DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Sand from Bangladesh may help to keep the Maldives above water under a proposed agreement between the two countries, an official said.

"We have received a proposal from the Maldives government regarding this. They want to import soil from our country in defense against rising sea levels," said Bangladesh Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan, the Business Standard newspaper of India reports.

The two countries are investigating the possibility and may sign an agreement within three or four months, Khan said.

Dr. Jane Goodall, the keynote speaker of the 4th edition of the Geneva Lecture Series that took place on 26 May at the Palais des Nations, urged the current generation to stop borrowing from the future generations and to change its ways before it is too late. Pointing to the sometimes pessimistic attitudes among youth, Dr. Goodall explained, “When I think about how we have harmed the planet since I was their age, I feel this desperation and shame. We have compromised their future. But it’s not true that there’s nothing that can be done about it”.

Jane Goodall commonly referred to as “Dr. Jane” sees her work with children and youth as one of the main priority areas. She struggles to instill hope and to make them believe that they can contribute to making the world a better place. Through its youth programme “Roots and Shoots” currently present in 120 countries, the Jane Goodall Institute demonstrates in practice how each child can make a difference for his local community, animals and the environment. While delivering her lecture, Dr. Goodall noted that this was her faith in youth that gave her the energy to travel 300 days a year to spread a message of hope and to contribute to “raising new generations to be better students than we are”.