Climate Change
Climate activists try to block access to 3 German airports
Climate activists on Wednesday blocked roads leading to Germany's three biggest airports, gluing themselves to the ground before police arrived.
Members of the group Uprising of the Last Generation said they wanted to disrupt cargo and passenger traffic at the airports in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.
Read:French, German leaders to visit Russia, Ukraine amid tension
The group has demanded that the government should take measures to end food waste. It argues that throwing away vast amounts of usable food contributes to hunger and climate change.
Past protests involving the blocking of roads and ports have drawn criticism from officials across the political spectrum.
The blockades are reminiscent of the protests last year by the climate action group Insulate Britain, which obstructed many main highways and roads in the U.K.
Master plan needed to tackle climate change impact in coastal districts: Speakers
Speakers at the consultation on the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) on Monday underscored the need for a master plan covering all the coastal districts to address the challenges of climate changes and mainstream adaptation efforts.The consultation discussed major climatic risks in different coastal districts, adaptation strategies of the farmers and determinants of the choice of those strategies.Jhalokathi and other coastal districts are vulnerable to increasing salinity of its groundwater as well as surface water resources, especially along the coast, due to increases in sea level as a direct impact of global warming.The consultation was held at the conference room of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Jhalokathi.
Also read: Saline water invasion: Many in coastal Bagerhat taking to rainwater for survivalAdditional Secretary of the MoEFCC and National Project Director of the NAP Formulation Project Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury was present as the Chief Guest while Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC was present as the Special Guest. Deputy Commissioner of Jhalokathi Md Johor Ali chaired the consultation.The consultation was jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Economic Relations Division (ERD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).Participants opined that the livelihood of smallholder farmers is affected by climatic risks such as cyclones, increasing soil and water salinity, storm surges and heavy rainfall that can result in flooding and water-logging. They stressed a master plan to address these challenges.Jashim Uddin Haider, deputy commissioner of Barishal, said that scarcity of fresh water in the dry season, increased number of chars (small islands formed by silt), riverbank erosion and salinity intrusion are key challenges posed by climate change.“To turn Bangladesh into a welfare state, we must address these challenges” he said.
Also read: CSOs, MPs demand Tk 150 bn for coastal protectionMonirul Islam Talukder, president of Jhalokathi Chamber of Commerce said, “River erosion is killing us – stopping erosion should be our priority to make our development efforts sustainable.”Hemayet Uddin Himu, president, Committee of the Concerned Citizens said that In addressing the challenges of climate change and mainstream adaptation efforts, Government should adopt a master plan covering all 19 coastal districts.Mahmudur Rahman Parvez, correspondent of Prothom Alo Jhalokathi said that Waste management is a serious concern in Jhalokathi which is emitting methane. “If we don’t urgently address this, it will wreak havoc on the environment and affect the livelihood of the people.”Rahim Reza, Jhalokathi correspondent of Ajker Patrika mentioned that Although Jhalokathi is better covered by the forests compared to other districts in Bangladesh, the rampant establishment of sawmills is likely to turn this district into a deforested zone in the coming days.A K M Azad Rahman, Programme Officer-Climate Change, UNDP said that UNDP will provide all-out support to Bangladesh in combatting climate change. “We are closely working with the government in designing sustainable projects in coastal regions”, he added.Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik said that NAP will be the guiding policy document for our adaptation efforts and will supplement all the national-level planning.“Through the consultation, we are delegating its ownership to you. For successful implementation of NAP, we will need a partnership with both at the national and local level”, he said.Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury said that NAP will be harmonized with the national planning process and supplement the Annual Development Programme, Five Year Plan, Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, etc.He emphasised raising awareness to combat climate change, protect the environment and mainstream adaptation efforts.Md Johor Ali said that rainwater harvesting can be effecting adaptation strategy for the coastal regions.He suggested smart designing of climate change related projects so that it brings the desired results.While delivering the keynote, Malik Fida A Khan, executive director of the CEGIS said that NAP is a participatory and country-driven process and would address the medium to long term adaptation needs of Bangladesh and turn her into a climate-resilient country in the long run.He added that NAP would specifically address the climate vulnerability of the coastal regions, address the existing capacity gaps and establish a knowledge management system on climate change adaptation.
OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award: Bangladesh's Gawsia among top women climate scientists
Bangladesh's Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury and five more researchers have been awarded the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for early-career women scientists in the developing world.
The award is a recognition of their contributions to research that is helping tackle climate change and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water) and SDG15 (Life on Land).
The winners' research explores a wide range of environmental impacts and their potential solutions: from turning waste into man-made soil; transforming plastic pollution into viable products for community trade; harnessing the power of microbes to improve carbon storage and soil quality; and using the right types of plants with roots to help prevent soil erosion and encourage soil "plasticity."
Dr Gawsia, professor of zoology at the University of Dhaka (DU), has won the award in biological systems and organisms for her work on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems and threatened species in Bangladesh.
Also read: Bangladeshi companies get most Safa awards
Her work focuses on assessing the extent of and the risks from plastic pollution, which is closely linked to climate change. Microplastics and other plastics enter the waterways in Bangladesh from fishing nets, among other sources, and are harmful to threatened species and habitats.
The prize also acknowledges the scientists' commitment to leadership, mentoring and engagement within their communities, including the use of innovative technologies in their research.
Dr Gawsia is leading an effort to educate women in poor and marginalised fishing communities about how discarded Nylon-6 fishing nets can be turned into value-added products such as carpets and clothing, creating an alternative income source for the communities while protecting the wetland habitats.
"Winning this award is like a promise to continue my research and teaching with new hope. This award gives me a scope to prove what women in science and conservation can achieve while working hard with sincere commitment," Gawsia said.
"I believe this award will inspire my daughter, my students and everyone here in Bangladesh to showcase that with different limitations, scientific research can be done and achieved recognition worldwide."
Dr Gawsia received her bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from DU in 2003 and 2005. She was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship to study for her PhD in zoology at the University of Cambridge, which she completed in 2012.
Since 2013, the researcher has worked at DU, teaching animal diversity, wetland ecology and other topics in zoology. She has received many awards and grants, including the Wildlife Conservation Society Fellowship.
Dr Gawsia is a board member of the conservation organisation WildTeam and a member of the Zoological Society of Bangladesh and has been appointed regional co-chair of the South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The scientist was the country lead for the National Geographic "Sea to Source: Ganges" expedition in 2019-2020.
Also read: Climate Conscious Architecture: Bangladesh’s Rainwater-harvesting Hospital Wins International Award
She aspires to get more women engaged in science education and conservation efforts in Bangladesh and to make scientific findings understandable to the public.
The other researchers who have won the award are Myriam Mujawamariya of the University of Rwanda in biological systems and organisms, Abeer Ahmed Qaed Ahmed of the Al-Saeed University in biological systems and organisms, Heyddy Calderon of the Instituto de Geología y Geofísica in engineering sciences, Ashani Ssavinda Ranathunga of the University of Moratuwa in engineering sciences, and Flor de Mayo Gonzalez Miranda of San Carlos University in engineering sciences.
"What our 2022 winners are doing is absolutely outstanding. Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, and these women are finding innovative and effective ways to address it in their local contexts. We hope this award is the first of many for them," Jennifer Thomson, president of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), said.
First awarded in 2013, the award is given in partnership by the OWSD and the Elsevier Foundation.
The OWSD chairs a panel of distinguished scientists to select the winners, and the foundation awards a cash prize for each winner of $5,000, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a prominent scientific gathering to provide them with vital networking opportunities.
This year's award ceremony will take place on March 24, both virtually and in-person as part of the International Conference on Gender Action and Climate Change in Turkey at the Istanbul Aydin University.
Ylann Schemm, director of the Elsevier Foundation said: "We have reshaped our award this year to respond to the key challenges of our time, such as climate change, and supporting the progress being made around the UN SDGs."
"We know that a quarter of all women are engaged in agriculture, which makes them more vulnerable to both climate change and resource scarcity. We want to reflect the critical role that women can play in successfully addressing climate shifts."
Climate Smart Solar Irrigation to meet challenges of climate change: Researchers urged
Environment, Forest and Climate Change secretary Md. Mostafa Kamal has urged researchers to evolve technology to convert the conventional power tillers into solar operated power tillers.
