Coastal children place 13 demands for climate protection

Children from Bangladesh’s coastal belt have placed 13 demands for stronger protection against climate-induced disasters, including safe drinking water, healthcare, uninterrupted education, and child-friendly shelters.

The demands were made at the closing session of the sixth Coastal Children’s Climate Conference in Khulna today, organised by Jagrat Juba Sangha (JJS) under the theme “Child Leadership for Climate Resilience”. Around 200 children from different coastal areas took part.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The children called for a permanent solution to safe water shortages, construction and maintenance of climate-resilient embankments, and sufficient modern shelters with facilities for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

They also demanded measures to ensure uninterrupted education during disasters, expanded healthcare services, climate education, disaster preparedness, and mental well-being support.

Other demands included livelihood opportunities in vulnerable areas, social protection for displaced families, climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries, bans on plastic and polythene use, compensation for affected families, stricter control over polluting brick kilns, and initiatives to protect rivers, canals and the Sundarbans.

Attending the closing session, Environment, Forest and Climate Change State Minister Shaikh Faridul Islam has called on children to lead the fight against plastic and polythene pollution, urging every school to become plastic- and polythene-free.

“The country has become heavily polluted. We must rein in pollution now,” he said, stressing that environmental protection must go beyond seminars and projects. Children should practice environment-friendly habits in their daily lives and encourage their families and communities to do the same.

The government, he said, has taken an initiative to plant 250 million trees over the next five years.

Other speakers included Director General of the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) Faruk Wasif, Khulna Additional Divisional Commissioner Sifat Mehnaz, Khulna Deputy Commissioner Hure Jannat, Concern Bangladesh Country Director Manish Kumar Agrawal, and Vice-Chancellor of Narayanganj Science and Technology University Prof Md Nazmus Sadat.