Policymakers, development experts, and civil society representatives on Tuesday called for coordinated action to address the climate crisis while ensuring children's early development, saying the two priorities are closely interconnected and essential to building a sustainable future.
They urged the government, development partners, civil society, the media, the private sector, and families to work together to safeguard children's wellbeing while protecting the environment.
The call came at a policy dialogue titled What to Do for Childhood: Protecting Childhood and the Earth, jointly organized by the Bangladesh Early Childhood Development Network (BEN) and the Prokriti O Jibon Foundation, with support from Arnec and Somasti Media Communication and Development Foundation. Channel i served as the event's media partner.
Addressing the event as chief guest, Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said investment in early childhood development is one of the country's most important long-term investments rather than an expense.
He said raising public awareness, ensuring adequate financial investment, strengthening policy implementation, and enhancing institutional support are essential to addressing climate change and creating a safe, child-friendly environment. He also stressed the need for close collaboration among the government, development partners, private organizations, the media, and civil society.
Presiding over the event, Prokriti O Jibon Foundation Chairman Mukit Majumder Babu said protecting children's care, development, and wellbeing must go hand in hand with conserving nature, the environment, and biodiversity to leave a livable planet for future generations.
He said investing in children today and protecting the Earth are equally important for building a stronger and more humane society.
Presenting the keynote paper, BEN Vice-President Mahmuda Akter highlighted the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child's life, describing it as the most critical period for physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
She said ensuring proper nutrition, healthcare, responsive caregiving, a nurturing family environment, and early learning opportunities during this period significantly improves a child's lifelong potential, calling for increased public and private investment.
The discussion featured representatives from UNICEF Bangladesh, UNESCO, government agencies, universities, and development organizations, including Save the Children Bangladesh, Plan International Bangladesh, Synergos, Manusher Jonno Foundation, BRAC University, Independent University, Bangladesh, North South University, and the Department of Social Services.
Speakers said many families in Bangladesh remain unaware of the importance of early childhood development, resulting in gaps in nutrition, healthcare, quality caregiving, safe environments, and pre-primary education. They stressed the need to raise public awareness, strengthen parental capacity, expand community-level services, and improve community engagement.
They also emphasized that children are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and called for greater investment in child-centered climate adaptation and sustainable development planning.
The speakers agreed that ensuring children's wellbeing and protecting the environment require stronger coordination among government institutions, development partners, educational institutions, the private sector, the media, and civil society. They urged policymakers to place children's rights, safety, and environmental conservation at the center of national development planning.