KHULNA, Apr 17: State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Sheikh Faridul Islam on Friday said, increasing salinity and pollution of soil and water in the coastal areas have emerged as major challenges to achieving sustainable development.
He made the remarks as the chief guest while addressing the inaugural session of a two-day international conference titled "Soil, Water and Environmental Resilience in the Coastal Zone of Bangladesh under a Changing Climate" at Khulna University.
The conference, organized by the university's Soil, Water and Environment Discipline, began in the morning at the Liaquat Ali Auditorium on the campus.
The state minister said the south-western region of Bangladesh, including Khulna, is facing the harsh realities of climate change and is effectively a "real climate victim" due to its geographical location.
"Frequent natural disasters are causing irreparable damage to lives and livelihoods in this region. Our biggest challenge now is how to adapt and survive under these adverse conditions," he said.
Highlighting the growing environmental threats, he noted that salinity intrusion, along with soil and water pollution, has become particularly acute in areas such as Rampal, Mongla, Koyra and Satkhira.
He stressed the importance of such conferences in identifying effective, nature-based solutions to address these challenges.
Referring to the Sundarban, the state minister said, the world's largest mangrove forest is now facing multifaceted threats and called for immediate collective action to protect the ecosystem.
"For our own survival, we must protect the environment. We are also responsible, in part, for the current environmental degradation," he added.
Emphasising research, he said there is no alternative to quality research for finding sustainable and long-term solutions and called for greater involvement of students and farmers in research initiatives.
Khulna University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Rezaul Karim, who spoke as chief patron, said coastal communities are increasingly facing salinity, water scarcity and land degradation due to climate change, directly affecting their livelihoods.
"As a coastal university, Khulna University aims not only to excel in education and research but also to engage with society and contribute to solving real-world problems," he said.
He added that the university is strengthening interdisciplinary research and working closely with coastal communities to ensure research outcomes bring tangible changes.
The vice-chancellor expressed hope that the conference would create a platform for knowledge and experience sharing among researchers and experts, leading to practical solutions and long-term collaborations.
Head of the Discipline Prof. Dr. Mohammad Jaber Hossain presided over the event while Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Harun-Or-Rashid Khan addressed it as special guest.
Among others, Dean of the School of Life Science Prof. Dr. Md. Golam Hossain, Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hossain Chowdhury and Director of Student Affairs Prof. Dr. Md. Nazmus Sadat also spoke.
The keynote paper was presented by Prof. Dr. Xinhua Peng of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
In the second session, guest speakers Dr. Ryota Kataoka from the University of Yamanashi, Japan, and Prof. Dr. M. Jahiruddin of Bangladesh Agricultural University spoke.
More than 200 research papers were presented through oral and poster sessions, while over 300 delegates from Bangladesh and abroad, including Japan and China, took part in the conference.
Following the inaugural session, the state minister visited the country's first Soil Archive established at the ground floor of the university's Academic Building-2.
He expressed satisfaction after observing soil samples collected from different regions and hoped the archive would open new avenues for research. Later, he planted saplings at the campus.
