Biodiversity: Conserving efforts must be made countrywide

The policymakers must understand the importance of rivers in our lives, more so when greater environmental dangers are lurking in the corner

It is good to know that the relevant authorities of the government have taken an initiative to create a biodiversity protected area around the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project. The volume of the protected area would be around 5000 hectares of land in Munshiganj and Sahariatpur districts. According to the plan, this special area would be regarded as a heritage site where river biodiversity research would be conducted for the purpose of biodiversity’s conservation.
Once the mega PMB project is completed, the huge structural intervention of the bridge may create a negative impact both on the humans and nature in the area and the biodiversity protected area would be developed as a safeguard to this impact.
Global warming has made Bangladesh one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the adverse impacts of climate change and Bangladesh should be extra cautious about protecting its biodiversity. But it is pitiably true that the rivers all across the country are in a deplorable state; and the relevant authorities are not taking the matter with seriousness it demands. Everyday newspapers paint gloomy pictures of the country’s various rivers: they are losing their navigability due to loss of adequate flows of water, being encroached by the high-ups of the society, and getting polluted beyond any rectification.
Environmentalists are crying hoarse for the recovery of the rivers in danger for a long time. In different times, even the High Court intervened and issued rules several times to save rivers from pollution and encroachment, yet the condition of the rivers are deteriorating everyday before our eyes. In this time of climate change, when the rich nature around us are transforming fast with its floras and faunas jeopardising our healthy survival, the plan of developing a biodiversity protected area at the PMB project area is indeed good news and it is expected that once developed, the protected area would be able to contribute to conserve the ecology, hydrology and biodiversity specially the fisheries resources there.
But beyond this project, the relevant authorities are urged to take steps to conserve the rivers resources all over the country in general. This is a prime need of the hour. If we want to survive properly we have to address the problems with our rivers and water bodies. The river policy makers of the country must understand the importance of rivers in our lives, more so when greater environmental dangers are lurking in the corner.

Biodiversity: Conserving efforts must be made countrywide

The policymakers must understand the importance of rivers in our lives, more so when greater environmental dangers are lurking in the corner

It is good to know that the relevant authorities of the government have taken an initiative to create a biodiversity protected area around the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project. The volume of the protected area would be around 5000 hectares of land in Munshiganj and Sahariatpur districts. According to the plan, this special area would be regarded as a heritage site where river biodiversity research would be conducted for the purpose of biodiversitys conservation. Once the mega PMB project is completed, the huge structural intervention of the bridge may create a negative impact both on the humans and nature in the area and the biodiversity protected area would be developed as a safeguard to this impact. Global warming has made Bangladesh one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the adverse impacts of climate change and Bangladesh should be extra cautious about protecting its biodiversity. But it is pitiably true that the rivers all across the country are in a deplorable state; and the relevant authorities are not taking the matter with seriousness it demands. Everyday newspapers paint gloomy pictures of the countrys various rivers: they are losing their navigability due to loss of adequate flows of water, being encroached by the high-ups of the society, and getting polluted beyond any rectification. Environmentalists are crying hoarse for the recovery of the rivers in danger for a long time. In different times, even the High Court intervened and issued rules several times to save rivers from pollution and encroachment, yet the condition of the rivers are deteriorating everyday before our eyes. In this time of climate change, when the rich nature around us are transforming fast with its floras and faunas jeopardising our healthy survival, the plan of developing a biodiversity protected area at the PMB project area is indeed good news and it is expected that once developed, the protected area would be able to contribute to conserve the ecology, hydrology and biodiversity specially the fisheries resources there. But beyond this project, the relevant authorities are urged to take steps to conserve the rivers resources all over the country in general. This is a prime need of the hour. If we want to survive properly we have to address the problems with our rivers and water bodies. The river policy makers of the country must understand the importance of rivers in our lives, more so when greater environmental dangers are lurking in the corner.