Dr. Fatima Akter
Bangladesh is regularly exposed to extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones associated with storm surges, floods, severe thunderstorms and drought due to the geographical location. With a per capita GDP (2015) of about 1212 USD, Bangladesh is considered one of the most disaster-prone and climate vulnerable countries in the world. As a result, the country needs expertise in this field to develop its own capacity. Meteorologists can contribute significantly to the economy such as agriculture, fisheries, the water sector, weather forecasting, aviation, and disaster management. In Bangladesh, there are no University-level Departments of Meteorology that can support development of a cohort of professionals who could help foster public or private sector delivery of meteorological services.
To save the country from impending meteorological issues, skilled meteorologists are required who can serve the nation through early warning and advanced forecasting. Hence the new department, Department of Meteorology has been opened on 17 July 2016 under the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences in University of Dhaka. In order to make this department one of the top scientific and excellence in research, the department is going to take qualified faculty members, and also in the process of setting up excellent teaching and research facilities such as labs, well trained lab assistants, adequate classrooms, data accessibility sources and adequate research facilities.