The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque Saturday emphasized the need for innovation of new verities of crop and strengthening the economy in costal areas to cope with the climate change-related problems.

"The government would give more attention to research works for innovation of heat-tolerant new crops to cope with the growing warm caused by climate change," Razzaque told a seminar.

As the country's costal region has already hit hard by climate change, he said, "We've to strengthen the economy of the coastal region so that the poorest people living therein can face the climate change-related problems and minimize its devastation."

Civil Engineer Division, IEB organized the seminar titled 'Climate Change: Effect, Mitigation and Adaptation' at Bangladesh Engineers Institute with its chairman Dr. Eng. Gholam Mostofa in the chair.

The minister said the developed countries, responsible for global warming, are not ready to give aid to the least developed countries to tackle the problems they have created.

"Although the developed countries were committed to providing 0.7 percent of their GDP to the least development to face the global warming caused by greenhouse effect, all of them, except Norway and Denmark, are not providing any assistance in this regard," Razzaque said.

Whip Mazibul Hoque and IEB President Prof SM Nazrul Islam addressed the function as special guests while Munaz Ahmed Noor, a teacher of BUET, presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

In his paper, Munaz said the government should strongly negotiate for having increased aid for the developing countries to improve energy efficiency and adapt to renewable energy technologies.

He said the country approximately produce one-fifth of 1 percent global CO2 and the government must be careful in setting out the target considering our rising economy.