Climate change impacts in Bangladesh
With the Himalayas to the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south, Bangladesh sits on one of the world’s largest and most densely populated deltas, where the Jamuna, Padma and Meghna rivers converge.
With the Himalayas to the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south, Bangladesh sits on one of the world’s largest and most densely populated deltas, where the Jamuna, Padma and Meghna rivers converge.
Farmers in Khulna and Bagerhat districts are now firm to resist saline water-based shrimp cultivation while women workers in shrimp processing plants in the districts have vowed to stop exploitation by the owners by depriving them of due wages and facility. Several thousands farmers of Khulna and Bagerhat districts recently staged protests against saline water based shrimp cultivation.
Labour and Expatriates' Welfare Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said open pit mining in the North Bengal's coal mines would help solve not only power problems, but also check desertification in that region.
Bangladesh has sought assistance of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to set up another crude oil refinery and the UAE has responded positively in this regard. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Hasan Mahmud sought the assistance when UAE Ambassador in Dhaka Khalfan Battal Ali Al Monsouri met him at the foreign ministry yesterday, says a press release.
Excessive use of underground water of the capital through deep tube wells, and filling up of low-lying land, canals and water bodies are causing the underground water level to drop alarmingly. Experts say that this could put the city dwellers in severe water crisis in future and also cause land to subside.
The use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the transport sector has not only reduced carbon emission but also is saving over $800 million worth of petroleum import annually, Petrobangla sources say. However, rapid expansion of CNG delivery network in the last few years has significantly contributed to instability of gas supply pressure in many areas.
Tree plantation has been better in recent years compared to the past. But equal enthusiasm is not there to stop deforestation. Bangladesh has to stop deforestation to consolidate gains of its afforestation programmes. There is still a long way to go for this country to reach the environmentally safe goal of having at least 25 per cent of its land cover under vegetation.
The government is likely to allocate Tk 3,884 crore for power sector development, which includes installation of nine new power plants in the country. It will be a component of the annual development programme (ADP) next fiscal year.
Unfortunately this poor country is probably the most disaster prone in the world. Rapid growth in population and a slow rate of growth of the economy have forced a substantial part of the ever increasing population to settle in areas too risky for human habitation.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday said the government is going to form a committee soon to review the report of Shamsul Haque Education Committee-1997 in order to formulate the national education policy in line with the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission-1974 report.
Bangladesh celebrates the World Health Day today with the slogan 'Save lives: Make hospitals safe in emergencies' along with the other United Nations member countries. President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate statements wished successes of the week-long programmes taken by the government.