‘Regional cooperation needed to tackle shared climate risks in South Asia’

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam has stressed the need for stronger regional cooperation to address shared climate risks in South Asia.
He made the remarks at a meeting of the South Asia Regional Climate Cooperation (SARCC) at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Monday. The state minister said the government was implementing a number of programmes under the leadership of the prime minister to address climate risks. Alongside a plan to plant 250 million trees, various initiatives are also being taken to control pollution.
“A master plan has been adopted to free the rivers around Dhaka from pollution. Various initiatives are being taken to stop the discharge of pollutants into the Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag and Balu rivers,” he said.
Speaking as a special guest, Dr Md Saimum Parvez, special assistant to the prime minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said SAARC and BIMSTEC should be made more active in addressing climate risks.
“Climate change is no longer a problem for any single country. Political will is the most important factor in addressing transboundary challenges,” he said, calling on all stakeholders to come forward to build a safer and more sustainable world for future generations.
Professor Dr AKM Saiful Islam of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) presented the keynote paper at the meeting.