UNB, Dhaka :
Natural forests in Bangladesh, which are habitats to wildlife and havens for many rare plants, are declining at an alarming rate for lack of effective conservation efforts, say experts.
“Once about 86 percent of the country’s total forests were the natural ones, but today you’ll find a very poor track of land covered by natural forests as those are shrinking at an alarming rate,” said Farid Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Arannayk Foundation, a joint initiative of Bangladesh and US governments.
If the natural forests decline, he said, the country will lose biodiversity and wildlife creating many environmental hazards. According to the draft of Forest Sector Master Plan 2016 prepared by Bangladesh Forest Department, natural hill forests were 128,630 hectares in 1990, but that declined to 79,160 hectares in 2015. Forest Department data reveal that the worst-affected forests of Bangladesh are the inland deciduous Shal forests and bamboo forests. Shal forest was on 23,650 hectares in 1990 and it now depleted to 17,490 hectares. Natural bamboo forest was on 89,790 hectares in 1990 and it came down to 15,000 hectares in 2015.
The country’s natural mangrove forests, including the Sundarbans, the largest single tract mangrove formation in the world, are also showing a declining trend, although that provide important ecosystem services to local people and functions as a
protective barrier against coastal erosion. The Sundarbans is a home to endangered Bengal Tigers and many species of native flora and wild animals. Official data show that natural mangrove forest was on about 401,000 hectares in 1990 but it dropped to 390,000 hectares in 2015.
Chief Conservator of Forest Md Yunus Ali told UNB that unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation and construction of many establishments as well as roads contribute to the rapid decline of natural forests. “Kaptai, Bandarban and other hilly towns have been built logging huge trees of natural forests,” he added.
A national forest not only supports the wildlife and biodiversity, but also provides ecosystem services to forest dwellers and community people, which has a high economic value, Yunus said.
Farid Uddin estimated that the monetary value of the ecosystem services that the country’s natural forests provide is about US$ 9.1 billion a year. “We’re getting ecosystem services worth US$ 4,000 from one hectare of natural forest, but the government is yet to take any effective step to conserve the natural forests,” he alleged.
The Forest Department has no enough capacity to conserve natural forests, the conservationist said, revealing that about 22 percent posts of the department are vacant while about 50 percent in Bangladesh Forestry Research Institute. Eminent environmentalist Dr Atiq Rahman said if the natural system of a forest is destroyed, the enabling lives, wildlife and biodiversity will be extinct from the forest.
“The hill forests are almost destroyed in the country. The forests must be protected in its own system. We should also conserve environmentally protected areas. To do so, we need science-based-knowledge and proper tools as well,” he said. Dr Rahman, also executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS), said it is time to regenerate natural forests since pressure of excessive population is mounting on forest resources day by day apart from protection.
Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, country representative of IUCN Bangladesh, said natural forest coverage is rapidly declining in the country, contributing to extinction of species of wildlife. According to IUCN Red List of Bangladesh 2015 published on July 15, 2016, a total of 31 species — 11 animals, 19 birds and one reptile have disappeared from the country due to destruction of natural forests. Stressing the importance of natural forest in conservation of wild animals, Wildteam chief executive Prof Anwarul Islam said the natural forests, which provide safe haven to wildlife, are getting fragmented in the country day by day, putting the wildlife at risk.
Natural forests in Bangladesh, which are habitats to wildlife and havens for many rare plants, are declining at an alarming rate for lack of effective conservation efforts, say experts.
“Once about 86 percent of the country’s total forests were the natural ones, but today you’ll find a very poor track of land covered by natural forests as those are shrinking at an alarming rate,” said Farid Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Arannayk Foundation, a joint initiative of Bangladesh and US governments.
If the natural forests decline, he said, the country will lose biodiversity and wildlife creating many environmental hazards. According to the draft of Forest Sector Master Plan 2016 prepared by Bangladesh Forest Department, natural hill forests were 128,630 hectares in 1990, but that declined to 79,160 hectares in 2015. Forest Department data reveal that the worst-affected forests of Bangladesh are the inland deciduous Shal forests and bamboo forests. Shal forest was on 23,650 hectares in 1990 and it now depleted to 17,490 hectares. Natural bamboo forest was on 89,790 hectares in 1990 and it came down to 15,000 hectares in 2015.
The country’s natural mangrove forests, including the Sundarbans, the largest single tract mangrove formation in the world, are also showing a declining trend, although that provide important ecosystem services to local people and functions as a
protective barrier against coastal erosion. The Sundarbans is a home to endangered Bengal Tigers and many species of native flora and wild animals. Official data show that natural mangrove forest was on about 401,000 hectares in 1990 but it dropped to 390,000 hectares in 2015.
Chief Conservator of Forest Md Yunus Ali told UNB that unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation and construction of many establishments as well as roads contribute to the rapid decline of natural forests. “Kaptai, Bandarban and other hilly towns have been built logging huge trees of natural forests,” he added.
A national forest not only supports the wildlife and biodiversity, but also provides ecosystem services to forest dwellers and community people, which has a high economic value, Yunus said.
Farid Uddin estimated that the monetary value of the ecosystem services that the country’s natural forests provide is about US$ 9.1 billion a year. “We’re getting ecosystem services worth US$ 4,000 from one hectare of natural forest, but the government is yet to take any effective step to conserve the natural forests,” he alleged.
The Forest Department has no enough capacity to conserve natural forests, the conservationist said, revealing that about 22 percent posts of the department are vacant while about 50 percent in Bangladesh Forestry Research Institute. Eminent environmentalist Dr Atiq Rahman said if the natural system of a forest is destroyed, the enabling lives, wildlife and biodiversity will be extinct from the forest.
“The hill forests are almost destroyed in the country. The forests must be protected in its own system. We should also conserve environmentally protected areas. To do so, we need science-based-knowledge and proper tools as well,” he said. Dr Rahman, also executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS), said it is time to regenerate natural forests since pressure of excessive population is mounting on forest resources day by day apart from protection.
Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, country representative of IUCN Bangladesh, said natural forest coverage is rapidly declining in the country, contributing to extinction of species of wildlife. According to IUCN Red List of Bangladesh 2015 published on July 15, 2016, a total of 31 species — 11 animals, 19 birds and one reptile have disappeared from the country due to destruction of natural forests. Stressing the importance of natural forest in conservation of wild animals, Wildteam chief executive Prof Anwarul Islam said the natural forests, which provide safe haven to wildlife, are getting fragmented in the country day by day, putting the wildlife at risk.
