Climate change: Collective efforts needed to mitigate adverse effects

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Dr Matiur Rahman :
According to scientists, the Earth has already warmed by about 2.7 degrees celsius since the beginning of the industrial age. Recently the whole of Europe was swept away by the heat wave. In between, the fires have spread in Spain and Portugal. More than 1,000 people have been killed due to heat in both countries. Besides Europe, the rising temperature has broken records in different countries. Experts say that heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense and long-lasting due to climate change. Bangladesh is not beyond such impacts. Recently, floods have appeared twice in the northeastern part of the country, and other districts were also affected by floods. Many districts in the country’s northern and middle parts suffer from severe heat.
Apart from this, according to experts, the sea level of Bangladesh is increasing by 21 millimeters yearly. If the sea level rises by one meter, about one-fifth of Bangladesh’s coastal and low-lying areas may be submerged in the sea. About 40 million people of 70 Upazilas of 19 districts of the coastal region will be directly affected.
Carbon emissions due to global industrialization are constantly increasing, and Bangladesh is not out of it. For this reason, Bangladesh must take various necessary steps to reduce carbon emissions. A practical initiative that needs to be taken in this regard is the growth of greenery. In other words, massive afforestation across the country should be implemented.
Besides, proper and effective planning is required to prevent water pollution. Moreover, its control and overall management are also needed by building embankments per the requirement so that the sea’s salt water cannot overflow and mix with the freshwater. Apart from this, necessary initiatives should be taken with expert advice on how farmers can adapt to climate change.
It is essential to take preventive measures against cyclones. Although there is no way to protect from it completely, it is possible to reduce the amount of damage by prevention.
The government should be strengthened in implementing the ‘Delta Plan 2100’ to protect the country from all-natural disasters. However, in this case, the responsibility is not only of the government, but everyone has the responsibility to protect the environment from individuals to everyone. Especially everyone should plant more and more trees.
Recently, people have been more vocal than ever about environmental movement. It makes us optimistic. It has therefore now become a global challenge for us to save our mother planet. But we cannot deal in it alone; it needs global concerted efforts. We must take more effective initiatives quickly without looking back. Thus we will be safe and our future generation will also be safe and secured. The world will surely sustain with its nature providing every person a guarantee to have a real meaning of survival.

(The writer is a researcher and
 development worker).

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