Editorial
Climate adaptation techniques
Using indigenous knowledge and experience-sharing needed
PEOPLE of Bangladesh are known to be resilient while facing up to yearly visitation of some form of natural calamity or the other. They are driven by a strong survival instinct to be fending for themselves. Though this is an inherent trait here, yet the kind of challenges that severe forms of climate change pose to their lives requires more than just resilience. It warrants ingenuity, improvisation and innovation on a scale never demanded before as it is today.
Moreover, climate change effects being transnational in character and impact it involves gaining from others' experiences to buttress national preparedness and add value to it.
Bangladesh for its part is striving with all her
limited resources to be adaptive to severe forms of
climatic ravages. This was glimpsed at a presentation session organised by Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies(BCAS) in Copenhagen. Thanks to the showcasing of some Bangladesh experiences before a body of policy advisers on Practical Action vis-à-vis climate change. This, added to the presence of some Bangladesh victims who were heard in
person on the sidelines of the conference refurbished understanding about Bangladesh situation.
On the adaptation side, the list of our successes reads rather impressive: Bina-7, Biri-33 and BU-1 seeds with short-life cycle, limited rain water
harvesting, floating gardens, plants keeping above floodwater table and new seed preservation techniques. But this is by no means adequate, given the immensity of climatic challenge.
Peoples of many developing countries in Asia and Africa are making serious efforts to innovate newer techniques in a bid to reduce risks and vulnerability, in one word, to adapt to changing environment. So that we need to exchange our experiences with them to our mutual benefits. This calls for access to information and research results and application methods. That is why it's a good idea to have a national board in each country to synergise local knowledge, international experiences and assistance.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments