DHAKA, Dec 10, 2019 (BSS) – The International Mountain Day-2019 will be observed tomorrow in the country like elsewhere across the world aiming to increase attention to the importance of mountains, which are home of 15 percent of the world’s population and a quarter of the world’s land animals and plants.
The theme of the day is “Mountains Matter for Youth”.
The day is being observed since 2003 after the UN declaration of International Year of Mountains came in 2002 under the phenomenon that unfortunately mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation.
As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people – some of the world’s poorest – face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people.
This year, the youth will take the lead and demand that mountains and mountain peoples become central in the national and international development agendas, receive more attention, investments and tailored research.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the eve of the day. In his message, the President said, “It is very much essential to accommodate the youth community for protecting environment of the hilly regions as environment at the hilly regions are becoming ‘imbalanced’ due to the impact of the climate change.”
Hilly region is containing one of the different landscape specialties in Bangladesh, he said, adding that the observance of the International Mountain Day will increase awareness among the people on the life and culture of the hilly people.
In another message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, almost 22 percent area of the world is hilly region which is the home of one-tenth of the world population, adding that mountains are 60 to 80 percent sweet water source in the world.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first who had turned the hilly people to the mainstream of development, said the Prime Minister. She added, “Bangabandhu has given the instruction to maintain particular quota in the college, university and technical institutes for the students living in the hilly areas in 1973.”
The Awami League government is working relentlessly for the development of the hilly region, said the premier. “We have signed a peace agreement on December 2 in 1997 for permanent peace and sustainable development of the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT)”, she said in her message.
The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs has taken programmes to mark the day. A discussion will be held at the ministry conference room at 11am tomorrow. Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing will attend the meeting as the chief guest.