Students should raise their voice against climate change for protecting environment and biodiversity from its adverse impact in the region including the vast Barind tract, speakers at a discussion said.
They viewed that there should have adequate measures of boosting level of knowledge of the students on the issue. All the school, college and university level students need proper knowledge about the importance of biodiversity, natural resource conservation and climate change issues so that they can contribute to this field.
They were addressing the prize-giving ceremony of a children’s poster contest at Rajshahi Education Board Model School and College in Rajshahi yesterday. More than 750 students from different schools of the district took part in the contest depicting that the climate change is posing a serious threat to the region’s agriculture, food, water and sanitation.
Through their paintings, the students also raised voices against climate change and its adverse impacts to the living and livelihood condition of people in the region including its vast Barind tract. The developed countries should extend cooperation towards successful implementation of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, they exposed.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations jointly organized the contest to mark the World Food Day-2016. “Climate is Changing: Food and Agriculture Must Too” is the main theme of the day.
Additional Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture Nazmul Islam and Commissioner of Rajshahi division Abdul Hannan addressed the ceremony as chief and special guests with Hamidur Rahman, Director General of DAE, in the chair.
FAO Representative Mike Robson, Joint Secretary of Agriculture Ministry Hemayet Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Kazi Ashraf Uddin, Additional Director of DAE Fazlur Rahman and Principal of Rajshahi Education Board Model School and College Taifur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.
Chief Guest Nazmul Islam said the ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected every sector including agriculture and its diversity creating a real threat to food production.
There should be time-befitting measures and institutional learning for the students as there is no way but to natural resource conservation for the greater interests of new and future generation.
Considering the reality and prospects of mobilising funds from external sources, institutional mechanisms for fund management should be further developed based on the experiences gained during the last ten to twelve years, otherwise, all these costly efforts might be washed out.
