More trees needed to fight climate change impacts

There is no alternative to tree plantation, and biodiversity conservation in order to prevent desertification, and protect ecological balance in the Barind region, speakers said at a discussion Saturday.

Terming tree plantation the biggest investment, they called for extensive afforestation for elevating socio-economic condition and protecting the high barind tract from desertification.

Massive tree plantation schemes could be effective means for reducing carbon emission at a substantial level. It is very important to protect ecological balance as there is no way but to create more forest areas to address the adverse impacts of climate change caused by global warming, the speakers added.

They were addressing the closing ceremony of a two-week-long tree plantation campaign and tree fair-2015 at Green Plaza in Rajshahi City Corporation.

Social Forestry Division (SFD) and the Deputy Commissioner's office jointly organised the event with a call to make the tree plantation campaign a social movement as part of the current National Tree Plantation Drive.

Commissioner of Rajshahi division Helaluddin Ahmed addressed the session as chief guest while Mejbah Uddin Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, was in the chair.

Chief Executive Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation Ajahar Ali, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension Fazlur Rahman, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division) Mozammel Haque Shah Chowdhury and Director of Forestry Science and Technology Institute Subedar Islam also spoke.

Divisional Forest Officer Azit Kumar Rudra gave an overview of the tree fair as well as highlighted the achievements and activities of the department in the region.

Chief Guest Helaluddin viewed that enormous afforestation could help stop degradation of the environment, ecology and biodiversity. Creation of more forests through tree plantations to expand the country's forest area up to 25 percent of the total landscape will protect Bangladesh from the possible alarming consequences of the ongoing climate changes, he added.

He urged the people irrespective of age, sex, creed, and cast to plant at least three saplings each near their homesteads or on any open space to help maintain environmental and ecological balance and save the region from the wrath of any future natural catastrophe.