DHAKA, Sept. 28 -- A conference of leading Bangladeshi and Chinese universities kicked off Friday in Dhaka to share experiences in dealing with environmental and ecological risks amid a warming planet.
The "China, South, Southeast Asian conference on Environmental and Ecosystem Risk Management" was attended by scores of dignitaries from local and foreign organizations.
The conference was organized by the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Dhaka University in collaboration with China's Yunnan University and Confucius Institute at Dhaka University.
Dhaka University's Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences ASM Maksud Kamal said industrialization, climate change, unplanned urbanization, urban pollution, armed conflicts and refugee crisis, among others, are escalating the environmental and ecological risk, particularly in developing world, almost every day.
"To achieve the targeted progresses on SDGs which emphasizes on climate change, sustainable consumption, sustainable cities and communities, affordable and clean energy, we must concentrate on ensuring environmental and ecosystem balance," said the professor.
Most of the world's fastest growing economies -- China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh -- are in South and Southeast Asia, he said, adding that they are among the countries in the world which are facing some form of environmental and ecosystem risk.
Hu Jinming, dean and professor at the Institute of International Rivers and Eco Security of Yunnan University, said as geographical neighbors, China and nations in South and Southeast Asia are experiencing risks caused by frequent and extreme climate change and increasing human disturbances.
"We jointly launched this international conference to add relevant issues of environmental and ecological risk management," said Hu.
The conference also brought together experts from Nepal and Myanmar to share their experiences and research.