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Economic Aspects | Natural Resource Aspects | Institutional Aspects | Social Aspects | Bangladesh
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No information is available.
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For country reports on Plant Genetic
Resources, click here.
To access the FAOSTAT Data Base for
information by country, item, element and year, click here:
Click here to link to the Biosafety
Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS), a service of the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which monitors global developments in
regulatory issues in biotechnology.
Click here to link to Country and
Sub-regional Information on Plant Genetic Resources of the Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations.
Click here to go
to Web Site of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which includes information on the Codex
Alimentarius and the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
Click here to access the Web Site of the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
Click here to access the sixteen
international agricultural research centers that are members of the CGIAR.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Decisions are taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in consultation with the Ministry of Defense (Bangladesh Meteorological Department and Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industries and the Department of Environment. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council, and Advanced Chemical Industries are also consulted. Mitigation of the impacts of climate change and phasing out the use of ozone depleting substances are a national priority.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Montreal Protocol was signed by Bangladesh in 1990. The London Amendment was ratified in 1994, and the Copenhagen Amendment was signed in 1996. Bangladesh signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Work on preparing a strategy for mitigatory measures is in progress on the basis of which a National Plan on the implementation of the UNFCCC will be formulated and thereafter submitted to the third Conference of Parties scheduled to be held in Kyoto in 1997.
Decision-Making: Major Group Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
A project aimed at establishing an Ozone Cell in the Department of Environment of the Ministry of Environment and Forest to phase out ozone depleting substances has been in progress with the support of the Montreal Multilateral Fund. A country study on climate change has just been completed under the United States Country Study Programme. Another project on Asia Least Coast Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy is in progress with the support of the Asian Development Bank. Under these studies, inventory of GHG emissions and an analysis of vulnerability impacts have been completed and both are in their refining and updating stages.
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Training programmes are undertaken for capacity-building in GHG Inventory analysis and for the application of new technology. More assistance is needed in this field, including transfer of appropriate technology. Further assistance is required to Bangladesh's obligations under Chapter 9 of Agenda 21.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Cooperation in this field exists between Bangladesh and SAARC, SACEP, UNEP, UNFCCC
Secretariat, Secretariat of the Montreal Protocol and the GEF.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997
Click here for national information from the
Web site of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
For the access to the Web Site of the Ozone
Secretariat, click here:
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the Ministry of the Environment and Forests (MOEF), and the Directorates are responsible for decision-making in this field. Agencies of the Government of Bangladesh such as the Directorate of Environment, Forest, Agri-extension, NGOs and local people, including ethnic groups, are also involved.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed by Bangladesh in 1992 and ratified in
1994. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
was signed by Bangladesh in 1973. Bangladesh is also a party to the Ramsar Convention and
the World Heritage Convention.
The wildlife, forests, fisheries, and environment in Bangladesh are managed, conserved and
preserved respectively under the provisions of the following Acts:
Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity are applied to the following areas: terrestrial biological diversity (including forests), agricultural biological diversity, freshwater biological diversity and coastal and marine biological diversity (including mangrove ecosystems). The 1994 IUCN Red List contains 65 wildlife species (reptiles, birds and mammals, no amphibian in the list) and the Bangladesh National Herbarium lists 33 threatened flowering plants for the country.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available
Decision-Making: Major Groups Iinvolvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
The following development projects are among those under implementation for the conservation and preservation of wildlife and biodiversity in the Ministry of Environment and Forest:
Status
No information is available
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
Development projects for resource management, training, information generation and technology development, and appropriate technology for in situ and ex situ conservation are also urgent issues. Twenty-four staff persons and officials received training on the implementation of CITES in 1995. This training programme was sponsored jointly by GOB and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Financing for biodiversity activities comes from the GOB, IDA (WB and ADB) and other donor agencies (CIDA, USAID, NORAD, JICA, ODA etc.)
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April
1997
For access to the Web Site of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, click here:
For access to the Web Site of
the CITES Convention, click here:
For the Web Site of the CMS
Convention, click here:
For the Web Site of the Convention on the
Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage, click here:
For the country-by-country, Man in the Biosphere
On-Line Query System, click here:
Click here to link to the Biosafety
Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS), a service of the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which monitors global developments in
regulatory issues in biotechnology.
Click here to go to the Web Site of UNEP's
International Register on Biosafety.
