The government will formulate a concrete and coordinated action plan to protect the Sundarbans, Environment and Forest Affairs Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan announced today.
She made the remarks while presiding over a key meeting on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) held at the conference room of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
“The Sundarbans is our only one. We must all come together to save it,” said Rizwana Hasan, who also advises the Ministry of Water Resources. She stressed the need not only for a well-structured action plan but also for an effective coordination mechanism to ensure its implementation.
The Adviser emphasized that any emerging risks to the Sundarbans must be flagged without delay by both the Department of Forests and the Department of Environment, enabling timely responses from the appropriate government bodies.
She also directed the Department of Environment to monitor the environmental impacts of cement factories operating in the country’s southwest region. In addition, she called on the Ministry to prepare a clear and immediate work plan to identify and prioritize urgent conservation measures.
Rizwana Hasan underscored the importance of a bottom-up approach in protecting the Sundarbans. “The capacity of the Forest Department must be enhanced to prevent illegal activities,” she said.
Among those present at the meeting were Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry; Mohammad Navid Shafiullah and Dr. Fahmida Khanom, Additional Secretaries; Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General of the Department of Environment; Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests; and Malik Fida A Khan, Executive Director of the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS).
Earlier in the day, Adviser Rizwana Hasan also chaired a meeting of the Wildlife Advisory Board.