Desk Report: ECD Network to work on environmental and climate impacts on early child development. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed has emphasized on strengthening the network, including the media, for the effective role of the National Working Group on Climate Change.

Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, Chairperson of Bangladesh ECD Network, made the remarks at a national seminar on `Climate Change and Early Childhood Development` organized by Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN) in collaboration with Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), International Center for Climate Change and Development, and Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood on Wednesday morning at the IUB auditorium in the capital.

The opening and welcome address was given by Dr. SM Saidur Rahman Mashreki, Treasurer of Bangladesh ECD Network and Associate Professor of Public Health, North South University. The "Multi-Sectoral Working Group for Climate Change and ECD" was inaugurated by Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, Chairperson of Bangladesh ECD Network. Khairul Islam, Regional Director for South Asia, WaterAid, and Professor M. Tamim, Vice Chancellor of Independent University Bangladesh, delivered the special guest speeches.

The paper was presented by Dr. Neelima Chopra, Program and Partnership Specialist of the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC). The paper on Climate Change and Early Childhood Development was presented by Mahmuda Akhtar, Vice-Chair of the Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN).

BEN Executive Committee Member and Dean of IUB`s School of Pharmacy and Public Health Dr. Kamran Ul Baset moderated the open discussion, which was attended by Save the Children`s Mohammad Omar Farooq, Asif Moinul Chowdhury, prominent media personalities and Mir Attaki Masruruzzaman, Executive Director of Samashti Foundation, a media development organization, who recommended working in a coordinated manner by building national capacity. He also said that to ensure the sustainability of development, we need to reduce donor dependency and build a beautiful child-friendly country by utilizing domestic resources.

Rabeya Baby, staff reporter of Dainik Ittefaq, Swapna Chakraborty, senior reporter of Rupali Bangladesh, etc.
The closing speech was delivered by IUB`s Head of Environmental Science and Management Department and Focal ICCCAD) Professor Dr. Md. Hafizur Rahman. Also present were the Director of the consortium, Rezaul Haque, Coordinator Zahidul Haque Khan, and leaders of various universities, international and national development organizations.
Dr. Manzur Ahmed said, the impact of climate change has a greater impact on children. Climate change has become an existential crisis in our lives. There is not enough discussion about the impact of climate on children, what we can do, what to do.

He said, the various impacts of climate change are affecting different aspects of our lives. But it is especially affecting children. According to this proposal, a national multisectoral working group has been formed with 12 prominent people on climate and child development. Mahmuda Akhtar said, the development of a child depends on the relationship between his parents. We have to express our love in front of the child. Take the child outside, listen to him, give him time, keep a place for him to play, let him play. As a result, the child`s brain will develop rapidly in childhood. The child`s brain growth increases in size. If parents stop these, his brain will not develop further.

The big challenge in our country is that ministries are working separately. These ministries need to work together.
Khairul Islam said that the network should have a focus. They will campaign with children of any age. He gave the example of a school in Sri Lanka, where the bell is rung three times to make the students drink water. These practices need to be practiced in our country too.
Professor M. Tamim said that climate change will affect a child more than it will affect an adult.

He said that pre-primary school teachers have no idea about the early childhood of the child. He gave importance to providing training to primary school teachers in this regard. Mir Masrur Zaman Roni said, in our time, we wanted a joyful childhood. Today`s childhood wants a childhood free from suffering. The main obstacle to the early development of our children is that educational institutions are not child-friendly. We have been involved in such a miserable life since we grew up, now instead of a joyful life, removing suffering has become a challenge for us as a nation. He also said that the generation that is a victim of climate change and the early development of children and their determination to lead them in the future.

Just as development workers have joined in that belief, the entire media and development organizations are also fulfilling their responsibility to highlight the voices of the marginalized groups of the society and reach them to the policy-making circles. Janswath is working to spread journalism.
He also said that the biggest challenge in the media at this time is the voices of the marginalized people. If we analyze the content of the media, all the content of the media is the voices of the upper class people of the society. There is no content of the marginalized people.

As part of Janswath journalism, we have worked on early child development, prevention of child death due to drowning, ensuring nutrition for children, and mental development of children.
Professor Dr. Md. Hafizur Rahman said in his closing speech that the National Working Group can work on the impact of climate change on children in the future.