Click here for the International Centre
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Biosafety WebPages
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Decisions are taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in consultation with the Ministry of Defense, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization and the Department of Environment. The Department of Environment, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization are also involved.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
Bangladesh signed The International Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Drought and/or Desertification Particularly in Africa in 1994 and ratified it in 1995.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Programmes for human resource development and transfer of appropriate technologies are required for managing fragile eco-systems. Cooperation with international development financing agencies and development partners is needed. Financial and technical assistance is required from these international development agencies and development partners.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Cooperation in this field already exists between Bangladesh and SAARC countries and the
Desertification Secretariat.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April
1997
For access to the Web Site of the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, click here:
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Countries | Home |
No information is available.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Managerial and technical decisions needed for effective forest management are drafted and initiated by the Forest Department. After the approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Forest Department executes the decisions. Major financial and administrative decisions are taken by the concerned Ministries of the Government (the Ministry of Finance/Establishment/Planning/ERD).
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Government of Bangladesh imposed a moratorium on tree felling in 1989 and declared that it would increase the protected area from 5% of total forest area to 10%. It envisages raising forest area to 20% within the next 15 years. Further policy and legal measures are under consideration in the Government in order to arrest the deforestation trend in the country.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Institutional strengthening in the forestry sector is a major issue, and the modalities for institutional restructuring are under consideration in the Government in accordance with the guidelines provided by the 20-year Forestry Sector Master Plan.
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
Governmental agencies such as the Environment Directorate, LGED, NGOs and major international development organizations are involved. Local people, including indigenous people, are also stakeholders in the afforestation programmes of the Government as well as the NGOs.
Programmes and Projects
Every year, the Forest Department (FD) takes up afforestation programmes covering the whole country and all forest types through participatory mechanisms. Between 1974 and 1995, Bangladesh raised a total of 321,254 ha of plantations of various types. Among these were 165,954 ha of hill forests, 28,208 ha of plain land Sal Forests, and 127,092 ha of littoral plantations. By using a social forestry approach, the Forest Department is mobilizing a movement involving people from all walks of life to plant trees. In this context, a large number of trees have been planted in the community and private land, e.g. in roadsides, embankments, school/institution premises and canal banks. Presently, the afforestation rate per year is about 18,000 ha.
Status
No information is available
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and
Awareness-raising
The Forest Department is presently pursuing the identified issues of human resource development through recruitment and training, infrastructure and logistics development, genetic improvement of trees through tissue culture and clonal propagation, computerized database development, appropriate technology for in situ and ex situ conservation, etc.
Information
The Forest Department is carrying out an inventory of the Sundarban and Coastal plantations by using the Resource Information Management System (RIMS) facilities. This information will be used to implement the strategies identified under the Integrated Resource Management of Sundarban. RIMS will also be used in the subsequent inventory programmes of the hill forest and plain land Sal Forests. Being a computer-based facility RIMS will also enable the monitoring of changes in the forest resources of the country.
Research and Technologies
The Forest Department is putting a special emphasis on genetic research to meet the growing demand of forest products as quickly as possible. To this end, Bangladesh is trying to develop indigenous vegetative propagation technologies, and the Forest Research Institute and the Forest Department have already developed clonal propagation techniques of bamboo and vegetative propagation of some other fast growing species.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
Finance is provided by international donor agencies like UNDP. the World Bank, ADB, NORAD, and locally through the Government of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh cooperates with FAO/UNDP, World Bank, ADB, JICA, RWEDP, Regional
Participatory Watershed Management Programme, among others.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April
1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The National Water Council (NWC), chaired by the Prime Minister, takes decisions and provides policy guidance on key national issues relating to water resources. Decisions are also taken in the interministerial meetings where different agencies involved in water-related projects are represented.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
The National Water Plan, started in 1983, focused on the assessment of water resources
and demand by different users. It assembled a substantial amount of information, developed
a range of planning models and analytical tools and recommended strategies and programmes,
many of which were adopted by the Government. The Plan also produced a water policy and
other proposals to institutionalize the process of water planning and long-term water
resources management.
Despite these achievements the Plan fell short of a comprehensive national water plan. It
was inadequate for evaluating large-scale programmes, impacts and requirements; failed to
evaluate properly and integrate a number of major projects and programmes within the
sector: inadequately addressed requirements in other Ministries, viz. fisheries,
navigation, public health, industries, municipalities, etc.
