Major event aims to tackle climate change in Bangladesh

Birmingham City University will be hosting the ‘Build Bangladesh: Environmental Education is a Basic Human Right’ event, which will bring together teachers, researchers and government representatives from across the globe to examine how climate change is taught in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to natural disasters due to its geographical location, flat, low-lying landscape, dense population, high levels of poverty and low levels of literacy.

But climate change is often overlooked, despite the country experiencing annual natural disasters, and the Build Bangladesh project aims to address this by connecting the country’s policy makers and educators with academics at Birmingham City University and the University of New South Wales.

The event will include a workshop with the aim of creating a new educational process for Bangladesh and transforming the Bangladesh government’s approach to environmental issues.

It targets finding ways of equipping residents with the knowledge to help the country become more self-sufficient and make the best possible use of its natural resources.

Dr Lynsey Melville, Reader in Bioenergy and Biorefining at Birmingham City University, said: “Education is a basic human right. According to UNICEF more than 75 million children across 35 of the poorest countries require more educational support.

“It is important that these children and their communities have a sound understanding of their environment and how to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change to secure their future well-being and economic growth. The University is engaged in both research and teaching activities to support this.

“From research into sustainable energy and waste management practices to empowering future engineers to think differently about how we address the impacts of climate change with communities in developing countries.

“This workshop brings together some of the key actors across the UK to explore best practice in environmental education at the primary level and the outcomes of the workshop will inform a policy brief to be presented to the Bangladesh government.”

Bangladesh is listed as one of seven of the world’s climate change hotspots, with natural disasters damaging the country’s development.

Results from the workshop will be relayed to the Bangladeshi government and officials in a bid to create a new form of education, to help residents fight against the issues created by climate change.

Speakers on the day will include Birmingham City University’s Dr Lynsey Melville and Mr. Md. Nazmul Quaunine Hon. High Commissioner for Bangladesh in the UK.