ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INITIATIVES IN BANGLADESH

1
(No Transcript)
2
Policy and Legal premise for Environment and
Natural Resources management in Bangladesh
issues concerns trends and institutional framework

• Ainun Nishat Ph.D.
• Country Representative
• IUCN-The World Conservation Union
• Bangladesh Country Office

3
My Statement

• In Bangladesh, Policy and Legal Instruments for
• management of environment and natural resources,
• focus duly on issues related to Sustainable
• Development and more or less commensurate with
• global approaches however these instruments have
• not been effectively internalized, as
  institutional
• framework has not evolved appropriately due to
  lack
• of commitment of policy makers and politicians.

4
Introduction

• There is a general consensus at global level on
  need to integrate environmental concerns in
  development planning and management.
• Some still see concerns for environment as
  efforts to control development.
• Some claim that their business will loose
  competitive edge. But this is not correct.
• What is aimed at, in all policy documents, is
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

5
Introduction (contd)

• In 2000, the UN has set 8 MDGs, which is an
  agenda for improving the human condition by 2015.
  
• The 7th MDG deals with the environmental
  sustainability. This goal has 3 targets (9, 10
  and 11).
• Target 9 aims to reverse loss of environmental
  resources
• Environmental sustainability and human well-being
  are very closely related. Environmental
  sustainability is a must for any strategy for
  pro-poor growth.  

6
Introduction ( contd)

• In Bangladesh a large number of the population
  live below poverty line. For them, the
  environment provides the vital resources for
  their livelihoods.
• Present day approach on sustainable development
  is documented in the JPoI, (Johannesburg Plan of
  Implementation), or, WSSD outcome that combines
  recommendations of Agenda 21, various
  Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements and the
  targets of MDGs.

7
Emergence of concerns

• Conservation of nature Protection of flora and
  fauna conservation of wilderness
• Pollution and industrialization.
• Nuclear fall-outs and radiation.
• Silent Spring
• World Conservation Strategy,
• Caring for the Earth
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• Approaches for Sustainable Development
• Alien Invasive Species
• Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

8
Important Global Events

• UN Global Summit on Environment on Environment
  1972,
• Earth Summit (UNCED), 1992
• Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, 1992
• Millennium Development Goal (MDG), 2000
• Formulation of various MEAs
• CSD meetings, M meet, WTO sessions
• WSSD 2002, Jburg Plan of Implementation

9
What is Environment

• (taken from US Environment Policy Act 1969 where
  no
• definition was given)
• the whole complex of physical, social,
  cultural, economic and aesthetic factors which
  affects individuals and communities and
  ultimately determine their form, character,
  relationship and survival

10
Sustainable Development

• The Brundtland Commission defines sustainable
  development as the development that meets the
  need of the present,without compromising the
  ability of the future generation to meet their
  own needs.
• even the narrow notion of the physical
  sustainability implies the concerns of social
  equity between generations, a concern that must
  logically be extended to equity within each
  generation .
• Sustainable development ensures.. a harmonious
  process of social and economic betterment that
  satisfies the needs and values of all interest
  groups while maintaining future opportunities and
  conserving natural resources and biological
  diversity.

11
Sustainable Development

• Development meet needs of people and improve
  their living standard.
• Conservation maintain the capital represented
  in natural resources
• Focus on only development may lead to serious and
  often irreversible degradation of nature and
  ecosystem
• Development and conservation have to be taken
  together.

12
The twin pillars of sustainable development

• The twin pillars of sustainable development are
  respect and concern for people and ecosystems.
• Development is likely to be sustainable if
• 1.      It improves the quality of life
• 2.      It conserves the Earths vitality and
  diversity
• Source IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991)

13

• Sustainable development is a holistic development

14
System of Well Being

15
Some national issues

• Population
• Agriculture
• Forest resources
• Wetland and Fisheries
• Biodiversity and medicinal plants
• Water management
• Urbanization

16
Regional Issues

• upstream deforestation
• water regulation
• cross-boundary pollution
• oil spillage
• fishing trawlers

17
Global Issues

• Climate Change and Climate Variability
• sea level rise
• intense rainfalls
• higher incidence of storm and surges
• floods and droughts
• el-nino and la-nino effects
• Desertification process
• Ozone layer depletion

18
Sustainable Development Indicators and Bangladesh

• Context of development
• Indicators
• Status in Bangladesh

19
Sustainable Development Indicators and Bangladesh

• Environmental parameters indicate sustainability
  trend and the trend is negative.
• Around 80 of the total population depend to some
  extent on the utilization of natural resources or
  on processing the resultant products
• Countrys economy is still dependent on natural
  resources (e.g. agricultural sector comprises 25
  of total GDP)

20
Sustainability Indicators

• Indicators
• Status in Bangladesh
• Land Degradation and loss of soil quality
• Loss of Wetland
• Degradation of Forests and Loss of Forest Lands
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Pollution
• Ground water contamination with arsenic
• Climate change and vulnerability
• Unplanned urbanization

21
Population and sustainable Development

• I gt f(PAT )........ (Ehrlich and Holdren,
  1971)
• I impact on the environment
• P Population
• A Affluence or Consumption per Capita
• T Technology or level of Impact per
  Consumption.

