The New Nation - Internet Edition

Raja Devasish for setting up climate change secretariat

BSS, Dhaka

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Environment and Forest Raja Devasish Roy on Monday said, they are thinking to set up a separate secretariat to deal the climate change issue in a more coordinated way under the currently being formulated long-term national strategy and action plan.

"We have a small climate change cell which is basically research driven. Now we need to set up a separate secretariat for increasing as well as improving our initiatives to face the adverse effects of the climate change effectively," he said.

Raja Devasish was speaking as the chief guest at a meeting on 'Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan', organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forest with the support of UK's Department For International Development (DFID) at Spectra convention centre here.

Environment and Forest secretary AHM Rezaul Kabir presided over the meeting while Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Dr M Asaduzzaman gave a presentation on Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

UNDP acting Country Director Lary Maramis, Senior Programme officer of DFID Jum McAlpine, and representatives from the embassies of Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, FAO, UNFPA, The World Bank, USAID, ADB, SIDA, CIDA and JBIC also spoke.

The meeting discussed on the draft of ten-year Climate Change Action Plan, which has recently been designed under the initiative of Ministry of Environment and Forest in consultation with all relevant ministries and divisions and agencies to build the capacity of the country to meet the challenges of climate change over the next 20-25 years under a strategy.

Terming the draft as a 'living document', Raja Devasish said, they tried to make the draft as participatory and consultative as possible by taking inputs from all stake holders. To make it more effective, they are still taking inputs from different organizations including civil society members, non-government organization, development partners and research organizations.

He said, the country needs additional funding on grant basis, beyond the flow of normal ODI, through international negotiation for facing the climate change.

Mentioning, the upcoming London meeting on climate change, to be organized jointly by the Bangladesh and the UK governments on September 10, the special assistant said, "We are expecting fund as grant from the gathering."

He said, the government has already created a climate change fund worth US$45 million from its own budget to articulate its firm commitment and concern to face climate change.

Kabir said, security of food, water, energy and livelihood must be inviolate for any climate change strategy and action.

The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan has six pillars and mainly focus on the matter to adapt to climate change and safeguard the vulnerable population of the country through an integrated planning, Dr M Asaduzzaman said.

"Adaptation and mitigation will both require resources beyond Bangladesh's own capacity at present," he said, adding "While Bangladesh is trying what it can from own effort, but, strong political commitment of development partners will be most welcome."

The six pillars of the climate action plan are; Food security, poverty and health; Comprehensive disaster management;

Infrastructure; Research and knowledge management; Mitigation and low carbon development; and Capacity building.

The climate action plan focused on increasing the resilience of vulnerable groups, including women, through development of community level adaptation, livelihood diversification, and better access to basis services and social safety net programmes.

3 BN officers promoted to rank of Commodore

BSS, Dhaka

Three officers of Bangladesh Navy have been promoted to the rank of Commodore from Captain on Monday.

Those who have been promoted are Commodore Z U Ahmed, Commodore Shakhawat Imran and Commodore M Anwarul Islam, said an ISPR release issued here on Monday.

Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam adorned them with the badges of rank of Commodore ceremonially today at naval headquarters.

In a sort speech Naval Chief urged the newly promoted officers and other officers to make themselves eligible and to take higher responsibilities while working home and abroad.

Sri Lanka Navy Chief passes busy day

BSS, Dhaka

Visiting Chief of Naval Staff of Sri Lanka Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda passed busy day here on Monday.

Sri Lanka Navy chief laid floral wreath at Shikha Anirban to pay tributes to the memory of the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives during the War of Liberation in 1971, said a press release.

Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda called on Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam at the Naval Headquarters. He remained with the Navy Chief for sometime and exchanged greetings and discussed matters of professional interest.

Earlier, on his arrival at the Naval Headquarters he was presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned- out naval contingent.

The Sri Lankan Navy Chief paid a courtesy call on Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman at the Air Headquarters. He remained with the Air Chief for sometime and exchanged views on bilateral issues.

He also paid a courtesy call on Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt. General Md. Abdul Mubeen at the AFD. He remained with the PSO for some time and discussed matters of professional interest.

Later, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda visited Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation and Training (BIPSOT) at Rajendrapur Cantonment, Gazipur.

Youth urged to make safer planet

BSS, Dhaka

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the young people around the world to invest their energies and bright ideas into shaping a safer and more sustainable planet in the wake of looming hazards due to climate change.

In a message on the eve of International Youth Day, the UN secretary general said though the science of climate change is complex, the facts are simple: our world is heading towards trouble. I saw this last year when I visited the Antarctic, where age-old ice is melting much faster than we originally thought it would.

Ban Ki-moon said left unaddressed climate change could cause an unraveling of the progress that has been made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and could also have serious implications for peace and security. Unless we make radical changes in the way we live, by the time the youth of 2008 reach my age, the world may well have become a rather inhospitable place.

The theme for this year's observance of International Youth Day is "Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action". Today's young people will bear the consequences of climate change, thanks to the unfortunate legacy of their elders.

In many developing countries in particular, youth-especially girls and young women-are often responsible for farming, finding water and collecting fuel wood. These tasks will be rendered more difficult-and will take even more time away from education or productive activities- as climate change affects the availability of water, agricultural productivity and the survival of ecosystems.

Yet young people are also well placed to contribute to the fight even now. They are adept at spreading new habits and technologies. They are adaptable and can quickly make low-carbon lifestyles and career choices a part of their daily lives.

Youth should therefore be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels. And they can actively support initiatives that will lead to the passage of far-reaching legislation.

We will need the spirit of youth in abundance as the world seeks to embrace cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy, including renewable resources. The transition to a low-carbon economy that we hope young people will see in their lifetimes offers tremendous opportunities.

Not least, economic growth that is fuelled by clean energy and technological innovation will create jobs that could help alleviate the dire global problem of youth unemployment, the message said.

Production of mushroom, palm-oil stressed

Staff Reporter

Adviser for LGRD and C, Labour and Employment, Textiles and Jute Ministries M. Anwarul Iqbal speaking as the chief guest at a seminar held in Dhaka on August 11 said, to improve the pecuniary condition of the poverty-stricken people of the country, cooperation from all quarters is needed. He said the government has taken measures to reinstate the defunct jute industries of the country for improvement of the jute industries and creation of employment opportunities.

Md. Abdur Rashid Sarker, Secretary for Textiles and Jute was present on the occasion as the special guest. The seminar on "Rural Roads Maintenance and Employment," presided over by Md. Shahidul Hassan, Chief Engineer, LGED was held at LGED HQs.

Speaking as the special guest at the seminar Abdur Rashid Sarker said it is expected that jute will regain its past tradition in the progress of economic welfare in the country. He said, we have to think over the future prospects of jute.

Sheikh Md. Ruhul Amin, Project Director, Mushroom Development Project, Ministry of Agriculture presented a keynote paper on 'Development of Mushroom cultivation in Bangladesh and poverty reduction. Saif Ahmed, Project Director, Bangladesh Palm Oil Development Project, Dhaka presented another paper on the project activities. Akmal Hossain, Project Director, REOPA Project, Local Government Division and Abu Taher Khan, Project Director, RERMP, LGED, presented two separate papers on 'Rural Employment in Public Properties' and 'Povety Reduction through Rural Employment and Road Maintenance respectively.

Later, Md. Shahidul Hassan, Chief Engineer, LGED said as the chairperson, concerted efforts are necessary to achieve a success. He said, the interactive participation of the members attending the present seminar reflect a positive attitude towards the changed dissemination of ideas leading to creation of employment opportunities and increase of production.