Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin, MP, on Sunday said Bangladesh is taking adaptation initiatives to combat negative impacts of climate change caused by global warming.
“We are working to plant trees on more than 25 percent of the country’s total land area. To attain the goal, we will not cut or sell any tree of the Department of Forest till 2022,” he said.
The minister was addressing the launching function of the Regional Bamboo Research and Training Centre (RBRTC) of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) at Domar upazila town in Nilphamari district as the chief guest.
The BFRI has built the four-storey RBRTC building with modern research laboratory and training facilities spending Taka 18.53 crore aiming at restoring the past glorious tradition of bamboo.
The minister said the newly launched RBRTC will largely contribute to expand bamboo cultivation and increase use of eco-friendly bamboo-made products in Rangpur region.
“The RBRTC will provide training to farmers and bamboo artisans to promote cultivation of bamboo, increase quality of bamboo, preservation, production and marketing of attractive bamboo-made products in a cost effective manner,” he said.
Apart from this, the RBRTC will provide training on agronomic management of bamboo clusters and use of chemical materials to enhance life expectancy of bamboo-made products, wood and other goods.
“In the past, bamboo was largely used as necessary construction material and tool for producing essential household works, including construction and furnishings of houses,” he said.
“At present, timber and plastic materials have occupied the space of bamboo destroying huge number of trees and balance in nature and the environment,” he said, adding that pollution has taken a serious shape now due to the widespread use of plastic goods.
“The rate of felling trees and use of plastic goods would be reduced substantially if we can conduct proper research on bamboo and inspire farmers in farming bamboo adopting latest technologies and expand the use of eco-friendly bamboo-made products,” he said.
With Secretary for the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Ziaul Hasan in the chair, Aftab Uddin Sarkar, MP, Chief Forest Conservator Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, Additional Secretary (Development) to the Ministry Ahmad Shamim Al Razi, Deputy Commissioner of Nilphamari Hafizur Rahman Chowdhury, attended the function, among others.