“There are thousands of power tillers across the country, if we can introduce solar-power tillers, it will save huge liquid fuels as well as create big impact on environment through reducing carbon emission”, he said while addressing a virtual workshop tiled: Climate-Smart Solar Irrigation Technology in Bangladesh” on Wednesday.
The virtual function was organised by Curtin University, Australia, where a presentation was made on a research project titled “Innovating Nonmonetary Interventions for Climate-smart Agriculture: An ADOPT Model for Technology Diffusion” was introduced.
Read Solar power: The ultimate cap on costlier crude?
It was also addressed by Professor Dr. Therese Jefferson, Head, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University, Australia, Mohammad Alauddin, Chairman of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda), Professor Dr. Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Aslam Perwaiz, Deputy Executive Director; Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, and Dr. Habib Rahman, Team Leader and Senior Lecturer, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University, Australia.
Read:BREB to install 2,000 solar irrigation pumps; farmers can sell idle electricity to national grid
Professor Dr. A.S.M. Maksud Kamal, pro-vice chancellor of Dhaka University, presided over the workshop while Suddha Rafiq conducted the function.
Welcoming the idea of Nudge Technology, a nonmonetary intervention theory for popularising the climate-smart solar irrigation pump system, the environment secretary said, the researchers, in addition to solar pumps, should work for adopting this technology for solar power tiller as well.
He said the number of power tillers is much higher than the fuel-run pumps. “If we can use the solar system for the power tillers instead of diesel, it will give much more benefits to the farmers".
Read Govt exploring rooftop, floating solar power for scarcity of lands: Nasrul
He observed that where there is use of one pump, the farmers use 5-6 tillers for agriculture purposes. “We need to integrate the solar pumps with solar tillers”.
Mostafa Kamal also said there is no doubt that solar powered irrigation systems can meet the challenge of climate change.
He said it is less costly in comparison with the diesel-run irrigation pumps. But the farmers have to learn about its benefits. Otherwise they will not accept it instead of the conventional diesel-run pumps.
Read DU Solar Project: Tariff issue remains pending with Power Division for a final decision
He said small solar units, instead of grid-connected solar systems, is very effective in a situation when the rural areas are hit by natural calamities like cyclones.
“It takes a huge time to restore our electricity system when any disaster takes place”, he observed.
He said the government has a commitment to reducing emissions. “But we are far behind the western countries for clean energy.
Read: Govt plans to purchase unconsumed electricity from solar irrigation pumps
He also said the solar irrigation process will mitigate the greenhouse gas emission.
Sreda chairman Mohammad Alauddin said about 2000 irrigation pumps have been installed across the country.
But the biggest challenge is that these pumps are being operated for four months of a year while the rest of the time these pumps have to remain inoperative. The government is taking a policy to utilize the solar of the remaining months for the national grid.
Read Sreda launches training on solar power system
Making his presentation titled: A Climate Innovation Challenge Project on Innovating Nonmonetary Interventions for Climate-smart Agriculture: An ADOPT Model for Technology Diffusion, Habbur Rahman said his project has planned to conduct a survey on the farmers as why they are not accepting the solar irrigation pumps when it is least cost.
Ashok Kumar Biswas, deputy director of the Agriculture Extension Department, making a presentation on the solar irrigation project of his department, said that repair of solar irrigation pumps and accessories, running the pumps in dry season when surface water decreases have been the biggest challenge in the scheme’s implementation.
Read World's first partnership for transnational solar power grid launched in Glasgow
Conserve Bangladesh hill forests to save it from climate disaster: Speakers
Speakers at a consultation on the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) on Sunday stressed the conservation of the hill forests in Bandarban to save the region from climate disaster.
The consultation was jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Economic Relations Division (ERD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The speakers expressed concerns over the native species destroying plantation and horticulture practices. Although horticulture is bringing economic benefit to the farmers, rampant use of pesticides has emerged as a major threat to biodiversity, they said.
Considering different vulnerability factors including extreme level water scarcity, deforestation, worsening biodiversity, flash flood Bandarban district was selected to conduct the consultation.
