The seminar on climate challenges has recommended a significant shift towards renewable energy as a crucial measure to combat environmental disasters caused by climate change.
Experts emphasised the need for immediate action, including a structured roadmap for renewable energy integration in national policies.
This recommendation was made at a seminar titled āAddressing Environmental Disasters and Risks Arising from Climate Change for Bangladesh’s Development and Progress,ā jointly organised by the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) and Protichchobi at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital on Saturday.
The call was highlighted in a press release sent by Engineer Marziyat Rahman, a researcher at CAPS.
The event, presided over by Mohammad Masudur Rahman, President of Protichchobi, featured Professor Dr. Adil Mohammed Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), as the chief guest.
In his address, Professor Khan stressed the need for urgent action against climate change, calling for urbanization strategies to be rethought and youth involvement in confronting the forces stifling progress.
“We must rebuild Bangladesh starting at the grassroots level and change our approach to urban planning for a sustainable future,” he urged.
Keynote speaker Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder emphasized the detrimental effects of fossil fuel usage, particularly the emission of carbon dioxide (COā) and other greenhouse gases.
He underscored the importance of renewable energy in mitigating this impact and achieving the global target of reducing carbon emissions by 90% by 2050.
Sharif Jamil, Member Secretary of “Dhara,” highlighted the need to understand the environment and climate change thoroughly.
He stressed the importance of implementing plans to protect Bangladeshās coastal regions, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Professor Dr. S. M. Mostafa Al Mamun from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of Dhaka University remarked that environmental damage has affected everyone, despite its indirect connection to his field.
He called for collective action to address the damage caused by modern lifestyles.
Professor Dr. M. Mahbub Hossain from BRAC University called for behavioral changes to protect the environment, warning that compromising on climate issues would lead to more severe consequences.
Further emphasizing the human cost of climate change, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Coordinator of BARCIK, highlighted the increasing migration to urban slums due to natural disasters.
He called on the youth to play a central role in supporting these affected communities through climate-conscious urban planning.
The seminar also featured input from Gaus Piary, Director of WBB Trust, who advocated for renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, noting that their use disproportionately harms marginalized communities.
He called for prioritizing renewable alternatives to reduce environmental pollution.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Rasheduzzaman Majumder criticized the 2023 Energy Master Plan (IEPMP) for lacking a clear roadmap for renewable energy expansion, stressing the importance of including concrete targets to promote green energy and improve the climate situation.
Additionally, Lecturer Mohammad Nasir Ahmed Patwary from Stamford University emphasized the need for more research on the local impacts of climate change and advocated for making climate education mandatory across all sectors.
Abu Zubair, Managing Director of SRCL, encouraged the youth to actively engage in environmental protection efforts, emphasizing the role they can play in implementing climate change solutions.
Representatives from CAPS, Protichchobi, and other environmental organizations also participated in the seminar.
