Forests and natural resources are not only essential for the environment but also form the foundation of the economy, biodiversity, and the security of future generations, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Saturday stressing that forests must not be seen merely as tools for carbon trading but as vital ecosystems that sustain life and livelihoods.
“Forests should not merely be viewed through the lens of carbon trading, but rather as vital providers of oxygen and as habitats for biodiversity,” she said while speaking at a seminar titled “Workshop for the Second Cycle of the National Forest Inventory of Bangladesh and National Validation and Workshop on the Generation of the Land Cover and Natural Capital Map and Developing Integrated Collaborative Forest Management Plans”.
The event was held at the Forest Department headquarters in Dhaka, and the adviser joined virtually from her residence.
She warned that if developed countries continue to only purchase carbon credits instead of reducing actual emissions, the global climate crisis will persist and stressed the need to restore degraded forests, implement community-based management, and formulate realistic forest management plans.
Learning from past experiences and verifying the outcomes of projects such as SUFAL (Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods) is also crucial, she noted.
Rizwana highlighted that the data collected from the second cycle of the National Forest Inventory would play an important role in building a comprehensive database on forest resources, informing forest-related policymaking, promoting the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, and supporting climate change mitigation efforts.
“Maps on topography, land use, and natural capital, along with integrated forest management plans, would help guide the country toward sustainable development,” she said describing the initiative as timely and well-intentioned.
It must now be supported by third-party analysis, digital and technology-based monitoring, and regular data updates every five years, the adviser added.
She further urged that such forest inventory efforts should be undertaken using domestic resources rather than waiting for foreign assistance.
The seminar was chaired by Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, chief conservator of forests. Special guests included Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Xiaokun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh; Md Kamruzzaman, director general of the Department of Environment; and Malik Fida A Khan, executive director of CEGIS.