The agriculture minister, Matia Chowdhury, stressed the need for utilising space technology for minimising disaster havoc for ensuring human security and sustainable development.
The government has been able to address all major disasters in recent time like strong cyclone Sidr in 2007 due to timely precautionary messages released by SPARRSO, she said.
The minister was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar at SPARRSO auditorium in the capital Tuesday morning.
Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation organised the seminar titled 'Space Technology Application for Monitoring Earth Resources, Disasters and Climate Change Impacts for Ensuring Human Security and Sustainable Development'.
Chaired by SPARRSO chairman Mujibur Rahman Howlader, the session was addressed, among others, by the state minister for environment and forest, Hasan Mahmud, defence secretary Khandakar Asaduzzaman and former chairman of SPARRSO M Chowdhury.
Speaking as chief guest, Matia said the government had planned to modernise SPARRSO aiming at building 'Digital Bangladesh'.
She said necessary allocation would be made immediately for the development of SPARRSO so that it could provide service by using modern technology.
Matia said considering some devastating disasters, which occurred in recent past in the region, the government was very conscious about disaster. 'Devastating cyclone claimed huge lives and property in 1991. Recent cyclone destroyed huge assets in Myanmar, she added.'
SPARRSO chairman Mujibur Rahman in his key-note presentation said from 1960 to 2009, Bangladesh had to face 15 cyclones with a death toll of more than 750,000 and the devastating trend and damage of property was on the rise. But, there was a tremendous reduction in human death.
He said early warning system of space technology application is helping much to minimise disaster loss in recent past.
Mujibur Rahman said use of integrated space technological techniques, tools and analysis of different weather prediction model was the need of the hour to face the challenge of climate changes and variations.
Source : New Age