Bandarban has been ranked second among the climate-vulnerable 10 hotspots in Bangladesh.
Read: Massive mangrove forestry planned to protect wildlife and expand forest coverage
The country on the other hand is ranked seventh among the climate-vulnerable countries globally (South Asian hotspots, World Bank, 2018).
Additional Secretary of the MoEFCC and National Project Director of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Formulation Project Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury informed the participants about Bangladesh’s priorities outlined in SDG, Delta Plan 2100, Perspective plan, five-year plan and its ambition to graduate from a Least developed country to a middle-income country.
“We are committed to implementing the Glasgow Climate Pact signed during the COP26. We will work in close coordination with all the public and private entities, development partners and the people to keep the temperature well below 1.5 degrees Celsius and protect the biodiversity”
He explained that the objective of the consultation was to understand the local vulnerability issues and get feedback from the participants on these for incorporation in the NAP.
Mizanul Haque was present as the chief guest while Amal Krishna Mandal, Join Secretary, Wing Chief, Economic Relations Division (ERD) was present as the special guest.
Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Yasmin Parvin Tibriji, chaired the consultation.
More than 80 representatives from district administration, local government representatives, civil society representatives, sectoral experts, professionals, journalists and academia attended the event and provided their valuable comments and feedback to enrich the plan with locally specific climate adversities and adaptation needs.
Participants from different parts of the Rangamati and Khagrachari districts joined over zoom.
While delivering the keynote presentation, Professor Dr Ainun Nishat, Team Leader of the NAP Formulation Consortium said, “We will incorporate the locally-led adaptation practices in the NAP”.
He drew examples from the changing patterns of the climate and added that Chattogram Hill Tracts is heavy rainfall region and it is a major contributing factor to flash floods causing havoc.
“We have to adopt measures on how to tackle such challenges”, he said.
For successful implementation of the NAP, he underlined incorporation of the NAP in the local, national and sub-national development planning and transformative capacity building.
Khan Jamal Lusai, botanist and former academic emphasised on maintaining the navigability of the rivers and regular flow of water in the hill Charas would transform the life and livelihood of the hill people.
“As there is no cultivable plain land, the hill people have no other choice but to do Jhum cultivation and produce cotton, vegetables and fruits”.
He also said that Jhum cultivation is not as productive as it was in the past.
“We need to look beyond Jhum cultivation and introduce economic activities that support the livelihood of the hill people,” he said.
Ripon Chakma, executive director of Trinomul Unnayan Sangstha said that Use of herbicide and pesticide in mango cultivation is destroying the hill ecosystem. Large scale horticulture destroying the native species is likely to harm the ecosystem and biodiversity in the entire hill tracts regions.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director, Department of Agricultural Extension said, “We can consider conducting a study on season-specific availability of water in different regions. Based on the findings, we can erect permanent dam and reservoirs on an experimental basis and harvest rainwater”.
Buddhojoti Chakma, Correspondent of Prothom Alo said that destroying the biodiversity will only result in destroying the natural sources of water.
Monirul Islam Monu of Kalerkantho said that Introduction of exotic horticulture without any study can be deadly for the biodiversity of the hill region.
“Furthermore, we must stop burning our forests in the illegal brick fields and stone excavation.”
Read:Environmental organizations protest dysfunction of rules to protect forest-wild animals
A K M Azad Rahman, Programme Officer-Climate Change, UNDP said, “Bandarban and the entire CHT needs special adaptation measures” He advocated for Village Common Forest (VCF), a traditional practice to conserve community land for ecosystem services among other adaptation measures.
Amal Krishna Mandal said, “We are confident that we will have a country driven NAP that will document locally led adaptation efforts”.
Yasmin Parvin thanked the participants and said that The NAP should put utmost priority on solving the water crisis and land slide in the Bandarban as well as the entire CHT region.
“We will continue such dialogues with all the relevant public agencies and stakeholders to address our local problem in a coordinated way.”
The country on the other hand is ranked seventh among the climate-vulnerable countries globally (South Asian hotspots, World Bank, 2018).
FM seeks steps to stop dislocation of people by war, climate change
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said action needs to be taken so that people around the world are not uprooted either due to war or climate change.
