The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken actions since 2015 to ensure sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources in order to achieve inclusive development and SDG-14 goal. Blue economy has diversified the economic activities involving ocean, minimizing the investment and ensuring the balance between economic activity and oceanic ecosystem. Multi-system evaluation employing ocean observation and modeling experiments that can provide accurate knowledge and predictions regarding any ocean phenomena and impact simplifies decision-making, planning, and governance for the stakeholders. The GoB has already launched the Bangabandhu-1 satellite and is preparing to launch the Bangabandhu-2 satellite, both of which can deliver remotely sensed data with high accuracy in close to real-time and can help with satellite-based mapping and monitoring for effective resettling, restoring, protecting, and managing the ecosystems of the Bay of Bengal.

This conference aims to promote smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth of non-living resources (Hydrocarbons, metallic minerals, and renewable energy), living resources (fish, shrimp, crabs, seaweeds, etc.), and employment opportunities within our maritime region by effectively utilizing ocean observation, modeling techniques, and a sustainable management of the ocean through addressing the challenges of climate change and marine pollution.

This sub-theme includes-

  • Physical Oceanography and ocean modeling
  • Climate Change and Sea Level
  • Biological Oceanography
  • Chemical Oceanography
  • Geological Oceanography
  • Ocean Policy and Management

This particular theme highlights Geo-resources’ roles in achieving sustainable development goals. Specific emphasis will be given to water and energy resources focusing on SDG Goals 6 and 7, respectively, and the effect of climate changes on Geo-resources Management. Geo-resources, including water and energy, are also essential ingredients for several other SDG goals. Bangladesh is experiencing rapid economic progress, and the sustainability of the growth depends mainly on the water-energy nexus. Technology and climate changes affect water and energy resources management. Innovations, tools, and techniques are needed to ensure sustainable water and energy resources management. This conference creates a platform for national and international experts to share experiences and knowledge which can be incorporated into policy and practices. Researchers and practitioners are invited to present their research findings, case studies, and field experiences as oral or poster presentations.

This sub-theme will incorporate the following session themes:

  • HC Exploration, Development, and Management
  • Water Resource Management
  • Potential, Challenges, and New Trends in Exploration Technology
  • Effects of Climatic Changes on Geo-resources Management

The climate is changing with soaring disaster risk and this is no longer a myth while the frail debate is with its kinds (whether the change is mostly natural or mostly human-induced). Apart from the cause of changing, each society of the present world aims to attain resilience in the face of obviously happening and impending disaster risks related to climate as well as climate change. Achieving resilience is also the central goal of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The advancements of human society, government, and community that have been made through years and years are susceptible to disaster. Without building up disaster resilient infrastructure and society, it will be hard for us to alleviate poverty, eradicate hunger, slaking social inequalities, and extenuating vulnerability of poor and marginalized groups of the society as well as meet up the goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-2030. With a strong adaptable society, we can reduce economic loss, human casualties and save people from becoming more exposed to vulnerability through experiencing repetitive disasters. It is time to place a strong emphasis on the systematic study of the global environment and incorporate disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience approaches in planning, implementation, and maintenance phases of any development activities carried out by the government, public or private sectors. DRR and resilience should always be consider as the most prioritized issues in our decision making and practices. The detail study of modern day disaster and climate resilience through exploring earth and climate science, social science, engineering, and management aspects is monumental to understand the intricate interplay of terrestrial processes with the built environment and develop a perceiving of complex dynamics of climate, its system, and their interaction with human interventions. The climate change with resultant frequent emerging hazards and severity has made it necessary to investigate the underlying causes of those disasters and to develop an effective management strategy to build a safe and resilient society.

This sub-theme includes-

  • Innovative DRR Technology and Risk Modelling
  • Towards Urban Resilience
  • Social Systems for Risk Governance
  • Resilience in a Changing Climate and Policy Research

  • Sub-theme-1: Natural Environment and Sustainable Development

Bangladesh has unique geographical location and natural environmental setting dominated by the intricate river networks and their floodplains. The presence of Tertiary hills, mangrove and evergreen forests, natural resources and coastal exposure have made its physiography more diversified. In the context of climate change, the natural environment of Bangladesh is predicted to experience the adversities with the changes in climatic parameters and more frequent occurrence of natural disasters. To achieve the sustainable development goals and minimize the loss and damages of climate change, more intensive and sector specific research on the environmental components of Bangladesh is imperative. Natural environment and sustainable development issues are linked to both enhance development efforts and avoid adverse environmental impacts Therefore, this sub theme will accommodate relevant research papers addressing the dynamic issues related to the physical environment of Bangladesh in the context of climate change.