22
Population Growth in Bangladesh during last
century
23
Projected population
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Population projection
27
Cropping intensity in Bangladesh
28
Land Degradation

• It occurs in the form of
• Soil quality loss due to salinity intrusion,
  fertility decline, nutrient imbalance
• Top soil loss through erosion

29
Water Quality

• Environment, economy and livelihoods are
  influenced by water quality
• Water supply and sanitation
• Major sources of contamination
• Industrial effluents
• Agrochemical
• Fecal pollution
• Spillage
• Low water flow in dry season

30
Arsenic Disaster

• BD arsenic contamination is possibly the largest
  mass poisoning case in the World
• 41 districts out of 64 has high arsenic conc. in
  ground water
• 60 of the total country is contaminated
• The whole southwest part is severely affected
• Some eighty million people are at risk

31
Impact of climate change
32
Waste

• Solid waste (Dhaka City)
• Estimates for solid waste generated in Dhaka city
  vary from 3,000 to 3,500 tons per day
• Only 42 of the waste is collected by municipal
  authority
• Hospital waste
• Healthcare centers have no proper waste
  disposal/incineration facility
• Posing serious threat to public health

33
Air pollution

• Success has been achieved in air quality
  improvement by
• Introducing unleaded gasoline
• Curbing lead emission from vehicles
• Banning two stoke engines in major cities

34
Air pollution

•  Air pollution is more acute in urban areas than
  in rural areas.
• In urban area, the main sources are emission from
  vehicle, industrial sectors, and construction and
  open dumping of garbage, and brick kilns in
  per-urban areas
• In rural area, main sources are brick kilns and
  wood and biomass consumption.

35
Forest cover

• An estimated 2.53 million ha or 17.49 of the
  total land of the country is forestland
• Forest land does not necessarily mean forest
  covered land
• Forest land means lands under jurisdiction of
  the Forest Department
• In reality only 6 land has forest cover
• Per capita forestland has shrunk to a 0.022 ha,
  one of the lowest in the world

36
Loss of Wetlands

• Total estimated area of floodplain was 5.5 m ha
  at the end of June 1985 and 2.8 m ha in 2000
• Degradation of the wetlands causes
• Serious reduction in fish habitat, fish
  population and diversity
• Extinction of many indigenous varieties of rice
  with the propagation of high yielding varieties
• Loss of natural soil nutrients
• Increase in the recurrence of flashfloods
• Deterioration of living conditions
• Loss of natural water reservoirs and of their
  resultant benefits and
• Degeneration of wetland based ecosystems,
  occupations, socio-economic institutions and
  cultures.

37
State of biodiversity
38
Where are we going
39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43
Some major environmental factors

• Deforestation and habitat change
• Soil problems (erosion, Salinization, soil
  fertility loss)
• Water management
• Base of aquatic resources
• Open water fishing
• Human population growth
• Climate change and variability
• Toxic chemicals pollution
• Energy shortage

• Almost complete
• All 3 major issue are on increase
• Serious shortage of water for irrigation
• Habitats already depleted
• Serious issue stocks of some species have
  collapsed
• Highest population density in the world. Fairly
  low growth rate.
• Serious impact and likely to increase in
  intensity. May be highest in the world.
• Release level of pollution and poor management
• At rural household level, a major issue despite
  natural gas reserves.

44
Ganges Basin, Brahmaputra Basin Meghna Basin
45
Dying Gorai
46
(No Transcript)
47
(No Transcript)
48
Towards IWRM

• a process which promotes the coordinated
  development and management of water, land and
  related resources in order to maximize the
  resultant economic and social welfare in an
  equitable manner without compromising the
  sustainability of vital eco-systems ( GWP, 2000).

49
What are we doing

• Participated in 1972 World Summit on Environment
• Set up Pollution Control Board in 1978
• Dept. of Environment and Ministry of Environment
  and Forest set up in 1989.
• Environment Policy 1991.
• National Conservation Strategy (NCS) 1991,
  updated 2005.
• National Env. Mgmt. Action Plan (NEMAP) 1995
• Participated in WSSD, M, Rio meetings.

50
What are we doing

• SEMP 1998, BEMP 2000?, AQMP 2002?, NCSIP-1997?
• NBSAP, NAPA, NAP, NPA etc. prepared.
• Env.Conservation Act 1995, Reglation 1997,
  Environmental Court Act 2000.
• Forestry Act 1927, Amendment 2000.
• Wild Life Act 1973 ( being updated).
• Sectoral policies prepared or updated in 90s and
  later on.
• EIA is compulsory is it followed in true sense?

51
(No Transcript)
52
Approach
SEMPs approach to wetland management
Project Started
Baseline Study
Participatory Action Plan Developed
Interventions
Awareness Generation
Demonstrations
Sustainability
Community Organizations
Habitat Restoration
Environment Fund
53
Targeted Position

• Participatory approach
• Integration

• Factors pulling
• backward
• Professional rigidity
• Institutional rigidity
• Lack of capacity

• Multi-disciplinary
• Decentralized
• Partnership with Private sector

Present Position

• Mono-disciplinary
• Centralized
• Public sector

• Factors pushing forward
• better understanding of
• stakeholders views
• Changing global thinking
• Pressure from donors/ NGOs

Earlier Position

• Sectoral approach
• Command control

54
Concluding remarks

• Is environment only about Forests and pollution?
• Who is responsible for conservation.
• How could piranha could be introduced?
• Who is responsible for IPR and TRIPs.
• Who is response about inter-ministerial
  co-ordination.
• Do we value traditional practices and folk wisdom.

55
Concluding remarks.

• What we need
• Change in mind set.
• We do not have any think tank
• Capacity is lacking
• Institutional set up need to be improved
• Inter sectoral coordination
• Inter agency coordination
• ME is weak and learning mechanism is lacking
• Targets may be set
• indicators

56
Before I conclude.

• Let us pay attention to some specific issues
• Protected area management
• Wetland management
• Coastal zone management
• River bank erosion
• Arsenic problem
• Strengthen local govt. institutions
• Trans-boundary water management
• Environmental Flow
• Land degradation
• Alien Invasive species
• IPR and medicinal Plants.

57
Thank You