UNB, Dhaka :
Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud on Sunday said a holistic approach should be taken to ensure land security in the country considering the climate change impacts, aiming to sustain its food production.
“Land availability is a constraint to increase of food production… we’ re having drought, flood, poor flow of water, salinity intrusion, storm surge and cyclone. All these are barriers against the increase of food production,” he said at a workshop here in the morning.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in association with the
Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) and the Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka organised the completion workshop on ‘Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Sustaining Rice Production in Bangladesh’ at Spectra Convention Centre, Gulshan.
Speaking as the chief guest, Anisul Islam Mahmud said experts predict that one-third land of Bangladesh will go under seawater by 2050 due to sea level rise. “Our coastal polders were designed before the concept of climate change. Now, question is that how we reduce our physical vulnerability.”
He said, if one-third of land goes under seawater, even the innovation of salinity-, drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties could not mitigate the food problems.
“It’s a question of our food production…it’s a question of transformation of people,” the Water Resources Minister said, adding that it is not only a matter of food security but also of land security as the country is experiencing gradual shrinking of land.
He also stressed the need for recovering the rivers under illegal occupation and excavating the dying rivers to ensure smooth water flow and increase of food grains production.
About the proposed Ganges Barrage, Anisul Islam said that about $ 4 billion is needed to construct the barrage, which will help the country increase food production and cut salinity intrusion in the coastal region.
“If the policymakers come up with appropriate policies to address the existing problems, Bangladesh will no doubt be a middle-income country by 2021,” he hoped.
Norwegian Ambassador in Dhaka Merete Lundemo, additional secretary of Water Resources Ministry ALM Abdur Rahman and BRRI director general Dr Jiban Krishna Biswas also spoke at the meeting.
Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud on Sunday said a holistic approach should be taken to ensure land security in the country considering the climate change impacts, aiming to sustain its food production.
“Land availability is a constraint to increase of food production… we’ re having drought, flood, poor flow of water, salinity intrusion, storm surge and cyclone. All these are barriers against the increase of food production,” he said at a workshop here in the morning.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in association with the
Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) and the Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka organised the completion workshop on ‘Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Sustaining Rice Production in Bangladesh’ at Spectra Convention Centre, Gulshan.
Speaking as the chief guest, Anisul Islam Mahmud said experts predict that one-third land of Bangladesh will go under seawater by 2050 due to sea level rise. “Our coastal polders were designed before the concept of climate change. Now, question is that how we reduce our physical vulnerability.”
He said, if one-third of land goes under seawater, even the innovation of salinity-, drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties could not mitigate the food problems.
“It’s a question of our food production…it’s a question of transformation of people,” the Water Resources Minister said, adding that it is not only a matter of food security but also of land security as the country is experiencing gradual shrinking of land.
He also stressed the need for recovering the rivers under illegal occupation and excavating the dying rivers to ensure smooth water flow and increase of food grains production.
About the proposed Ganges Barrage, Anisul Islam said that about $ 4 billion is needed to construct the barrage, which will help the country increase food production and cut salinity intrusion in the coastal region.
“If the policymakers come up with appropriate policies to address the existing problems, Bangladesh will no doubt be a middle-income country by 2021,” he hoped.
Norwegian Ambassador in Dhaka Merete Lundemo, additional secretary of Water Resources Ministry ALM Abdur Rahman and BRRI director general Dr Jiban Krishna Biswas also spoke at the meeting.
