US envoy for expansion of protected areas for natural resources
Monday, 10 May 2010
RANGUNIA, May 9 (UNB): US Ambassador to Bangladesh James F Moriarty on Sunday said Bangladesh needed to aggressively expand the protected areas to conserve natural resources and wildlife as the country has already lost more than 90 percent of its forest cover.
"Millions of people are directly dependent on its forests and wetlands. For the good of these people, Bangladesh must expand protected areas to conserve natural resources, while at the same time ensuring that people living in and around these areas can make a living," he said.
The Ambassador made the remarks while inaugurating jointly with State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud the 'Dudhpukuria-Dhupchara Wildlife Sanctuary' surrounded by undulating hills, natural forest with rich diversity and numerous hilly creeks and streams.
Moriarty said the US government through USAID, in collaboration with the Bangladesh government, was working to help restore thousands of hectares of forests and wetlands in Bangladesh.
The US government, he said, helped train local communities and local governments to better manage natural resources, restore degraded areas, raise public awareness and increase earnings.
The Ambassador said Bangladesh might be crowded but it had sufficient land and water resources to support its people. Bangladesh was not alone among the nations in facing ultimate environmental challenge:
How to sustain continued economic growth to support an expanding population, while preserving rich but finite environmental resources for the next generation.
"All countries must strike a sustainable balance between economic growth and environmental protection," he said. "We are not protecting environment simply for the sake of fish, birds and trees. We are protecting it for our own sake, because it is where we live."
State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud said the government would enact a new wild life protection law soon and introduce wild life conservation award this year.
He said due to population pressure, overuse of natural resources, deforestation, degradation, habitat loss, and killing and hunting of wild animals, animal biodiversity was decreasing day by day. Most of the plants and animals were threatened or endangered.
"Environment and ecological balance has been disturbed throughout the country,' he told the function.
Dr Hasan Mahmud said: "We know forests are meeting public demand of timber, fuel wood, bamboo and other minor forest products. So, we like to conserve forests for future generation."
The concept of 'Production Forestry' of the Forest Department had been changed to 'Conservation Forestry', he added.
The State Minister informed that to boost eco-tourism, wild life conservation, recreation, education and research, his ministry has declared 23 protected areas covering 258,703 hectares, seven eco-parks covering 7,861 hectares and two safari parks covering 2,442 hectares.
'Dudhpukuria-Dhupchara Wildlife Sanctuary', inaugurated today (Sunday), covers an area of 4,716 hectares under Khurosia and Dhopachari range of Chittagong South Forest. This is also a part of the IPAC (Integrated Protected Area Co-Management) project.
The project will enable the local people to take part in the management of the forest lands, wetlands and other natural resources with the Forest Department. This will ultimately economically benefit the local people as well.
USAID Mission Director Denise Rollins and Chief Conservator of Forests Abdul Mutaleb also spoke at the function.
After the inauguration, Dr Hasan and Moriarty released three Maya deer in the forest.
"Millions of people are directly dependent on its forests and wetlands. For the good of these people, Bangladesh must expand protected areas to conserve natural resources, while at the same time ensuring that people living in and around these areas can make a living," he said.
The Ambassador made the remarks while inaugurating jointly with State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud the 'Dudhpukuria-Dhupchara Wildlife Sanctuary' surrounded by undulating hills, natural forest with rich diversity and numerous hilly creeks and streams.
Moriarty said the US government through USAID, in collaboration with the Bangladesh government, was working to help restore thousands of hectares of forests and wetlands in Bangladesh.
The US government, he said, helped train local communities and local governments to better manage natural resources, restore degraded areas, raise public awareness and increase earnings.
The Ambassador said Bangladesh might be crowded but it had sufficient land and water resources to support its people. Bangladesh was not alone among the nations in facing ultimate environmental challenge:
How to sustain continued economic growth to support an expanding population, while preserving rich but finite environmental resources for the next generation.
"All countries must strike a sustainable balance between economic growth and environmental protection," he said. "We are not protecting environment simply for the sake of fish, birds and trees. We are protecting it for our own sake, because it is where we live."
State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud said the government would enact a new wild life protection law soon and introduce wild life conservation award this year.
He said due to population pressure, overuse of natural resources, deforestation, degradation, habitat loss, and killing and hunting of wild animals, animal biodiversity was decreasing day by day. Most of the plants and animals were threatened or endangered.
"Environment and ecological balance has been disturbed throughout the country,' he told the function.
Dr Hasan Mahmud said: "We know forests are meeting public demand of timber, fuel wood, bamboo and other minor forest products. So, we like to conserve forests for future generation."
The concept of 'Production Forestry' of the Forest Department had been changed to 'Conservation Forestry', he added.
The State Minister informed that to boost eco-tourism, wild life conservation, recreation, education and research, his ministry has declared 23 protected areas covering 258,703 hectares, seven eco-parks covering 7,861 hectares and two safari parks covering 2,442 hectares.
'Dudhpukuria-Dhupchara Wildlife Sanctuary', inaugurated today (Sunday), covers an area of 4,716 hectares under Khurosia and Dhopachari range of Chittagong South Forest. This is also a part of the IPAC (Integrated Protected Area Co-Management) project.
The project will enable the local people to take part in the management of the forest lands, wetlands and other natural resources with the Forest Department. This will ultimately economically benefit the local people as well.
USAID Mission Director Denise Rollins and Chief Conservator of Forests Abdul Mutaleb also spoke at the function.
After the inauguration, Dr Hasan and Moriarty released three Maya deer in the forest.