Declining farmland, rising population major concerns, not climate: Dr Hasan
Declining farmland and rising population are the two areas of major concern for Bangladesh, not climate change impact, said Environment and Forest Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at a workshop yesterday.
“If the population continues to rise and the agricultural land reduces in the current rate, ensuring food security after ten years will be very difficult,” he said, adding that these issues are not highlighted in the national or international climate change discussions.
The country's population growth rate at current is 1.42 percent, with 15.05 crore total population, while the agricultural land decreases by 1 percent annually, with a current cultivable land of 60 lakh hectares that has reduced from 90 lakh hectares in 1980, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
The workshop on “Carbon footprints of Bangladesh agriculture: An exploratory analysis,” was organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) in the city's Cirdap auditorium.
Downplaying the issue of carbon emission from the country's agricultural sector, the minister said the per capita carbon emission in Bangladesh is only 0.3 tonne, which is 2 tonnes in the developing countries and 20 tonnes in the developed countries.
“There is nothing to be worry about it. Also, we have no obligation to reduce it,” he noted.
Presenting a study, BIDS Research Director Dr M Asaduzzaman said total carbon emission from the country's crop sector is 10.64 million tonnes, which is around 14 percent of the total greenhouse gas produced in the country.
BCAS Senior Fellow Dr Moinul Islam Sharif said greenhouse gas emission from the non-crop sector is annually 1,115 gigagrams.
Asaduzzaman said, though this emission is small compared to that of the developed countries, Bangladesh can reduce it further by increasing efficiency in the cultivation system.
The excessive use of water and urea fertiliser to grow rice can be cut down while maintaining productivity through using the available technologies, he noted.
The government has been expanding these technologies aimed at reducing production cost and saving inputs, said Agriculture Secretary CQK Mustak.
Environment Secretary Mesbah ul Alam said Bangladesh is a victim of global climate change, but it has little need to go for mitigation.
“We must be careful that we don't do anything that we are compelled to go for mitigation,” he said.
Monowarul Islam, director general of Department of Environment, said some businessmen are out to sell their technologies to the least developed countries in the name of reducing carbon emission.
“We should be aware that we are not slaves of their technologies. Rather, let us invent technologies for ourselves,” he said.
BCAS Executive Director Dr Atiq Rahman and BIDS Director General Dr Mustafa K Mujeri also spoke at the programme chaired by Planning Commission Member Prof MA Sattar Mandal.
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