Dhaka, August 24, 2026: Environment, Forest and Climate Change State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, MP, has stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation to address the shared climate risks facing South Asia.
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 state minister said the government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is implementing a range of initiatives to address climate risks. Alongside a campaign to plant 250 million trees, various measures are being taken to control pollution, he said.
A master plan has also been prepared to clean up the rivers surrounding Dhaka, including the Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag and Balu. Initiatives are being taken to prevent polluted wastewater and other contaminants from entering the rivers, he added.
Speaking as a special guest, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Md Saimum Parvez said SAARC and BIMSTEC should be made more active in addressing climate risks.
“Climate change is no longer a problem for any single country. Political commitment is essential to address cross-border challenges,” he said, urging all stakeholders to work together to build a safer and more sustainable world for future generations.
Presenting the 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 a present development reality for South Asia.
Heatwaves, floods, cyclones, droughts, erratic rainfall, glacier changes and sea-level rise are increasingly crossing national borders, he said. Addressing these risks requires coordinated, regional and forward-looking initiatives, he added.
The meeting brought together climate experts, policymakers, researchers, development professionals, journalists and youth representatives under the theme “Co-Design the Future of South Asian Climate Diplomacy.”
Among those speaking at the event were Jamail Bashir JB, member and technical expert of the National Tree Plantation Cell at the Prime Minister’s Office; Sharif Jamil, secretary general of Dharitri Rakshay Amra; Ziaul Haque, coordinator of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group; and climate negotiator M Hafizul Islam Khan.
Senior journalist Habib Rahman delivered the opening remarks. Advocate MA Mukit, chairman of the Human Safety Foundation, and Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, also took part in the thematic discussions.
Other participants included Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Khan, coordinator of the Climate Change Programme at CCDB; Sarwar Alam Dipu, programme manager at IUCN Bangladesh; Mahmudul Hasan Tarek, head of the Water, Food and Climate Programme at Helvetas Bangladesh; Sharmin Nahar Nipa, assistant director of BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research; and Professor Dr Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies.
Mohammad Ali Shaheen, head of advocacy at Young Power in Social Action; environmental and climate expert Dr Hasib Md Irfanullah; and SM Manjur Rashid, director of Unnayan Onneshan, also participated in the discussions.
