Making citiies flood-free by building modern sewerage and waste disposal systems is a top prioritiy in the government’s mega plan for 2041. Chattogram being the big gateway to international trade is a crucial focus of that plan, said State Minister for Planning Professor Dr Shamsul Alam.

He made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Assessing Risks in the City of Chattogram, Bangladesh using the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI)” at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on Monday, February 14, 2022. The seminar was jointly organized by IUB, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan, and Ocean Policy Researh Institute, Japan.

The findings of the Chattogram CORVI assessment were presented by Dr Emadul Islam, Research lead, CORVI, and Deputy Director, CBoBS, IUB. He said CORVI’s conclusions were significant for policymakers and private investors alike, because Chattogram is critical to the country’s economic stability, as well as to the South Asian countries that rely on revenue from the Bay of Bengal.

Mr ITO Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh; Mr Jeremy Bruer, Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Dr Atsushi Sunami, President of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan; Dr Tomonary Akamatsu, Director of Research and Dr Miko Maekawa, Senior Research Fellow of the Ocean Policy Research Institute, Japan; Mr Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change; and Mr. Mohammed Shahidul Alam, Chief Executive Officer, Chattogram City Corporation; also spoke at the seminar.