The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Geological experts at an international conference here yesterday underscored the need for carrying out more geological researches to study Delta and coastal hydrodynamics of Bay of Bengal for making early warning of natural calamities to help cut risks and damages.

With better understanding of the deltas in the Asia Pacific region specially the Bengal delta known as Ganges-Brahmaputra, forecast of cyclones and earthquake could be possible to make for taking proper disaster preparedness, they said.

The six-day international conference on deltas was jointly organised by Geological Survey of Bangladesh, Delta Map, one of the project under International Geosciences Correlation Programmes (IGCP).

More than 57 international geological experts from 17 countries are being shared their views with about 100 local experts from various geological and scientific organizations across the country during the conference.

A total of 73 papers on various geological issues including sedimentary process, stratigraphy and sequence development, indicators of monsoon circulation, deltaic geo-hazards like arsenic, cyclone, surges, earthquakes and tsunami are being presented.

Energy and Mineral Resources secretary Moihammad Mohsin inaugurated the conference while President of Bangladesh Geological Society Professor Monirul Hoque spoke as the special guest.

Convener of the conference Director General of Geological Survey of Bangladesh Afia Akhter and team leader of Delta Map project Dr Steven Goodbred of Vanderbilt University in the USA also spoke at the inaugural session.

Mohsin said, the country's deltaic environment are vulnerable to numerous and frequent natural hazards like tsunamis, cyclones monsoon floods, droughts, sea-level rise, arsenic and other related problems.

"I hoped that interaction among the scientists coming from various level of research will give a clear idea about the development of delta and its implication of the country, which helps us to take proper disaster preparedness in future" he said.

Afia Akhter said, the Bengal delta is the largest delta with one of the thickest sedimentary sequence in the world, which receives and discharge billions of tones of sediments annually in to the Bay of Bengal. "But limited information and data are available till now about this delta, specially, about the sub-aqueous part of it", she said.