The state minister for environment and forest, Hasan Mahmud, on Sunday said that 30 million people would be displaced and 17 to 19 per cent of the country would be submerged by water if the sea-level rises by 1 metre.
Hasan Mahmud made the comment while addressing a seminar on ‘Degradation of natural environment in Bangladesh and climate change impacts: reality and duties’, arranged by the Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation on Sunday in the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The state minister, who was the chief guest, said that per capita emission of carbon dioxide per year in Bangladesh is only 0.3 tonnes, about 1.6 tonnes in developing countries and as much as 15 to 20 tonnes in the developed countries.
He blamed the developed countries for climate change and claimed that Bangladesh is the country that is most vulnerable to the various impacts of climate change.
He urged the government, opposition parties and non-governmental organizations to speak with a single voice on this dire issue.
Environmental consultant Dr Ansarul Karim, in his keynote paper, said Bangladesh has many plans to minimise the effects of climate change which should be implemented immediately, otherwise it will not be possible to tackle the adverse impacts of climate change.
He also said that the concerned institutions are failing to perform their duties with regard to combating climate change.
Quoting the United Nation’s International Panel on Climate Change, he said the speed of the wind has increased in Bangladesh by 5 to 10 per cent and rainfall by 20 per cent.
Due to the impacts of climate change the number of floods is increasing, the old and traditional species of rice are not growing due to salinity, and coastal erosion is accelerating — Sandwip has become one-third of its former size, Kutubdia’s area has shrunk to 47 square kilometres from 247, and Saint Martin’s unique coral ecosystem is being destroyed, he said.
Chaired by PKSF’s president Qazi Kholiquzzaman, the seminar was also addressed by Abdul Momin Talukdar, president of the parliamentary standing committee on the environment and forest ministry.
