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Work unitedly to face climate change fallout

President urges world community

Staff Correspondent
Reminding the aftermath of natural disasters and the role of scientists to fight that, President lajuddin Ahmed yesterday called upon the world community to work unitedly to face the challenges of climate change and make the planet a better place to live in. He described scientists as the most important representatives of humankind and asked them to give suggestions to the world community to protect the planet.
The president was addressing at the inaugural session of the six-day International symposium on "Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia" at a city hotel.
The University of Dhaka and Ohio State University, USA jointly
organised the symposium with collaboration of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and United Nations Economics and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (Escap).
The session was addressed, among others, by Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Environment and Forest Raja Devashish Roy, Prof Dr Rattan Lal of soil science, Ohio State University, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary General Michel Jarrud, FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Asia and Pacific Changchui He, and Prof Mus tafizur Rahman of Dhaka University.
Inaugurating the symposium,
President lajuddin expressed his strong belief that it would offer some positive suggestions and guidelines in resolving the issues on climate change.
Referring to the 1PCC forecasts, lajuddin, who is also a soil scientist, said due to global warming, salinity intrusion would increase and "severely hamper our land, livelihood, food production, safe water and ecological balance".
He said the entire South Asian coastal belt would be severely affected and thus this region would face intense natural disasters in the form of floods, cyclones, storm surges and drought.
As the World Bank warns that rice production could decline up to 30 percent due to climate change, the president said: "We must ensure food security for the global people, particularly for the people of developing countries, with collective efforts."
Raja Devasish Roy said climate change is no longer a distant disaster or only an environmental issue; it has now become an issue of overall development.
"We have been finalising an action plan for Bangladesh as a living document to face the adverse effects of climate change, ” he said.
Prof Ratan Lal said the problems Bangladesh and other South Asian countries are facing is a global
"So it has to be addressed regionally as well as through cooperation and mutual support," he observed.
Prof Fiaz, vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, who chaired the session, suggested an increase in effective coordination and cooperation among the South Asian countries to tackle the growing threat of climate change.
Over 300 experts and policymakers from home and abroad are taking part in the symposium where nearly 65 research papers on adaptation and mitigation of climate change as well as addressing the food security issues would be presented in sixdays.
The sessions will take place at several venues including the Dhaka University auditorium. Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and the Sonargaon Hotel.