Environment
Transboundary Collaboration with India needed for Bengal Tiger conservation: Environment Minister
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin stressed the need for strengthening the transboundary collaboration with India for the conservation of tigers and leopards in Bangladesh as the two countries have shared tiger and leopard habitat.
“Considering the conservation importance of seven big cat species on earth and two critically endangered big cat species in Bangladesh, we in principal support the creation of the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) with a membership of the range of countries harboring these species,” he said.
The minister said this at an event organized on the occasion of the International Conference on Tiger Conservation as part of 50 years of Project Tiger held on Sunday at Mysuru University in Mysuru, Karnataka, India after the inauguration of the event by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
Sahab Uddin said Bangladesh government is working with the determination to double the number of wild tigers by achieving zero poaching target with the active participation of local community.
It’s a matter of hope that wild tiger numbers are starting to tick upward he said adding that government has taken several remarkable initiatives for conserving the national animal and other wild species.
Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh government is implementing National Tiger Recovery Program (2022 to 2034) and second-generation Bangladesh Tiger Action Plan (2018-2027) which include tiger survey; genetic study; SMART patrolling and monitoring by drone inside the Sundarbans; capacity building programs for frontline staffs of the Forest Department as well as local community to ensure protection & conservation of the Sundarbans and Bengal tiger.
The Minister said, a protocol was signed between Bangladesh and India for strengthening collaboration for the Conservation of Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans in 2011.
The Minister said to mitigate tiger human conflicts, our government has engaged the local community in tiger conservation activities by forming Village Tiger Response Team, Co-management Committee and Community Petrol Group.
Wildlife Victim Compensation Rules, 2021 has the provision to give compensation up toTk 3 lakh for person killed by tiger, he said.
Wildlife Crime Control Unit has been established under Forest Department to combat illegal wildlife trade and to strengthen the capacity of wildlife education, research and training, Sheikh Kamal Wildlife Center has been established which is working as a center of excellence, said the minister.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) which will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world such as tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah in collaboration with the countries concerned.
The Environment and Forest Ministers of the countries harboring these species were present on the occasion.
Single-use plastic will be reduced by 90% within 2026: Environment Minister
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin said on Thursday that efforts are underway to reduce single-use plastic by 90 percent within 2026 and increase recycling of plastic waste to 80 percent by 2030.
“Following the government's sustainable plastic management action plan, efforts are being made to reduce the use of single-use plastic by 90 percent by 2026. In addition, we’re planning to increase the recycling of plastic waste to 80 percent by 2030 and reduce the generation of plastic waste to 30 percent at that time”, said Md. Shahab Uddin.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a seminar as the Chief Guest at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon on solid waste management.
The government has formulated a three-year action plan to stop the use of single-use plastic in coastal areas, said the minister, hoping that use of environment-friendly and biodegradable materials will be increased very soon.
The goal of the government's National 3R policy for waste management is to completely eliminate waste disposal on open land, rivers, streams, canals and plains and to encourage waste recycling through mandatory separation of waste at source and to create a market for recyclable products, said the minister.
Hoping that the country will be able to achieve a sustainable solution to the problem of solid waste in the near future, he said, “Pollution control requires law enforcement as well as the cooperation of the general public.”
Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, Chairman of the parliamentary committee on the ministry Saber Hossain Chowdhury, secretary of the local government division Muhammad Ibrahim also spoke at the seminar.
Read more: Monster made of plastic waste at Cox’s Bazar to spread awareness
Rohingya response: Sweden announces $7.6m for energy, environment programme
At the end of a two-day visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde announced her country's latest contribution of $7.6 million for the energy and environment programme of the Rohingya response.
The contribution will support the provision of cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, the continued rehabilitation of ecosystems and the facilitation of enhanced skills development for refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.
These activities are part of the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy Plus, phase 2 programme (SAFE+2), a joint UN program which brings together the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP).
"It has been impressive to see the positive impact that the SAFE+2 programme has had on Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities," said Alexandra.
"As a substantial amount of forest in the Cox's Bazar area had initially been impacted following the large Rohingya influx in 2017, it is good to see that through a programme like SAFE+2, the area around the Cox's Bazar refugee camps has largely been regreened and reforested."
"This contribution from the government and the people of Sweden will allow us to provide some 190,000 refugee households with liquified petroleum gas (LPG). This cleaner cooking fuel improves refugees' well-being and living conditions, as it reduces smoke inhalation and prevents gender-based violence and other protection risks related to the collection of firewood from forests," said Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh.
"It will allow for a successful rehabilitation of the environment and ecosystems of the area and substantially reduce CO2 emissions."
The distribution of LPG and fuel-efficient cooking equipment enables an energy transition away from firewood and associated deforestation. The programme, including its phase 1 component, has so far prevented the emission of over 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
The programme's impact is being enhanced through replanting, reforestation, and the improvement of watersheds. The joint programme also supports the resilience of vulnerable refugees and host communities, through skills development projects related to environmental improvements and agriculture.
Sweden has supported the SAFE+ programme since it was first initiated in 2019 and then led by IOM. SAFE+2 was launched as a joint UN programme in July 2022, building on the successes and learnings from the first phase. The second phase of the programme is currently supported by the governments of Sweden and Canada.
As it has been close to six years since over 700,000 Rohingya refugees were forced to flee violence and persecution in Myanmar, the Rohingya situation in Bangladesh is now officially considered a protracted refugee situation.
Currently, some 920,000 Rohingya refugees remain hosted in densely populated camps in the Cox's Bazar area, with an additional 30,000 refugees living on Bhasan Char.
Read more: US Counselor Chollet due Tuesday; Rohingya issue likely to get priority
Around 60 percent brick kilns are operating illegally: Minister
Around 60 percent of the brick kilns in the country are being operated illegally without environmental clearance.
Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Shahab Uddin gave this information on Tuesday in response to a tabled question of ruling party lawmaker Mamunur Rashid Kiran in Parliament.
Read more: Govt may provide loans for producing eco-friendly bricks: Environment Minister
The minister said that the total number of brick kilns in the country (June 2022) is 7881.
Of these, 3,248 are being operated legally. But 4,633 brick kilns are operating without environmental clearance.
The minister said 41.2 percent of the brick kilns are legal and 58.8 percent are illegal.
The minister said that from 2019 to 2022, some 1,772 drives were conducted and some of Tk 77.62 crore was collected from 3,37 brick kilns.
Read more: DCs asked to take steps against brick kilns
Besides, 907 brick kilns were shut and 80 people were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.
In response to the question of ruling party MP M Abdul Latif of the government party, the minister said that about 30,000 tonnes solid wastes are generated in the cities of Bangladesh every day.
In 2025, the quantity of daily waste will increase to 47,000 tonnes.
The minister said that about 10 percent of the solid waste is plastic.
Govt may provide loans for producing eco-friendly bricks: Environment Minister
The government of Bangladesh has taken a decision to provide bank loans on easy terms to those involved in producing environment-friendly bricks, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin said today (January 25, 2023).
The environment minister said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with deputy commissioners at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
The meeting also discussed protecting forests and actions of DCs to combat climate change impacts, he said.
He also sought assistance from the DCs in stopping hill cutting, deforestation, establishment of illegal brick fields and soil cutting. The DCs were asked to take legal steps in this regard.
Read More: COP27: Bangladesh prioritises realisation of green climate fund, Environment Minister tells UNB
Replying to a question on any proposal coming from DCs, the minister said there are only 50 offices under the Department of Environment (DoE) in the 50 districts while the ministry has no office in the rest 14 districts.
He also assured of establishing offices in the 14 districts.
Besides, the DCs have been asked to stop operation of illegal brick kilns as the government has taken an initiative to use environment-friendly bricks for government structures by 2025.
“The more we can provide eco-friendly bricks, the more we can stop production of illegal brick kilns. If we are able to meet the demand with eco-friendly block bricks, the old illegal brick kilns can be stopped,” he said.
Read More: 2022 was fifth or sixth warmest on record as Earth heats up
Dhaka air ‘hazardous’, most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka once again topped the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 319 at 9 am today (January 25, 2023), Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with the worst air.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Read more: 2022 was fifth or sixth warmest on record as Earth heats up
Uzbekistan’ Tashkent and Myanmar’ Yangon occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 211 and 177, respectively.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Read more: Ozone layer slowly but noticeably healing: UN
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Dhaka air ‘very unhealthy’, 2nd most polluted in the world this morning
The air quality of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka is deemed ‘very unhealthy’ this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 283 at 9:05 am today (January 23, 2023), Dhaka ranked second in the list of world cities with worst air quality.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Read more: 7.1 million Bangladeshis displaced by climate change in 2022: WHO
Uzbekistan’s Tashkent and India’s Delhi occupied the first and third places with AQI of 317 and 227 respectively.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Read more: UN, ADB to support Bangladesh's fight against climate change
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
AQI: Dhaka’s air remains ‘very unhealthy’
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'very unhealthy' zone on Monday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 218 at 9 am, the metropolis ranked third in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar and India’s Delhi occupied the first two spots with an AQI of 270 and 223, respectively.
Meanwhile, an AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', while AQI between 100 and 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Dhaka's air 'very unhealthy' this morning
Dhaka's air quality backed to the ‘very unhealthy' zone on Thursday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 201 at 8:20 am, the metropolis ranked second in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Ghana’s Accra occupied the first spot with an AQI of 202 and India’s Delhi and Mumbai ranked the third and fourth position respectively.
Meanwhile, an AQI between 101 and 150 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
DCs asked to take steps against brick kilns
The deputy commissioners (DCs) of 64 districts have been requested to take legal steps against illegal brick kilns that pollute the environment and to stop the use of wood as fuel in the brickfields.
Farhina Ahmed, secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry called on the DCs to do so at a meeting with them organised by the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, held at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Read more: Remove illegal brick kilns in 4 districts: HC
The ministry organised the meeting in an effort to take steps to control the pollution caused by the illegal brick kilns and stop use of plastic and polythene.
Farhina Ahmed, secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, additional secretaries Sanjay Kumar Bhoumik and Mizanur Rahman, Directorate General of the Department of Environment Abdul Hamid and other high officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.
The environment secretary said use of agricultural land and destruction of agricultural land should be stopped to ensure food security.
She also directed the director general of the Department of Environment to take necessary steps to ensure the use of 100 percent environment-friendly block bricks in all government works by the year 2025 as per the target fixed by the government.
Read more: Brick kilns threaten environment & cause health hazards in south-western Bangladesh
In order to involve all the stakeholders to prevent various types of pollution including brick kilns, she instructed the DoE to organise awareness meetings in all the districts of the country on an urgent basis.
In the meeting, it was decided to strengthen the regular enforcement and mobile court drives conducted by the DoE and the district administration to stop the production and use of polythene shopping bags and the marketing of the wrappers which have been banned by the government.
It was decided to take necessary initiatives to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2021 for the proper management of solid waste.
In addition, instructions were given to implement the three-year action plan to stop the use of single-use plastic in 40 upazilas of 12 districts of the coastal region on an urgent basis.
During the meeting, the officials of the ministry and the deputy commissioners exchanged their views on taking effective measures to stop illegal brick kilns and use of plastic and polythene.
They were also requested to update the relevant laws and regulations and solve some of the existing problems.