He made the remarks at a meeting of the South Asia Regional Climate Cooperation (SARCC) held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Monday.
The environment state minister said various government-led programmes are being implemented to address climate risks. These include planting 250 million trees and taking a range of measures to control pollution. He said a master plan is being implemented to clean up rivers around Dhaka, while steps are also being taken to prevent polluted waste from entering the Buriganga, Shitalakshya, Turag and Balu rivers.
Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, said climate change is no longer a problem confined to any single country but has become a transboundary issue. Therefore, he stressed the need to make SAARC and BIMSTEC more active in addressing climate risks and to strengthen political commitment towards regional cooperation.
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In his keynote paper, Professor Dr. AKM Saiful Islam of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said climate change is no longer a future threat but has become part of South Asia’s current development reality.
He said the impacts of heatwaves, floods, cyclones, droughts, irregular rainfall, changes in glaciers and rising sea levels are crossing national borders. Coordinated and regional initiatives are therefore essential to address these risks, he added.
The meeting was organised under the theme “Co-Design the Future of South Asian Climate Diplomacy.” Climate experts, policymakers, researchers, development professionals, media representatives and youth delegates participated in the event.
Discussions at the meeting focused on South Asian climate diplomacy, regional cooperation and ways to build a climate-resilient environment for future generations.