As Bangladeshis count their losses from the cyclone that lashed low-lying coastal areas on Sunday, calls are growing for the government to bolster storm defences and aid mechanisms as extreme weather becomes more common. Ripon Chandra Das, a student from the hard-hit southern region of Dacope, said the monsoon surge had swept away the coastal fish and shrimp ponds of hundreds of families in his village. Many villagers invested their savings and took on debt to build fish ponds washed away by the tidal surge, Chandra Das said. Helping smallholder farmers and aquaculturists adapt their fields and fish ponds should be a priority for the government as the world tries to channel more climate finance to the poorest communities, Rahman said. While the government has a database of fish farmers, Mamun called for the use of artificial intelligence-powered tools to estimate the economic losses in order to channel state aid to the affected families.

Source: bd News24 May 29, 2024 13:44 UTC