The government on Tuesday launched the Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in the Sundarbans Region (CRIS) project.
This was revealed by a report Published in the Bangladesh Post on Wednesday.
It is a major programme designed to fortify biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the Sundarbans.
The French Development Agency (AFD) is extending financial support to the project for conservation of the world's largest mangrove forest o the initiative is being implemented under the Leadership of the Bangladesh Forest. Department (BFD) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change marking AFD's first direct investment in biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh.
These are truly glad tidings that the conservation of the Sundarbans has drawn the attention of the relevant authorities. For the Past many years the protection and conservation of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, have become an uphill task because of chronic indifference of the authorities concerned. We were perplexed as to why the authorities were allowing assaults on our environment and forests to go on unabated.
Be it smuggling of timber logs or other forest resources and unlawful poaching, we saw a disturbing trend that kept repeating. The Sundarbans is not only our heritage for its uniqueness, it also stands as the bulwark against natural catastrophe and maintains the ecological balance. We have far less forest area than that is required.
The denudation of the Sundarbans, therefore, portends a danger for the country.
Moreover, the neglect to this superb sylvan beauty may lead to the ruin of the peerless heritage we are proud to have.
The EUR 3 million grant establishes the foundation for a long-term partnership between the AFD and the ministry of environment, forest and climate change on conservation and climate action.
The Sundarbans, home to globally significant biodiversity and a natural shield protecting more than six million coastal inhabitants, faces growing pressures from human activities and the accelerating impacts of climate change.
The CRIS project aims to address these challenges through an integrated, science-based approach focused on conservation, restoration and community resilience. The Sundarbans has a fragile ecosystem. Under the project Bangladesh will conduct climate risk assessments, hydrological studies, socio-economic research, flora and fauna surveys and community based ecological restoration.
Indiscriminate deforestation has been going on unabated for long due to unplanned urbanization and industrialization. If the natural system of forest is destroyed, wildlife and biodiversity will be extinct.
If augurs well that the initiative will also support Knowledge sharing, youth engagement, and upgrades to the Sundarbans interpretation centre at Karamjal to strengthen Public awareness and education to protect the forest from any harm. It is expected that this partnership programmed with France will not go dud as the conservation of the Sundarbans wildlife, its ecosystem and biodiversity is the prime necessity. We hope, through integrated restoration, enhanced climate resilience, improved biodiversity protection and inclusive community engagement, the project will reinforce Bangladesh’s long-term vision for a sustainable, thriving and resilient Sundarbans.
