State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud said about 20 million people might be displaced from coastal belts as a result of sea level rise following climate change.
He said this while inaugurating a seminar on "Climate change: Adverse affect on Bangladesh and our action".
Press Information Department (PID) organised the seminar at its conference room in the city with the assistance of World Bank, reports BSS.
Dr Hasan urged all, including government and non-government organizations (NGOs), to act unitedly to face the challenges of climate change in the country.
Information Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon Prof Muzaffar Ahmed and director general of Department of Environment Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan also spoke on the occasion with Principal Information Officer AKM Shameem Chowdhury in the chair.
Executive director of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association Syeda Rizwana Hasan and chief reporter of the Daily Jugantar Rafiqul Islam Ratan, among others, were panel discussants.
Dr Hasan said using latest technology Bangladesh could reclaim land from the sea instead of losing land to inundation by the sea level rise following climate change.
Referring to siltation, the state minister said the big rivers like Padma, Meghna and Jamuna carry millions of tonnes of silt to the Bay of Bengal, what could be reclaimed using technology.
Bangladesh emits a very little amount of carbon in comparison to the developed nations but the country is most vulnerable to ozone layer damage, he added.
Dr Hasan said afforestation in the coastal areas and strengthening embankments are essential for protecting people from repeated cyclones and sea storms.
About resilience of Bangladeshis, he said the international community has appreciated the courage and fortitude of our people. Bangladesh is now treated as a model of disaster management in the world, he said.
In terms of population, a vast number of people are exposed to the adverse effect of climate change in Bangladesh, the state minister said.
Pointing to big lakes created recently in the Himalayas by snow melting, Dr Hasan said if there is any earthquake in the region, Bangladesh might face a severe disaster with sudden floods.
Dr Chowdhury said Bangladesh is now an active partner in the fight against climate change in the international arena. Amount of loss in climate change can be reduced creating mass awareness, he added.
Climate change may displace 20m people: Hasan
FE Team | Published: November 20, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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