Acting British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Javed Patel hosted a reception ceremony on Saturday to felicitate the finalists of the Bangladesh National Earth Olympiad 2022.
Of the 35 participants, only five will go to represent Bangladesh at the International Earth Science Olympiad in August this year.
The National Earth Olympiad is an education and knowledge movement that aims to increase environmental science education across Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Youth Environment Initiative has been organising National Earth Olympiad every year since 2012.
This year, the Olympiad was supported by the British High Commission in Dhaka, through the UK Government’s roles as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office and host of COP26.
Between March and April, the Olympiad reached thousands of young people across Bangladesh and provided in-depth training to 250 young leaders on biodiversity, planetary boundaries, climate justice, and environmental conservation. Bangladeshi young people aged between 14 and 18 were eligible to participate.
Congratulating the students on their success, Acting British High Commissioner Javed Patel said, “Climate action is a priority for the UK and I am glad that we supported this year’s National Earth Olympiad, helping to establish the next generation of climate stewards in Bangladesh.”
Professor Dr Kazi Matin Uddin Ahmed, a convener of the National Earth Olympiad in Bangladesh said, “The National Earth Olympiad has taken place since 2012, and was one of the first Olympiads that focused on the Geological and Environmental sciences.''
"The competition has played a critical role in engaging students in understanding the urgency of the climate and environmental crisis. I strongly believe that the collective action that we need to solve this climate crisis will require scientists, scholars, and practitioners who can guide policy action and technological innovation,” he added.
Founder of the Bangladesh Youth Environment Initiative Shamir Shehab said, “Against a backdrop of looming environmental, ecological and climate crises for Bangladesh and the world at large today, Bangladesh Youth Environment Initiative is striving to develop the next generation of stewards to tackle this planetary crisis. With more than 10 years of environmental action, the organisation has empowered young people from all over Bangladesh to strive toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient planet Earth.”
