Bangladesh is losing its forest cover at an average annual rate of 2.6 per cent, nearly double the global average of 1.3 per cent, according to experts. Forests currently account for only 14.51 per cent of the country’s total land area, well below the 25 per cent considered necessary to maintain ecological balance.
The findings were presented at a seminar organised on Thursday by the Department of Environment (DoE), the Centre for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS) and the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
Representatives from government agencies, development partners, research institutions and academia attended the event.
Speaking at the seminar, Supreme Court lawyer and BELA Principal Coordinator Advocate Taslima Islam said at least 19 million people in Bangladesh depend directly or indirectly on forest resources for their livelihoods, while the forestry sector also makes a significant contribution to the national economy.
However, she said, the country’s forests are shrinking rapidly due to the expansion of shrimp farming and salt cultivation, unplanned land use, encroachment, infrastructure development and conversion of forest land.
Participants noted that the Madhupur Sal Forest is under increasing pressure from illegal encroachment, agricultural expansion, commercial plantations and road and infrastructure projects.
These activities are hindering the forest’s natural regeneration while threatening biodiversity and the traditional livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
The keynote paper was presented by Dr M Mokhlesur Rahman, executive director of CNRS. He said widespread deforestation in the Chattogram region for shrimp farming and salt production, along with mangrove destruction and land grabbing, has weakened coastal protection and accelerated biodiversity loss.
He also warned that ecologically critical areas (ECAs) surrounding the Sundarbans are facing mounting environmental stress due to frequent natural disasters, waterlogging, increasing salinity, freshwater scarcity and the encroachment and filling of canals. Unplanned shrimp and crab farming is disrupting natural water flows and posing risks to food security, he added.
The seminar highlighted that the Sundarbans is facing multiple threats, including climate change, sea-level rise, increasing salinity, reduced freshwater flow, cyclones, storm surges, industrialisation and overexploitation of forest resources.
Speakers expressed particular concern over the growing incidence of top dying disease, which has significantly reduced the population of sundari trees, and called for urgent scientific interventions to address the problem.
Speakers also said that although Bangladesh has several laws, policies and action plans for forest management, implementation remains weak. They alleged that infrastructure projects are being carried out inside protected forest areas without the necessary approvals.
The seminar called for stronger action against forest-related crimes, enhanced administrative monitoring, and effective measures to protect canals and natural water flows in the Sundarbans.
Speakers stressed that safeguarding Bangladesh’s forests and biodiversity will require not only stronger laws but also effective enforcement, greater participation by local communities and environmentally sustainable land management practices.