Highlighting the importance of humanitarian principles, he said the month-long exhibition “Humanitarian Principles. Here and Now” will contribute towards creating a mindset among people to work for humanity.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen inaugurated the exhibition at the Liberation War Museum as the chief guest while State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md. Enamur Rahman, MP, attended it as a special guest.
Read: Appointed PR firm, not lobbyist, to change wrong perception: FM
Bangladesh bets big on wind energy to curb climate change
Bangladesh aims to significantly expand renewable energy sources in its total energy mix in its relentless pursuit of a net-zero carbon footprint.
As one of the key steps in this regard, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) has set a target of generating 5,000 MW of onshore and offshore wind power by 2030.
Wind energy is power obtained from the force of wind using turbines. The country currently generates only 2.9 MW of wind power.
Read Bangladesh going for green energy to mitigate climate change impact: Minister
According to Sreda officials, the huge target is being considered as an immediate option for the next few years in compliance with the government’s commitment to promoting renewable energy -- given the fact that an American agency recently pegged the country’s wind power generation potential at 30,000 MW.
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL) conducted a study -- Assessing the Wind Energy Potential in Bangladesh: Enabling Wind Energy Development with Data Products -- from June 2014 to December 2017.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded study concluded with the observation that “preliminary results demonstrate that, for wind speeds of 5.75–7.75 metre per second (m/s), there are more than 20,000 square kilometres of land with a gross wind potential of over 30,000 MW”.
READ: Wind energy vision: Contracts for Chandpur, Inani projects likely soon
About the wind power potentials, Sreda chairman Mohammad Alauddin said the organisation will now conduct a detailed study on the basis of the NREL’s findings to get the bankable data "so that potential investors can invest in the sector and make their investment commercially viable".
"A proposal on wind power's potential will be placed before the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to incorporate the target in the proposed Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) up to 2030, now being framed with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)," he told UNB.
The NREL study said, “Although this estimate is not realistic, when proper filters are applied to screen out undesirable land for wind development, it suggests that Bangladesh's 10% renewable target by 2021 is achievable”.
Read Policy support instrumental for renewable energy development: Experts
“The preliminary technical potential analysis calculates gross potential and does not filter out already-developed land, environmentally sensitive land, or land unsuitable for other reasons," it added.
The NERL study found the wind potentials at nine locations across the country, having an average wind speed of 5-6 metre per second at a height of over 60-80 metre above ground level (AGL) -- Lalpur of Natore in Rajshahi, Chandpur, Sitakunda and Parkay Beach in Chattogram, Gouripur in Mymensingh, Madhupur Tea Estate in Habigonj, Dacop in Khulna near Mongla port, Inani Beach in Cox's Bazar, and Badarganj in Rangpur.
Of these, initiatives have already been taken to set up wind power plants at three places -- at Dacop, Inani Beach and Chandpur, each having 50 MW capacity. A contract has already been awarded for the Dacop location.
Read India At COP26 Says Its Solar Energy Capacity Increased 17 Times In 7 Years
"Exploiting the new and efficient technology, we're now planning to set up a good number of wind power plants by 2030," Alauddin said, referring to the NREL study that found the wind speed at six metres per second at a higher hub height.
Energy experts, however, are skeptical about the country's wind power's potential and it's commercial viability.
Eminent energy expert Dr M Tamim said that the proposal for generating 5,000 MW of power from wind is "not only highly ambitious, but highly subjective as well".
READ: Bangladesh’s future focus may be on nuclear energy use: Dr Tawfiq
"Which technology will be used, where it will be used and what will be the cost of electricity and who will be the investors in such projects... these are big questions," said the Professor of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering at BUET.
Sreda statistics show that the country currently generates a total 777.24 MW of electricity from different renewable sources.
Of this, 543.25 MW is generated from solar energy, 2.9 MW from wind, 230 MW from hydro, 0.69 MW from biogas, and 0.4 MW from biomass, while the country’s total power generation capacity is about 25,000 MW.
Read _Bangladesh’s two dream projects face speed bumps
Shariar Ahmed Chowdhury, a professor at United International University, said that wind energy is very sensitive. "If data lacks 10% accuracy, it has a big impact and there may be a variation of 30-40% in the final output," he said.