  • Sub-theme-2: Population Dynamic and Social Issues

The study of population dynamics and social issues in Geography and Environment is essential for identifying and assessing the spatio-temporal aspects of the population’s structure, growth and distribution as well as the impending social problems and prospects. A number of factors are playing roles in the pattern of population dynamics which are essential to study. Moreover, some social issues are key to identifying the relationships between society and the environment. Hence, the sub-theme is very relevant to the conference in which a number of research topics could be presented.

  • Sub-theme-3: Rural Development and Challenges

Almost 50 years after gaining its independence, Bangladesh is still developing with the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2041. Bangladesh has a long way to go in terms of reducing social inequalities, providing affordable quality education and healthcare for the majority of the population, creating effective institutions, and much more. Therefore, any vision of development must adopt a comprehensive strategy and consider a wide range of factors. Rural development should be identified and prioritized as a distinct objective in Bangladesh’s overall development strategy. Poverty reduction, the effects of climate change, food security, and relieving strain on Bangladesh’s urban centers are some of the major concerns identified in development literature that make rural development an imperative necessity for the country. The negative effects of climate change on agriculture, education, and health in rural regions have already started to manifest. Because of the many ways that climate change is affecting the general well-being of the rural poor, rural development must be integrated in the broader vision of national development.

  • Sub-theme-4: Urban Transformation and Climate Change

Global climate change does have a significant negative influence on urban services,infrastructures, livelihoods, and human health. Even though Bangladesh’s big cities make a small impact to global climate change, they are rapidly urbanizing and changing. Bangladeshi cities are extremely vulnerable to climate change due to their high population density, limited infrastructure and service facilities, and low adaptation ability. Scientific articles on Bangladesh’s cities’ vulnerability to climate change, disaster mitigation and adaptation, and progress toward community resilience are encouraged to be submitted under this theme.

  • Sub-theme-5: Coastal Environment and Climate Change

The coastal belt of Bangladesh can be characterized by unique morphological features, hydrological behaviour, environmental settings and ecological diversity. This is not only the most resourceful part of the country, but is also highly vulnerable to a series of natural and man-made disasters. During the last six decades, the natural environmental setting of the coast has significantly been altered by number of human interventions, such as coastal polderization, conversion of forest land into shrimp and salt farms, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and the expansion of coastal tourism. Besides these human interferences, the coastal ecology has now become more vulnerable due to adverse effect of climate changes, which has lead the coast more susceptible to cyclonic effect, bank line erosion, tidal inundation, sea-level rise, saline water intrusion, and loss of biodiversity. This sub-theme of coastal environment and climate change is an opportunity to accommodate research papers covering a wide range of coastal issues ranging from natural environmental settings to human dimensions and livelihoods.

Bangladesh Environment: Geographical Perspectives

This sub-theme includes-

  • Population Dynamics and Social Issues
  • Resource Management and Sustainable Development
  • Rural Environment and Development Changes
  • Urban Environment and Development Changes
  • Coastal Environment and Climate Change

Global warming is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific studies indicate that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with human-induced climate change.According to the WMO’s Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes 1970-2019, the number of disasters increased five-fold between 1970 and 2019. Economic losses have increased seven-fold. According to the sixth IPCC, extreme events will further increase in the future with increasing global warming. Given this, to enable the public to prepare and act appropriately in such extreme weather conditions, the preparation and dissemination of meaningful weather forecasts and warnings in a time-bound manner have become very important. A deep understanding of the meteorology of the tropics, tropical monsoons, tropical disturbances, physics and dynamics of these processes, their variability, links with distant events, and the effect of climate change on the meteorological processes is very important. The sub-theme will coagulate the generation of information on the contemporary science of tropical meteorology, climate change projection, applied meteorology, and advanced weather forecasting techniques. This conference aims to bring together all leading academics, scientists, and scholars belonging to interdisciplinary platforms to exchange and share their experience, knowledge, and research findings on all aspects of Meteorology and Climate Science.

Session-themes are as follows:

  1. Tropical Meteorology
  2. Advanced Weather Forecasting Techniques
  3. Climate Change Projection
  4. Applied Meteorology