RAJSHAHI: Responsive role of the youths and the students in particular is very vital to raise voice against the big carbon emitters to protect the region, particularly in its vast Barind tract, from the adverse impact of climate change.
Adverse impacts of climate change have triggered recurrence of natural calamities in the region posing a serious threat to the farming of winter crops including vegetables and the living and livelihood conditions of farmers community in the region, reports BSS.
Barendra Region Youth Organisations Forum (BRYOF) and Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) jointly organised the conference.
‘Action for Loss and Damage Fund and Climate Justice’ was the main focus of the conference attended by more than 300 youths from across the country.
Vice-chancellor of North East University Bangladesh Prof Iliash Uddin Biswash, Prof Bidhan Chandra Das, Prof Golam Mostofa, Associate Prof Kazi Rabiul Alam and Assistant Professor Abhijit Kumar Roy from Rajshahi University and researchers Zakir Hossain and Mahbub Siddiqui addressed the sessions as resource persons.
Valiant Freedom Fighter Dr Abdul Mannan opened the conference, while BRYOF Convener Shaikh Tasnim Jamal welcomed the participants.
Pavel Partha from BARCIK moderated the discussion and Researcher Shahidul Islam illustrated the aims and objectives of the conference in his concept paper presentation.
He mentioned that the ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected winter vegetable farming and its diversity creating a real threat to food production. The developed countries should fulfill their commitment towards climate funding and ensure transparency in use of this fund.
Prof Iliash Biswash said legitimate rights of the farmers and others concerned should be protected rightly for the sake of encouraging them towards boosting agricultural productions to meet up its gradually mounting demands.
Prof Bidhan Chandra Das referred to the enormous contribution of farmers to the country’s agricultural development and said the farmers deserve the rights of getting all requisite privileges. There is no alternative to protect their interests as a whole.
He pointed out that the existing agricultural system has started facing a serious threat because of climate change that also leads to various natural disasters.
Prof Bidhan Das said this is the time to change the system, not climate besides showing red-cards to the big carbon emitters.