Rivers are becoming obstructed due to encroachment and sedimentation, limiting the movement of fish, she said
Climate change is having a severe impact on agriculture, food security, and livelihoods in Bangladesh, said Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter.
This is demonstrated by the decreased spawning of Hilsa eggs this year due to irregular rainfall, she added.
Akhter was speaking as the guest of honour at the 2nd Climate Justice Rally organised by Dharitry Rakshay Aamra or Dhara (We for protecting the Earth), a citizen organisation on environment and climate change, at the auditorium of Liberation War Museum in Agargaon in Dhaka on Saturday.
Addressing the issue, she mentioned that rivers are becoming obstructed due to encroachment and sedimentation, limiting the movement of fish.
Additionally, roads constructed through wetlands, such as haors, are disrupting the ecosystem. She emphasised the need to dismantle such roads, if necessary, to restore the natural flow.
Kainan Houghton, deputy regional program director of Dhara, said the new energy policy adopted by the interim government of Bangladesh is certainly promising. Bangladesh must transition to clean energy for a sustainable future. “For this, we have to convert to renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.”
Houghton also expressed his delight at being associated with the Climate Justice Assembly and wished the event success.
The two-day event was addressed, among others, by Social Welfare Advisor Sharmin S Murshid, Dhara Advisor Mujibar Rahman Hawlader, Waterkeepers Bangladesh Coordinator Sharif Jamil and Philippines-based Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development coordinator Lidy Nacpil.
