World Environment Day

DESPITE GROWING EVIDENCE OF THE CATASTROPHES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE ARE STILL SOME AMONG THOSE OCCUPYING THE MOST POWERFUL POSITIONS IN THE WORLD WHO DENY THE REALITY OF GLOBAL WARMING.

The World Environment Day was observed on June 5 in Bangladesh and the rest of the world through various events to reinforce awareness of critical environmental issues. Forty-five, the United Nations’ World Environment Day was first celebrated. Throughout the world, on June 5, efforts are made at creating greater awareness of environmental issues and finding solutions to the world’s most pressing climate-related problems. Since 1974, the day has increasingly assumed global significance, with country after country realising the import of a joint natural heritage that transcends borders. Glass ceilings have been shattered and information is easily accessible to everyone. The climate change is a reality, and it is a global problem. At the national level, we have several climate change funds to deal with the adverse effects of global warming, including the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund and Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund.

And it is not just climate induced changes that we are suffering from. Our inability to combat air pollution by failing to limit the growth of brick kilns in the vicinity of the capital city has been taking its toll on public health. Unplanned industrialisation around major urban centres like Dhaka and Chittagong, and the uncontrolled dumping of untreated toxic industrial effluents have played havoc with farmland productivity and depleted our fish stocks as the rivers and major waterways become polluted.

The prime minister has stated recently that her government intends to expand the natural mangrove forest of the Sundarbans and the major development projects going on there will have no adverse effects. There are however, reservations on the issue and we would like to see policymakers take proactive measures to limit the damage to the environment through environmental policy implementation. In the past few years alone, we have witnessed our mighty rivers and oceans clogged with toxic waste and plastic; the death of coral reefs that maintain the ecosystem for diverse marine life; ferocious wildfires swallowing everything in their path; glaciers melting at terrifying speed; rising water levels, heavy rainfall and flooding that destroy and displace in equal measure; droughts and heatwaves that scorch the earth and kill vegetation, animal and human life; rising food shortage; and large-scale climate-caused migration. And it is only expected to get worse.

World Environment Day

DESPITE GROWING EVIDENCE OF THE CATASTROPHES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE ARE STILL SOME AMONG THOSE OCCUPYING THE MOST POWERFUL POSITIONS IN THE WORLD WHO DENY THE REALITY OF GLOBAL WARMING.

The World Environment Day was observed on June 5 in Bangladesh and the rest of the world through various events to reinforce awareness of critical environmental issues. Forty-five, the United Nations World Environment Day was first celebrated. Throughout the world, on June 5, efforts are made at creating greater awareness of environmental issues and finding solutions to the worlds most pressing climate-related problems. Since 1974, the day has increasingly assumed global significance, with country after country realising the import of a joint natural heritage that transcends borders. Glass ceilings have been shattered and information is easily accessible to everyone. The climate change is a reality, and it is a global problem. At the national level, we have several climate change funds to deal with the adverse effects of global warming, including the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund and Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund. And it is not just climate induced changes that we are suffering from. Our inability to combat air pollution by failing to limit the growth of brick kilns in the vicinity of the capital city has been taking its toll on public health. Unplanned industrialisation around major urban centres like Dhaka and Chittagong, and the uncontrolled dumping of untreated toxic industrial effluents have played havoc with farmland productivity and depleted our fish stocks as the rivers and major waterways become polluted. The prime minister has stated recently that her government intends to expand the natural mangrove forest of the Sundarbans and the major development projects going on there will have no adverse effects. There are however, reservations on the issue and we would like to see policymakers take proactive measures to limit the damage to the environment through environmental policy implementation. In the past few years alone, we have witnessed our mighty rivers and oceans clogged with toxic waste and plastic; the death of coral reefs that maintain the ecosystem for diverse marine life; ferocious wildfires swallowing everything in their path; glaciers melting at terrifying speed; rising water levels, heavy rainfall and flooding that destroy and displace in equal measure; droughts and heatwaves that scorch the earth and kill vegetation, animal and human life; rising food shortage; and large-scale climate-caused migration. And it is only expected to get worse.