Bangladesh is facing various crises due to climate change, most of which are occurring in coastal areas. As a disaster-prone country, coastal forests protect us from natural disasters. There is no alternative to forest conservation to combat the effects of climate change. Unfortunately, these forests are being damaged by various activities.
The speakers made these remarks at a workshop titled ‘National Event on Coastal Forest Co-Management for Ecosystem Restoration and SDSS Tool’ organized by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) at the Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Monday (June 23).
Government officials, lawyers, environmental activists, and coastal residents participated in the workshop. Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Navid Shafiullah, said, “Bangladesh is at the forefront of global climate risks. We are facing various climate change-related crises.”
Stating that there is no alternative to protecting coastal forests to deal with this crisis, he said, “Coastal forests not only protect us from natural disasters, but they are also a source of livelihood for the local people. Therefore, there is no alternative to protecting these forests. Unfortunately, these forests are being damaged in various ways.”
During the discussion, Taslima Islam, CEO of Bela, said that although Article 18(a) of the Constitution mentions the protection of forests, including biodiversity, the government does not evaluate the damage to forests during project formulation. Seven hundred and twenty thousand trees and 26 hills have been cut down for the construction of the Cox’s Bazar railway line. The Forest Act of 1927 does not give a specific definition of “forest,” and there are no clear instructions about the responsibilities of the Forest Department.
Participating in the discussion, Mihir Kumar Do, Conservator of Forests of the Barisal Coastal Region of the Forest Department, described land management as a major problem in forest protection.
He said, “No legal action can be taken until the coastal forest is declared protected. Until it is protected, it remains under the jurisdiction of the concerned District Commissioner. If the forest is encroached upon, the responsibility is given to the Forest Department.”
Mihir Kumar said, “The Co-Management Committee is doing a good job in protecting the forest. Due to this committee, cutting of trees in the Sundarbans has largely stopped.”
The Co-Management Committee is a committee created by a notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, which is an effort to protect forests by involving local communities.
Oxfam Bangladesh’s climate policy specialist SM Saifi Iqbal said that mangrove forests are shrinking by 1 percent every year due to human activities such as shrimp farming in coastal forests and cutting down trees. This can be prevented through strategic partnerships and co-management.
Jacob de Leune, Second Secretary (Development) at the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh, said, “Bangladesh has adequate laws, but they are not implemented properly. The path for law enforcement must be paved by overcoming manpower shortages and financial and institutional constraints.”
