Muhith stresses forestry to cope with climate change

Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has disagreed with the forest department's claim of having 17 per cent forestry in the country saying that the percentage would be no more than 9.0 per cent. He said density of population and behavioral pattern of the people have continued to deplete the valuable forest resources putting the succeeding generations at risk. "Bangladesh indeed is in a difficult situation," the finance minister said while addressing the inaugural session of the first-ever Bangladesh Forestry Congress, 2011 at a city hotel Tuesday as chief guest. The Bangladesh Forest Department organised the three-day event to observe the International Year of Forests declared by the United Nations. The state minister for environment and forests Dr Hasan Mahmud, who attended the function as special guest, however, cleared his ministry's forestry record to journalists saying 17 per cent forest coverage of the country has been claimed upon adding the areas under the government's afforestation programme including roadside tree plantation. He said the percentage of forestry is within 9.0 per cent if it is calculated from the perspective of reserved and hill forests. The finance minister said forest conservation has become a matter of importance due mainly to the fact no replenishment of the vanishing forests has been made during the last few decades. "Forestry was not a matter of concern to us four decades ago. But it is now a crucial matter as we have continuously destroyed the natural resources threatening our biodiversity," he said. Mr Muhith said Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries from an ecological point of view and that forestry plays a critical role in facing the impacts of climate change. The government has mainstreamed climate change into the country's planning process, he added. The minister also stressed plantation of trees profusely in villages to help make social forestry a part of sound environment and sustainable development. Among others, environment secretary Mesbah Ul Alam, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on environment and forests ministry Abdul Momin Talukdar, UNDP country director Stefan Priesner, country director of German Development Cooperation Olaf Handloegten, addressed the function.