At the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow on Nov 08 in 2021 Bangladesh has signed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use in the COP26, pledging to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. However, the country is “failing” on a pledge to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, with losses increasing over the last two years.
Between 2001 and 2023, Bangladesh has lost approximately 246,000 hectares of forest area, a 13 percent decrease compared to the past, with the largest reduction occurring in 2017 at nearly 28,328 hectares, World Resources Institute-operated platform Global Forest Watch study says. National dailies, news agencies, and television channels on Thursday ran different stories on the findings of the study in details.
To maintain a country’s natural environment, at least 25 percent of its area should have forest cover. Bangladesh has only 15.58 percent of its total area covered with forest land.
Some influential quarters are still felling trees across the country putting the environment of the country in jeopardy. Many areas of the country may face serious disaster as an unscrupulous influential quarter continues destroying the forest in gross breach of environmental laws.
Between 2001 and 2023,
Bangladesh has
lost approximately
246,000 hectares of forest area
The situation of tree felling and deforestation in Bangladesh is severe, with considerable impacts on the country's climate and heatwave conditions. Forests are not only key habitats for animal life but serve as important regulators of the global climate and carbon sponges that suck in the emissions human activity belches out.
Deforestation refers to a wide range of harms, including wildfire and biodiversity loss, which affect a forest's overall health. As very severe heatwave has been sweeping the country for more than 20 days, talking about trees is all the rage. Experts say that the environment is gradually heating up due to frequent and unnecessary tree-cutting. And people have started facing the consequences of prolonged deforestation and forest clearance.
Capital Dhaka, other metropolitan cities including Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Gazipur and Narayanganj are experiencing increase in temperature due to decreased tree cover, which exacerbates urban heat islands and diminishes air quality. The need for sustainable management of green spaces and water bodies is crucial to mitigate these effects.
The Global Forest Watch indicates that in 2010, Bangladesh had more than two million hectares of natural forest, accounting for 16 percent of the total land area, which has been decreasing annually. Just in 2023 alone, the forest area decreased by about 17,806 hectares.
However, there is no proper and up-to-date statistics on deforestation ratio, but this is happening in Bangladesh. So, we have to know the deforestation rate. In April of the current year, Forest Watch issued warnings that 22,445 places in Bangladesh could see tree felling, with concerns that about 255 hectares of forest areas could be cleared. Specifically, from Apr 10 to Apr 17, warnings were issued for 4,595 locations, potentially leading to the clearance of 53 hectares of forest.
The rate of tree planting does not match the rate of loss, which is a major reason for the decrease in forest areas. In Bangladesh, permanent forest land now totals 999,574 hectares, including 317,864 hectares of forest land, with 114,947 hectares lost and 609,739 hectares of forest land damaged.
These forests are going to face serious consequences in the future if effective steps are not taken to check their damage and ensure proper use of their land and resources. The government must take necessary steps to stop tree felling and deforestation and bring culprits to book immediately. It will also have to develop the country’s forest resources, preserve forests.
