Do not confuse climate change with natural events
BRAC University, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and national and international academic institutions, hosted a certificate awarding ceremony on Saturday (13 June 2026) for participants of an international course titled “Environmental Science and Climate Action: A Global-South Perspective”.
Addressing the ceremony as chief guest, Dr Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus and adviser at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University, urged the public not to confuse natural weather events with long-term climate change.
The climate change trajectory is evolving gradually and may accelerate in the future. However, there is still time to adapt through informed planning, regular updates and improved forecasting, he said.
While chairing the closing ceremony at Stamford University Bangladesh, the institution’s vice-chancellor, Dr Sharif Nafe As-Saber, urged all to play their part in slowing climate change and to move beyond lamenting over budget limitations.
BRAC University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury highlighted the country’s unique climate challenges, including water scarcity and salinity in coastal regions.
He noted the disproportionate impact on women, particularly in managing menstrual health while traveling long distances for water collection.
He expressed hope that the course would generate practical, locally grounded solutions through knowledge-sharing and research.
C3ER Director Dr Md Golam Rabbani warned of the broader regional consequences of climate change, stating that South Asia could lose up to 2% of its GDP annually by 2050.
Citing projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he added that up to 40 million people could be displaced, nearly half of them in Bangladesh.
The international course aimed to strengthen foundational knowledge in environmental science, foster regional and global collaboration among future climate leaders, and explore governance and policy dimensions of climate action.
It was conducted over 10 weeks by 15 national and 13 international experts.
The C3ER, Mission Green Bangladesh and the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies took the initiative to offer the course with support from the Binks Institute for Sustainability (University of Dundee), Asia Hub (Michigan State University), Nanjing Agricultural University and Stamford University Bangladesh.
Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, dean, Faculty of Science, Stamford University; Dr. Oksana Tarasova, senior scientific officer, Infrastructure Department, World Meteorological Organization; Dr Nandan Mukherjee, director, Binks Institute for Sustainability; Dr Jiaguo Qi, director, Asia Hub; Di Wang, director, Career Initiatives and Regional Liaison for Asia Hub; and Dr Liu Yutao, deputy director, International Cooperation Office, Nanjing Agricultural University, also spoke at the event.
Professor Dr M Nazrul Islam, chairman, Department of Geography, Jahangirnagar University; Professor Dr Md Hafizur Rahman, head, Department of Environmental Science and Management, Independent University, Bangladesh; Dr Mohammed Al-Amin, pro-vice chancellor (academic), University of Chittagong; AKM Sohel, additional secretary and wing chief (United Nations), Economic Relations Division; and Ahsan Rony, executive director, Mission Green Bangladesh, also shared their thoughts.
The session was moderated by C3ER Assistant Director Sharmin Nahar Nipa.
