapid climate change while about people of the third world are the worst victims, they said.
Over 3,48,00,000 people in 39 upazilas in 13 coastal districts of the country are struggling with such adverse environments to survive, they said.
Former minister Syed Didar Bakht was the chief guest while water expert Prof Hashem Ali Fakir was the special guest at the seminar with Subhasini College Principal Kamrul Islam in the chair.