Experts call for expanding country’s conserved areas

Al Amin :
Experts at a seminar on Saturday emphasized the need for Bangladesh to expand its protected and conserved areas to reach the 30 % target, set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Currently, the conserved forest, inland water bodies, and oceanic areas in Bangladesh only account for 4.16 to 6.2 percent.

Achieving this goal requires a collaborative and comprehensive effort involving communities, government agencies, and stakeholders.

The seminar, titled “the implementation and monitoring of the Kunming – Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Community-based Solutions and Contributions to the Global Biodiversity Targets,” was organized by Unnayan Onneshan at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital city.

The Kunming-Montreal Framework aims to safeguard 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030 to protect and preserve biodiversity.

Prof Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the Chairperson of Unnayan Onneshan, presented a report on the condition of the Sundarbans.

It highlighted the severe damage caused by super cyclone Sidr, which destroyed 10% of the Sundarbans.

The fishing area shrank from 448 hectares in 2010 to 322 hectares in 2020, and the crab habitat decreased from 3115 hectares to 1634 hectares.

It was stressed that climate and biodiversity concerns are universal, and it’s crucial for the government to clarify the tools and techniques they plan to use to achieve the 30% conservation target by 2030.

Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, emphasized the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity, and pollution.

He highlighted the importance of a harmonized approach across various ministries and resource mobilization for income generation activities involving local communities.

Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forest, discussed Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve the 2030 target, including community engagement through collaborative forest management.

Indigenous people’s active participation was deemed crucial, and traditional conservation approaches were being emphasized.

Deputy Chief Conservator of Forest Jahidul Kabir presented a paper on ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use in Bangladesh,’ which revealed that 4.16% of the terrestrial area and 6.2% of the exclusive oceanic zone in the country were under conservation.