Online Desk  :   Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Friday, January 17, urged all to follow the ‘eco-centric’ philosophy to protect the ecology and ecosystems, including environment, water, land, and all forms of life. “We have to be eco-centric in our approaches rather than anthropocentric. We have to put nature at the center of all our activities. We must not try to change the nature as it has its own rules to follow,” she told the inaugural session of the 15th National Nature Summit 2025 at Notre Dame College in Dhaka as the chief guest. Notre Dame Nature Study Club, NDNSC, is organising the two-day summit with the theme ‘Endeavor towards a Plastic-Free World’. Notre Dame College Principal Dr Fr Hemanto Pius Rozario presided over the inaugural session, addressed, among others, by Prokriti O Jibon Foundation (Nature and Life Foundation) Chairman Muqeed Majumdar Babu as special guest.

“You all must protect air, soil, and water,” said Rizwana, also the water resources adviser, adding, “Any development that does not protect the soil that provides us food, the water that we drink, and the air that is needed for us to take a breath every second is not a development at all.” About the degradation of the nature, the environment adviser Rizwana said that the previous generations or the predecessors are responsible for the environmental pollution happening across the world.”The environment is changing because you [current generation] people are bearing the brunt of the wrongdoings done by your predecessors,” she said, adding that nowadays, the children of this generation have to take unsafe food and inhale polluted air.

“Even, no river can ensure potable water in the country,” she said. She urged the new generation to introduce innovative solutions to deal with today’s ecological challenges. Finding a ray of hope in the new generation, the adviser said this generation is more empathetic towards all forms of living beings of the earth and the nature that made them different than the previous generation. “My generation thought that making infrastructures like buildings and flyovers is development. Today’s generation not only thinks about the human rights but also thinks about the rights of the other creatures, such as ensuring a friendly environment for pets and other animals,” she said.

“The environment is not only about the rights of the people; rather, it’s also about the lives of those who cannot speak,” she added. Rizwana said people should not destroy anything that they cannot build in the world. “You can create 200 tannery factories, but you cannot create one river like ‘Buriganga’ or ‘Dhaleshwari’,” she said. About raising awareness against noise pollution, she advised all to drive their vehicles without honking. Encouraging all to change their lifestyle, she urged them to follow an eco-friendly lifestyle for the greater interests of nature. She hoped that the leadership and commitment of today’s youths will shape up the foundation of a sound environment for the future.