Govt committed to protecting biodiversity, tackling climate risks: State Minister

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam on Wednesday said the government is committed to protecting biodiversity, nature and addressing the risks posed by climate change.

“Our government is very sincere about protecting biodiversity, nature and tackling climate change risks. We have been working on these issues from the very beginning. Even before forming the government, these priorities were included in the election manifesto,” he said, UNB reports. 

The state minister made the remarks while speaking at a workshop as part of “Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in the Sundarbans Region (CRIS) Project” at a hotel in the capital in the morning.

He said the government’s canal excavation programme, tree plantation initiatives and other environmental activities are directly linked to protecting biodiversity and nature.

Referring to the CRIS initiative, he said the workshop marked the beginning of a process and its real success would be measured by how effectively the plans are implemented through proper mapping and execution.

Sundarbans is one of the world’s most significant biodiversity zones and a vital ecological asset for South Asia, he said, adding efforts to protect the Sundarbans and natural ecosystems are often reactive rather than preventive.

He warned that while the Sundarbans naturally recovers from cyclones such as Sidr, Aila, Amphan, Bulbul and others, man-made threats remain far more dangerous.

“If poisonous fishing, poaching of tigers and deer, and oil or coal tanker accidents cannot be stopped, it will not be possible to protect the Sundarbans,” he said.

The state minister said poison used in fishing spreads during high tide, affecting aquatic ecosystems and wildlife, including deer that consume contaminated vegetation.

He stressed the need for strict control over illegal activities inside the forest and urged the Forest Department to utilise its full capacity.

Shaikh Faridul also highlighted the absence of buffer zones around ecologically critical areas adjacent to the Sundarbans.

“Beside the Sundarbans there are human settlements. As a result, tigers often enter localities and become vulnerable,” he said.

He urged IUCN to consider plantation-based buffer zones under the CRIS project so that wildlife does not directly enter populated areas.

The state minister also expressed concern over reduced freshwater flow into the Sundarbans due to the Farakka Barrage and blocked river connections with the Padma, which have increased salinity in the region.

“As freshwater flow decreases and saline water enters from the sea, diseases such as top-dying in Sundari trees are increasing,” he said.

The state minister said the government wants to present the Sundarbans, with its vast greenery and the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal — more effectively to the global community while ensuring its protection for future generations.

The CRIS project is a three-year initiative funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

The Forest Department under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the executing agency, while IUCN Bangladesh Country Office is implementing the project.