Bangladesh is giving importance to protecting Biodiversity
At the meeting of the 4th Working Group of “The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” held in Nairobi, Kenya, the discussion returned to whether the countries of the world are giving equal importance to Biodiversity conservation as to climate change.
Francis, the co-chair of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), said that he was saddened to see countries discussing climate change and Biodiversity separately and said their discussion seems to have nothing to do with either of the two issues.
Brian O’Donnell, Director of the Campaign for Nature, coming to the CBD press conference, said, “There is a close relationship between climate change and biodiversity.”
One is closely related to the other. For example, mangrove forests protect the environment from significant floods, natural disasters, and carbon emissions.
The forest also plays a vital role for the people living around it. Bangladesh and many countries give more importance to climate change than Biodiversity.
What is the action in Bangladesh on Biodiversity?
Bangladesh’s progress on Biodiversity so far is not satisfactory. The Bangladeshi government, NGOs, and environmentalists are not as concerned about protecting Biodiversity as they are about addressing climate change.
For example, Transparency International Bangladesh, or TIB, is an international organization that works to prevent corruption and ensure good governance in various Government organizations in the country.
This organization said in its statement in 2020, “Biodiversity is disappearing due to the lack of proper implementation of the existing legal framework to protect the environment in Bangladesh, as well as increasing environmental pollution.”
Biodiversity in Bangladesh is under severe threat; encroachment of forests and water bodies is increasing, increasing chronic pressure on natural resources and uncontrollable pollution of soil, water and air.
Dr.Iftekharuzzaman, Director of TIB, considers “Deficiency of good governance, existing institutional weaknesses, abuse of power and influence-dependent decisions of domestic and foreign businessmen-investors, weak supervision, corruption and irregularities in related institutions and political patronage in environmental conservation and management.”
Citing information from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Bangladesh, TIB says that since 1989, a total of 165,000 ha of forest land has been destroyed in Bangladesh.
Of which, 64,000 ha of forest land was allocated to various governmental and private organizations, and 109,000 has encroached.
Due to rampant and uncontrolled deforestation, 39 species of wildlife have already become extinct in Bangladesh. About 30 other species, including the Sundarbans’ Royal Bengal Tiger, are in ‘critical danger,’ which TIB believes is an ‘ominous signal’ for forest-centric life cycles and ecosystems.
The Director of TIB said that natural protection had been put at “permanent risk” by establishing various industries, including coal-based power plants, by public-private initiatives near the World Heritage Sundarbans.
However, just as the Sundarbans provide life and natural resources by containing rich Biodiversity, it has recently protected the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people along the coast from the ravages of cyclones Roanu, Fani, and the latest Amphan. We have only one Sundarbans; if this Sundarbans survives, Bangladesh will survive.
TIB has called for closing all industries and factories already established and under construction in Sundarbans and other environmentally critical areas.
It is clear from this statement that Bangladesh is as weak on the issue of climate change as it is on the issue of biodiversity conservation.
How ready is Bangladesh to protect its Biodiversity ( Aichi Biodiversity Targets)?
Target-4 and Target-7 are very important for Bangladesh among the targets for protecting Biodiversity. Target-4 states to protect animals, and Target-7 emphasizes reducing pollution of the environment. Bangladesh suffers from these problems. How much importance does Bangladesh attach to these targets?
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 4th Working Group meeting represent by Muhammad Solaiman Haider, the Director of the Planning Department of the Bangladesh Environment Department.
The Department of Environment is one of the Directorates under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Bangladesh.
Mr. Haider said that besides climate change, we should also give more importance to the conservation of Biodiversity.
Otherwise, climate change adaptation and mitigation cannot implement. Biodiversity can conserve to cope with the impacts of climate change. The Bangladesh government is moving forward one day at a time.
Mr. Haider also added that a developing country like Bangladesh is seeking this fourth meeting and that Bangladesh needs to acquire the capacity to implement these targets. Bangladesh needs financial resource mobilization.
Bangladesh says that the countries of the developed world should come toward Bangladesh to implement the biodiversity target. At the same time, a Global Biodiversity Fund should form to implement these targets of the post-2020 framework.
All countries of the world spend 1% of their Gross domestic product (GDP), that is about 800 billion dollars, on biodiversity conservation.
