DU, Stockholm University hold dialogue on air pollution

The University of Dhaka (DU) and Stockholm University of Sweden, in collaboration with the Clean Air Fund, organised a high-level science-policy dialogue on black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) on Sunday.

The dialogue focused on ways to reduce emissions and strengthen air quality management in Bangladesh.

The dialogue took place at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, with DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Abdus Salam presiding over the programme.

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam attended the inaugural session as the chief guest, while Prime Minister's Adviser and spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office Mahdi Amin, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) at the Prime Minister's Office Prof SM Abdul Awal, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Nicolas Weeks and Stockholm University Prof Orjan Gustafsson attended as special guests.

Addressing the programme, State Minister Shaikh Faridul Islam said the government planned to generate 4,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power within the next three months, including 296 MW from Dhaka city alone.

"The initial target is to generate 10,000 MW of solar power," he said, adding that the government would gradually expand solar power generation capacity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean and green energy.

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He said the current administration had inherited substantial dirty energy infrastructure, including coal-fired power plants, from the previous government. These plants burn approximately 12,000 tonnes of coal every day, indicating the scale of black carbon emissions, he added.

Speaking about measures to tackle pollution from brick kilns, the state minister said they account for around 13% of the country's total air pollution, partly because many of them use high-sulphur coal.

The government is also shutting down 200 wood-burning kilns across the country and replacing them with concrete block production facilities to reduce pollution, he said.

"By adopting concrete block production, we can effectively work towards making our air pollution-free," he added, noting that the transition would eliminate smoke emissions, leaving only minimal noise pollution.

Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin said the government was prioritising renewable energy to address the ongoing energy crisis, as previous policies had left the country's energy sector vulnerable.

"To overcome this situation, we aim to diversify our energy sources. The government is prioritising renewable energy, with a particular focus on solar power. Additionally, projects for generating energy from waste are currently underway," he said.

He added that reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting environmentally friendly transport, particularly electric vehicles, were among the government's key priorities.

Referring to the canal-digging programme initiated by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and the introduction of environment-friendly CNG-powered vehicles during Begum Khaleda Zia's tenure, Mahdi Amin said the BNP had a history of formulating policies to strengthen climate resilience.

He also mentioned that the BNP government had taken initiatives to ban plastic and polythene while promoting jute-based and other environmentally friendly products.

The previous BNP governments also organised tree-planting campaigns and tree fairs at weekly, monthly and annual levels, he said, adding that the government now wanted to revive and further develop that culture.

"We all aspire to build a Bangladesh where nature is not destroyed in the name of development, but rather preserved. We intend to undertake projects and development initiatives that prioritise environmental conservation," he said.

He stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between human life, nature and the environment to ensure a sustainable future for the next generations.

"We envision a Bangladesh where future generations can breathe clean, fresh air. To achieve this, we must prioritise eco-friendly initiatives as part of our comprehensive, multi-faceted planning," he added.

Referring to the BNP's election manifesto, he said the party planned to construct reservoirs through master plans for the Padma and Teesta barrages to maintain the natural flow of water and improve water resource management.

In his remarks, DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Abdus Salam said black carbon consisted of tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere, produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as diesel, petrol and octane, as well as biomass.

He explained that black carbon absorbs solar radiation and heats the Earth's surface, contributing to climate change and environmental degradation.

Prof Salam said Bangladesh had made progress in reducing black carbon emissions through previous policy interventions, including restrictions on benzene.

He said black carbon concentrations in the atmosphere had declined from around 40 micrograms per cubic metre in the past to between 6 and 12 micrograms per cubic metre in recent measurements.

However, the level remained significantly higher than in developed countries, where concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 2.5 micrograms per cubic metre, he said.

"Although we have reduced black carbon significantly, we still need strong measures to bring it down further," he added.

Prof Salam said both fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning contributed significantly to black carbon emissions, particularly in Dhaka. Transboundary pollution also played an important role in Bangladesh's air pollution, alongside several other sources.

He called for stronger policy implementation, cleaner transport systems, cleaner household energy, improved industrial and construction management, regional cooperation and better monitoring of long-range air pollution.

His recommendations included enforcing emission standards for vehicles and industries, promoting clean energy and public transport, regulating construction activities, developing green infrastructure and increasing funding and institutional capacity for air quality management.

He also stressed the need for regional collaboration to address transboundary pollution.

Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Nicolas Weeks said Sweden's new five-year development cooperation strategy with Bangladesh placed significant emphasis on green transition, climate resilience and environmentally sustainable growth.

He said the strategy reflected Sweden's belief that economic development and environmental sustainability should progress together rather than as separate priorities.

"There is significant potential for future cooperation between our two countries," he said, stressing the importance of joint scientific research and stronger partnerships.

He added that stronger collaboration could generate better ideas and produce more effective outcomes, expressing his hope for deeper cooperation between Bangladesh and Sweden in the upcoming years.