The two-day South Asian Climate Change Conference ended on Sunday adopting Dhaka Declaration and announcement of formation of a new climate fund 'South Asian Research Hub Small Grant' to extend financial support to the region's climate researchers.
The 'Second South Asian Conference on Climate Change' ended with formation of climate fund to facilitate climate research.
The Centre for People and Environment (CPE), which works on climate change issues, hosted the two-day event at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in Dhaka.
CPE Director Mohammad Abdur Rahman Rana, also chair of the conference, announced formation of the fund.
Dhaka University Geography and Environment Department Chairman Professor Dr Shahidul Islam presided over in the working session while PIB Director General Faruk Wasif, Tripura University's Assistant Professor Dr Saptarshee Mitra, Bhutan's Royal University Professor Dr Om Katel, BRAC Climate Change Programme's Senior Programme Manager Tapas Ranjan Chakrabartee, Executive Director of Leaders' Mohon Kumar Mandol, and North South University Environment Science Professor Dr Sirajul Islam also spoke.
In the working session, the speakers said that as investment in South Asia for youth climate researchers is very poor there is no major innovation of technology to address the climate issues in this region though it vulnerable to climate change.
According to the announcement, the students and youth researchers of Bangladesh, Afganistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives will get small funding support from the new fund.
In the first day of the conference on Saturday, Professor of Environment Science on Toronto University in Canada Prof Dr Monirul Kader Mirza, agronomist Dr Jagat Chand Malakar, Indian climate expert Dr Shiladutta Chatterjee and Tripura University Assistant Professor Dr Jayanto Chowdhury also spoke.
Dr Monirul Mirza said almost all the countries in South Asia are vulnerable to weather issues. None of the countries is out of risk, according to the research of the World Bank. "We don't know what will happen after 75 or 100 years. So, we are keeping this under consideration."
Jagat Chanda emphaised on enhancing use of modern technologies along with the knowledge of farmers to ensure nutrition and food safety for the people in the region.
Dr Shiladutta claimed that the additional 4 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) growth could be ensured if two countries, Bangladesh and India, work together.
CPE Director Abdur Rahman Rana assured needed support would be provided to the youth of South Asian countries for research on climate change issues.
