Tackling climate change impossible without policy makers, experts: Youth and children

Participating children and youth at Save the Children's virtual discussion titled - 'Responding to Climate Crisis: With and for Children and Youth' - said that it is not possible to tackle climate change without the help of experts and policymakers.

The virtual discussion took place via online video streaming platform Zoom and was streamed lived on social media platform Facebook on Wednesday, said a Save the Children Bangladesh press release.

During the virtual discussion, children and youth requested transparency in battling climate change and demanded the inclusion of youth in the climate fund expenditure

In this regard, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, "When we see this kind of enthusiasm and aspiration in young people, we can be sure that our future is going to be in safe and secure hands, we get confident. Things need to be brought to the implementation stage now or all the talks and discussions will remain unaddressed."

"We have implementation, monitoring and evaluation department in the Ministry of Planning. When they evaluate projects, if the adolescents and young people are taken into account, asked for their opinion that if their needs have been met in the implementation of the project, the situation they had before the implementation of the project, whether it has changed after the implementation, it will be very fruitful. I will discuss this in the standing committee meeting," added Saber.

The program was hosted by Reefat Bin Sattar, Director, Program Development and Quality; Save the Children in Bangladesh. Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change; AKM Mamunur Rashid, Climate Change Specialist, UNDP; Dr Sharmind Neelormi, Professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University; Fatema Halima Ahmed, Coordinator, Resource Management, Communication and Partnership, Uttaran; Golam Iftekhar Mahmud, Senior Reporter, Prothom Alo and Dr Nazmun Nahar Nur, Deputy Director, DRR and CCA Save the Children in Bangladesh also joined the event.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury was present in the program as chief guest.

And among the children and youth, Sohanur Rahman, Coordinator, YouthNet Climate Justice, Aysha Akter Diya, Green Club Member, Ali Hossen Girls' High School, Dhaka; Sabiya Akter Mim, Laal Sabuj Society, Monpura Govt. College, Bhola were present at the event.