Sustainable Development of Mountain Region
Bangladesh to collaborate with neighbours
Bangladesh has joined hands with other regional countries that cover a mountain region to share knowledge and experience about uses and abuses of mountains and ensure a sustainable development of the hilly region on the edge of the Himalayan range.
As part of the efforts, the country will observe International Mountain Day today to create awareness among the country’s people about importance of hills for life and nature.
With the theme, “Mountains-Key to a Sustainable Future”, countries of the mountain regions have been observing the day on December 11 since 2003 when the UN adopted it.
The ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has organised several programmes on the occasion including seminars, rallies and photo exhibitions, said a press release.
Dr Christian Mazal, programme coordinator of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an intergovernmental regional cooperation platform, will deliver his keynote speech at the seminar.
The ICIMOD has taken up a five-year long sustainable development programme for the countries of the mountain region that sheds new light on climate change, helps mountain and downstream people adapt to changes, and builds capacity for sustainable solutions.
A total of eight countries of the Himalayan and Hindukush region–Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan–will be benefitted from the programme.
The hilly regions of Bangladesh, one of the countries most badly affected by climate change, are also affected like those of other countries in the mountain region.
In a separate press release, issued from the ICIMOD, Nepal said it signed a $25 million agreement yesterday with the Norwegian government to support the programme.
-With The Daily Star input
