Women’s role to face climate change in Barind tract stressed

Grassroots-level women’s participation can be the best way of facing the adverse impact of climate change as it has been posing a serious threat to the overall living and livelihood condition in the vast Barind tract.

Climate change has been acknowledged as the depletion of natural resources and as a major threat to humanity in the region.

Measures should be taken to provide time-fitting knowledge to the womenfolk so that they can face the impacts of climate change effectively.

Discussants observed while addressing a coordination meeting with all stakeholders to ensure social accountability on the issue at Tanore Upazila Parishad conference hall room in Rajshahi district on Thursday.

On behalf of its project titled “Advancing Women’s Right of Access to Information in Bangladesh”, the Association for Community Development (ACD) organised the meeting supported by the Carter Center.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Pankaj Chandra Debnath, Vice-chairman Siniya Sarder, Upazila Health Officer Dr Abdul Halim, Agriculture Officer Saifullah Ahmed and Secondary Education Officer Siddiqur Rahman addressed the meeting as focal persons.

Social Service Officer Muhammad Hussain Khan, Youth Development Officer Abdul Wahab, Family Planning Officer Monsur Ali, Women Affairs Officer Fazlur Rahman and Project Implementation Officer Tariqul Islam also spoke on the occasion.

Subrata Kumar Paul, the coordinator of the project, illustrated the aims, objectives and implementation strategy of the project during his multimedia presentation.

He also focused on delivering various public services among the marginalised community besides making them interested and inspired to the services.

Terming the Access to Information (A2i) as vital, the discussants viewed the full-length implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the unhindered flow of information by all government and non-government organisations concerned needs to be ensured for expediting development and ensuring good governance everywhere in the society.

The meeting was told that the project is being implemented in the upazila and aimed at creating a congenial environment where women, especially Dalit and marginalised can enjoy RTI from the government and non-government agencies for protecting their fundamental Rights.

It will also generate public awareness about climate change and how to mitigate its adverse impact through adaptive measures as the ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected every farming productive sector and the agriculture, livestock and fisheries in particular which is being adjudged as the real threat to food production.