Climate change triggers women sufferings in Barind tract

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RAJSHAHI, April 21, 2017 (BSS)- Public representatives and development activists at a community level discussion here mentioned that the present adverse impact of climate change has triggered the sufferings of women to a greater extent in the drought-prone Barind area.

They pointed out that women are now become bound to collect water from far away as most of the hand-driven tube-wells were ineffective due to abnormal lowering of underground water level caused by climate change.

Taking part in the discussion, many of the affected women voiced for addressing their problems as early as possible.

Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) and Beelnepalpara Women Organization jointly organised the meeting at Darshanpara Union Parishad hall room under Paba Upazila in the district yesterday.

Strengthen Peoples Led Resiliency Programme to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Project and Diakonia supported the programme where more than 70 grassroots people both males and females attended.

Union Parishad Chairman Kamrul Hassan and its members Hassan Ali, Golam Mourtoza, Abdus Salam, Abul Kalam Azad and Jaharana Begum spoke on the occasion depicting their sufferings relating to water.

During his concept paper presentation, Shahidul Islam, Barind Area Coordinator of BARCIK, said adverse impacts of climate change have triggered recurrence of natural calamities in the high Barind tract posing a serious threat to the overall living and livelihood conditions of people there.

As consequences of the climate change, various unusual circumstances, particularly drought, dust storms due to desertification, eroding landscapes, less crop growth due to lack of water for irrigation, and malnutrition, are being observed, he viewed.

He said Barind is one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change. Time-fitting measures need to be adopted urgently to face the odd situation. The developed countries should extend cooperation towards successful implementation of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

UP Chairman Kamrul Hassan mentioned that a large number of water bodies and wetlands have become derelict in the region due to lack of adequate rainfall posing a serious threat to the biodiversity, especially the livelihood of the poor and marginal people of the area.