Many wetlands of the country are disappearing fast due to the unplanned urbanizsation and industrialisation, posing a great threat to environment and livelihood.
Grabbing of different wetlands across the country continues unabated. A section of influential people with the help of corrupt officials are illegally occupying wetlands, endangering the country’s ecosystem.
As a result, there is an adverse effect on livelihood and environment. Fresh water is decreasing in the wetlands. The situation is worsening day by day. The country’s heritage, culture and food security are at jeopardy.
The harmful effects of the climate disaster are particularly significant in Bangladesh. Most of the wetlands are on the verge of extinction, said rights activists and environmentalists.
They said that wetlands play a vital role in protecting ground water and they also reduce the impact of natural calamities like storms and erosion of river banks. Wetlands are essential to combat climate change in coastal areas. The Delta Plan-2100 highlights flood, river erosion, river management, urban and rural water supply, waste management, flood control and drainage management.
The rights activists and environmentalists, however, said that the government should strive to protect wetlands to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the wetlands are linked to all 14 targets of the SDGs.
They made the statements at a programme titled ‘All wetlands should be freed from encroachment and pollution to ensure people’s welfare’ in the capital.
River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC) and Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust (WBB Trust) jointly arranged the programme on Saturday on the occasion of the World Wetlands Day. The programme included visit from Basila Bridge to Gudaraghat Kalatia.
Mihir Bishwas, coordinator of Buriganga Bachao Andolan and joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA) presided over the programme, while Ziaur Rahman, senior project officer of WBB Trust moderated the event. Mohammad Azaz, chairman of River and Delta Research Centre, Gaous Pearee, director of WBB Trust and Amir Hasan Masud, president of Paribesh Mancha, amongothers, spoke at the event.
The speakers said that Delta Plan-2100 has been adopted with focus on water. Wetland protection has been emphasized in the SDGs. There is no alternative to protecting wetlands to ensure public welfare and protect livelihoods.
During inspection, the green activist saw multiple brick kilns running in the area from Basila Bridge to Gudaraghat Kalatia and the water of Buriganga River has turned pitch black due to industrial pollution. The Buriganga is drying up due to dumping of discarded plastic goods and household waste. Various private housing companies are also seen encroaching upon the river.
Speakers at the programme also said if there is goodwill, it is possible to save the river. “We call for immediate measures to save the river for preserving the heritage and biodiversity of Dhaka.”
In the brief discussion after the visit, they said that in most of the wetlands of Bangladesh, crops are produced for half of the year and fish farming is done for the rest of the year. Fish cultivated in wetlands is a major source of protein for marginalised communities. “However, our rivers and wetlands are being destroyed in the name of various development projects,” they said.
The speakers also said that by signing the Ramsar Convention in Iran in 1971, different countries pledged to protect wetlands. Tanguar, the second largest freshwater wetland in Bangladesh, is recognized as a Ramsar site. The level of pollution in the haor has increased manifold due to the illegal use of nets and plastic bags, free movement of motorized boats and throwing of plastic wastes.
They also said that it is not possible to save the haor unless the extraction of natural resources and construction of dams is stopped. Recently, the river has been declared a living entity. Similarly declaring wetlands as living entities is the need of the hour, they added.