In Dakope, on the frontline of humanity’s losing battle against nature
Life is extremely precarious for the residents of Sutarkhali, Tildanga, Banishanta, Bajua, Laudob, Kamarkhola, and Dakope unions – living on the edge of the rivers Shibsa, Pasur, Dhaki, Bhadra, Chunkuri in Khulna.
Strong fears of unrest and eviction are always breathing down their neck. Without warning, tidal floods can rise and surge over the place they call home, leaving devastation in their wake.
It is a small zone of calm amid chaos, ferocious rains and wanton destruction. Here people follow the whims of the weather like one would not believe. Figuring out how to get to safety if a storm is coming is always on their mind.
Sixty-one-year-old Chhayra Begum from Dakope lives next to the River Chunkuri. She has no son and married off her two daughters.
Read:Long-cherished Chandpur-Sylhet intercity train still a dream
The husbandless Chhayra lives in a nipa palm thatched house – partly swallowed by the river – and does not have a private toilet. She has to go to her neighbour's house or to the riverside to answer the call of nature.
The sexagenarian uses a bamboo bridge to return home. She catches fish from the river with hooks to eke out a living.
Chhayra earns Tk80 to Tk100 from selling the catch of the day in the Dakope Bazaar which is barely enough to get by.
She has to walk one mile every day to fetch drinking water from the filter set up next to the pond of sadar upazila.
Chhayra draws water from the river for cooking and uses alum as a purifier.
Dhaka, Male’ to work together on climate change, regional security
Bangladesh and the Maldives on Saturday held the first-ever bilateral consultations reaffirming their commitment to work together in regional and multilateral fora, especially on issues of climate change and regional security.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the delegation at the bilateral consultations held in Male’ between Bangladesh and the Maldives. Foreign Secretary of the Maldives Abdul Ghafoor led the Maldives delegation.
The Maldivian sides sought support from Bangladesh for the recruitment of skilled human resources, including specialized doctors and nurses.
They also sought support from Bangladesh for specialized courses in higher education, especially the medical one.
Read: Hasina for strengthening connectivity with Maldives
Both the Foreign Secretaries noted the excellent relations that exist between the two countries and reaffirmed to further strengthen that in the days to come.
Young people are more likely than older ones to be aware of climate change: Survey
Younger people in Bangladesh are substantially more likely than older people to be aware of climate change, says a new international survey by UNICEF and Gallup released on Thursday ahead of World Children’s Day.
Over 90 per cent of the Bangladeshi children and youth who were aware of the issue also agree on the need for their government to act boldly now.
The findings come from the poll The Changing Childhood Project, the first of its kind to ask multiple generations for their views on the world and what it is like to be a child today.
The poll surveyed more than 21,000 people across two age cohorts (15-24 years old and 40 years old and up) in 21 countries, across all regions and income levels, including Bangladesh.
The survey shows that children and young people are nearly 50 per cent more likely than older people to believe that the world is becoming a better place with each generation, and that childhood has improved, with overwhelming majorities believing that healthcare, education, and physical safety are better for today's children than for their parents' generation.
Yet, despite their optimism, young people are far from naïve, expressing restlessness for action on climate change, skepticism about information they consume on social media, and struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety.
Read: Nearly 240 mn children with disabilities around world: UNICEF
They are far more likely than older people to see themselves as global citizens, and more likely to embrace international cooperation to tackle threats like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no shortage of reasons for pessimism in the world today: Climate change, the pandemic, poverty and inequality, rising distrust, and growing nationalism. But here is a reason for optimism: Children and young people refuse to see the world through the bleak lens of adults,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
“Compared to older generations, the world’s young people remain hopeful, much more globally minded, and determined to make the world a better place. Today’s young people have concerns for the future but see themselves as part of the solution.”
“The voices of Bangladeshi young people on climate action are loud and clear. Young people in Bangladesh are aware of the consequences of climate change, and are more adamant than ever that more needs to be done,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.
“Their views on the world might differ on some aspects from their peers’ in other countries, but their vision is the same: the need to act now for a better future.”