The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

President Zillur Rahman on Thursday called upon all to join the ongoing plantation programme to make the country more greenery for facing the adverse affects of climate change.

"We all would have to be more sincere in preserving and developing plants for the greater interest of the nation," he said while inaugurating the tree plantation programme-2009 at Bangabhaban in the city.

State Minister for Environment and Forest Advocate Mustafizur Rahman also spoke while State Minister for Public Works Ministry Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan was present at the inauguration ceremony.

On the occasion, Zillur Rahman said total areas of forests in the country are decreasing alarmingly due to population growth, construction of infrastructure and houses, unplanned urbanization, setting up of industries and river erosion.

"We would have to plant more trees to get back our lost ecological diversity as contributions of plants are immense to maintain balance of environment," he said.

Mentioning the ongoing tree fairs in different districts and upazilas, organised by the Forest Department, the President hoped that people would collect quality saplings from these fairs for strengthening the ongoing deforestation programme.

"Plants are integrated part of the human life and livelihood. Basically, they are keeping this world livable," he observed.

Mentioning various adverse affects due to the climate change, the President said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already taken programmes to protect the country in this regard.

"The government has taken initiatives to prepare the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan that have been given importance in the proposed budget for 2009-10," Zillur Rahman said.

He hoped that the government's programmes for plantation of four crore saplings across the country would help make green boundaries for protecting coastal dams and riverbanks from flood and tidal surges.

The state minister for environment and forest said tree plantation in a massive scale is a must to protect the country from adverse effects of the global warming.

Advocate Mustafiz said environment scientists have already warned that three crore of Bangladeshi might be climate refugees due to rising of the sea level.

"We will try our level best to adapt with the climate change," he said adding that "but at the same time we will also raise voice against the developed countries, that are responsible for this natural calamities, to take proper steps for mitigating carbon emission."

Later, the President planted a sapling at the garden of Bangabhaban.