A rising sea level, melting icebergs, increased frequency and intensity of storms, droughts, wildfires, severe flooding and heat waves are what most people imagine when they think of climate change. However, rising temperatures and extreme flooding, according to studies, have also increased the infection of extremely debilitating mosquito-borne diseases the likes of Zika virus, dengue fever and malaria. It is predicted that in the absence of action, dengue fever will affect 60% of the world’s population by 2080 and Zika will pose a hazard to an additional 1.3 billion people by 2050. This forecast is not an exaggeration since studies show the incidence of dengue fever has increased 30 times over the past 50 years. Unfortunately, Bangladesh being a climate-vulnerable country has so far failed to show a strong character or take prudent policy to fight against mosquito-borne disease.
A recent study corroborates the situation, revealing that in Dhaka city and its outskirts, the mosquito population has risen by 40% in just two months, starting from the last week of January, which implies the authorities’ failure to put in place an effective mosquito control mechanism. It also brings about a fear of a boom in the Aedes population as soon as the season of its breeding arrives this summer.
Thanks to the ignorance of the authorities concerned, particularly city corporations and other stakeholders, of how other countries are reacting to mosquito-borne diseases, they still ideate fighting dengue by age-old means ranging from spraying insecticides on bushes and swage lines and flying drones for detection of larvae sites to releasing a small fish species in city drains as well as frogs, tilapia fish and ducks in ponds and lakes. These actions have already turned out to be nothing but wasting public money but still, these people’s thoughts have not changed.  
Most probably, it is beyond their intellect that nothing else is an option but to adopt the strategy that other nations, such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and others, are using to eradicate the mosquito problem permanently. For those nations, scientific techniques like the Wolbachia method are now the first choice to contain dengue.
But in our country’s context, it is a prime question whether the authorities concerned want to eradicate the mosquito menace or just want procurement opportunity that benefits them directly. If they are real enthusiasts, they should embrace modern methods as well as tighten fighting against climate change. The quicker they accept it, the better.