People under poverty line up by 5-6 pc: Minister

A number of people live under the poverty line rose to about five to six percent on account of frequent natural calamities during the last few years in the country, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said in the city on Wednesday, reports BSS.
Bangladesh has become most vulnerable to any disaster and its people has also a commendable reputation to survive in the face of natural disaster at any magnitude, said the minister citing an example of tackling this year”s Cyclone Aila without a mere amount of donors” support.
Dr Razzaque was addressing a roundtable on “Climate Change and Ways and Means for Vulnerable Coastal People”, jointly organized by Shaptahik 2000, a weekly magazine, and Community Development Centre (CODEC) at Jatiya Press Club here.
Former deputy minister Direndra Debnath Shambu MP, IUCN Bangladesh Country Director Dr Ainun Nishat, FEJB Chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, Executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) Dr Atiq A Rahman, adviser to the former caretaker government Rasheda K Chowdhury, deputy executive editor of Saptahik 2000 Komol Sen Gupta took part in the discussion.
The roundtable, moderated by Editor of Saptahik 2000 Moinul Ahsan Saber, was participated, among others, by experts, politicians, academicians, NGO representatives and coastal people.
Dr Razzak said, economic loss owing to any natural disaster could be lessened to a great extent if the coastal people, representing one third of the country”s population, are provided with necessary support for livelihood.
He criticised the international community for not fulfilling the commitment saying that the developed countries, excepting Denmark, are reluctant to meet their commitment of providing 0.5 percent of their GDP to the developing nations, exposed to the adverse impact of climate change.
Experts should discuss the issue of climate change in the international forums besides taking part only in seminars, symposiums so that the international donors can draw attention on the particular issue, the minister pointed out.
The climate change is not only an environmental issue but also has a bearing on development, Dr Atiq said adding that Bangladesh has been experiencing climate change impacts in the form of severe draught, frequent cyclones, salinity intrusion and abnormal fluctuation of temperatures.
Moinul Ahsan said, the environmental expert held the developed countries responsible for the adverse impact of the climate change.
The developed countries must compensate in this regard to help the developing countries get over the crisis, he said.
Quoting a study carried out by Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Komol Sen Gupta said that approximately 3.48 lakh people live in the country”s 710-km coastal acres of 19 districts.
In one hand the coastal people face multifarious challenges due to river erosion, lack of jobs, poverty and reduction in different species of fisheries and on the other hand natural calamities that makes their life unstable, said Gupta.

Courtesy of The News Today