The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Environment and Forests Raja Devashish Roy yesterday urged journalists to sensitise the issue of environment, which are very crucial to the national development.

"We cannot ensure sustainable development without addressing the environment problems. Bangladesh has its own environmental policies and laws. But the job of mainstreaming the environmental issues is not easy," he said at the inauguration of a training course for Bangladeshi journalists on environment reporting in the city.

"Bangladesh would play a leading role in all international forums in the fight against climate changes that pose a great threat to the country. But we need technical support and funds from the developed countries in facing the adverse effects of climate change," he also said.

The five-day training course was organised by Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), which is being conducted by John Vidal, Environment Editor of The Guardian, London held at UNB Conference Room in the city.

Dr Atiq A Rahman, Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies and Quamrul Islam Siddiqi, President of Bangladesh Water Partnership, were resource persons on the first day of the training course.

Dr Atiq Rahman presented the Bangladesh perspective on environmental issues, warning that climate change could unleash havoc on the country over the coming decades.

Citing examples of the kind of disasters that could befall Bangladesh, he said the country is now bracing for frequent cyclones and tidal surges like the recent cyclone SIDR.

"There will be salinity in water affecting production of crops and in the long run, it will cause large-scale migration of 'climate and environment refugees," said Dr Atiq.

Enayetullah Khan, Chairman of Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB), Hasan Shahriar, President of Commonwealth Press Association (CJA), Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Qamrul Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of Forum of Environmental Journalists Bangladesh (FEJB), among others, were present on the occasion.

About 30 journalists from different newspapers and news agencies are participating the course. The course will end on February 21.