Dhaka: Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today emphasized that knowledge-based initiatives, alongside global unity and solidarity, are crucial to addressing the climate crisis. "With the limited time and resources we have in hand, collective action is indispensable. This crisis is not only about survival, it is about the safety of our future generations and the very existence of many nations," she stated.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Rizwana, who also serves as the adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, was speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the "Biophilia: Reconnecting People, Climate, and Culture" event organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in the capital, as mentioned in a ministry press release. Highlighting Bangladesh's vulnerability, she mentioned that as a deltaic and lower riparian country, Bangladesh is among the most climate-vulnerable nations.
She continued, "Our people are demonstrating resilience and courage in the face of repeated disasters, but our capacity is being pushed to the limit due to insufficient mitigation efforts and inadequate international support. Required financing and technological assistance for adaptation are still far from sufficient."
The adviser urged development partners to reconsider their support policies and extend stronger cooperation to vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. Stressing the importance of culture and heritage in resilience-building, she remarked, "No matter how great the crisis, we will continue to move towards solutions by drawing strength from our culture and traditions, together with our development partners."
Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Switzerland, Valantine Achancho, Country Director and Representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Laboni Akter from Shoronkhola, Bagerhat, were among those who also spoke at the event.
Later, the adviser visited stalls at the exhibition in Aloki convention showcasing various initiatives to tackle climate risks, and interacted with students and climate-vulnerable communities.