City Desk :
Emphasising on the critical need to tackle environmental degradation, pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change in South Asia, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury called for enhanced regional cooperation, coordination, and connectivity.
“The environmental pollution and degradation are transboundary issues requiring collaborative solutions,” he said.
The minister said this while delivering his speech as the outgoing chair of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) at the 16th meeting of the Governing Council in Thimphu, Bhutan on Wednesday.
He lauded the visionary leaders who established SACEP in 1982 under the Colombo Declaration, before the Earth Summit in 1992 and noted its remarkable achievements across various crucial areas.
Highlighting South Asia’s rich geographical, historical, political, ideological, and cultural identity, Saber expressed hope that SACEP would serve as the common platform for addressing environmental issues and become the focal point for all environmental perspectives in the region.
He also mentioned that SACEP’s ongoing projects include combating plastic pollution through 12 Regional Grant Projects and 18 Innovation Grant Projects across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.