Following the severe floods of 1987 and 1988, a number of studies were undertaken under
the Flood Action Plan (FAP) to get a better understanding of the flood problem. Under the
FAP, a number of projects were evaluated at the prefeasibility level, and possible flood
mitigation projects have been identified within a regional context. Implementation of a
few priority projects are either under way or ready to commence. Amongst the considerable
achievements have been the formulation of standard guidelines for project assessment,
participatory planning and environmental impact assessment.
On the basis of the FAP studies, a strategy for the development of water resources and the
management of water and floods was approved by the Government of Bangladesh in 1995. The
recommended study includes the following three major components:
The implementation of the above components will commence in July 1997 under technical assistance provided by IDA.
Decision-Making: Major Group Involvement
The major water user groups are farmers (marginal, landless), fishermen, boatmen, women, indigenous people and local communities. The groups' activities are organized by the local governmental agencies and NGOs. Participatory planning helps address issues of all Project-Affected People (PAP). However, significant use is required for salinity management in the coastal belt, where considerable fresh upland flow is needed during the dry season.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
Of the available surface water, ninety-two percent flows into Bangladesh from outside its territorial limit. Due to massive withdrawal by India of the Ganges water at Farraka and other upstream rivers, the economy of Bangladesh has been severely disrupted, producing adverse impact on all sectors. The situation is expected to improve with the recent signing of a 30-year agreement between Bangladesh and India on sharing the water of the Ganges.
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
For capacity-building, training programmes are undertaken in terms of infrastructure development for enhancing technical skills at appropriate levels for human resources development, upgrading of inter-disciplinary planning and integrated water resources management. Water resources planning and management require the application of new technology and improved planning tools to cope with the changed circumstances.
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
Assistance from international agencies, development partners and the country's own resources are utilized to implement water resource projects.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April
1997
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No information is available.
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No information is available.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Decisions are taken by the cabinet and also by the Ministry of Shipping in consultation with other concerned Ministries, Divisions, Agencies.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
Bangladesh signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
Land-based activities affecting oceans and coasts and needing to be implemented by
Bangladesh include: (i) alternatives for pesticides and insecticides for agriculture; (ii)
industries to be provided with waste recycling equipment; (iii) new industrial machineries
to be designed for producing minimum wastes; (iv) facilities for storage, recycling and
treatment of harmful wastes are to be built.
Sea-based activites include: (i) waste reception facilities to be built in ports; (ii)
Coast Guard ships to be equipped with pollution detection and fighting equipment; (iii)
training of personnel for functions indicated in items (i) and (ii) above.
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Important needs for Bangladesh in this sector include: monitoring environment and testing of environmental quality; monitoring and control of pollution from ships; and development of organized system assessments.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
Finance is provided by International development financing institutions and development partners.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Decisions are taken through inter-Ministerial Consultations involving the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and their respective agencies. Decisions are, however, taken by the cabinet when there is disagreement among the Ministries and Departments on a particular issue. Involved are also the Customs department, Agricultural workers, Health workers, Industrial Entrepreneurs, Environmental workers, Coast guard, and Bangladesh Rifles.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Banning the import of toxic materials and hazardous wastes is a priority, and a Regulatory Framework to this end is in the process of development.
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Programmes for capacity-building in classification of toxic material and hazardous
wastes through training of personnel and transfer of sophisticated equipment for detection
are necessary. Statistical data/indicators as such need to be established.
Financial assistance from international development financing agencies and development
partners is required for implementing obligations under Agenda 21 and for reduction of
chemical risks.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Cooperation exists between Bangladesh and other SAARC countries and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention.
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This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April
1997
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Solid Waste and Sanitation
Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
At the national level, the Planning Commission, the Ministry and the Division are responsible for policy-making and strategic planning. The Departments and Agencies are responsible for the execution of the projects. At the local level, the City Corporations and Paurashavas are responsible for the implementation of the project activities.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been engaged in various Urban Services Projects with components of solid waste disposal (construction of dustbins), health and sanitation (pit latrines and public toilet cum biogas facilities) with other services. The projects through which these services are provided are the Secondary Towns Infrastructure Development Project (STIDP), the Secondary Towns Integrated Flood Protection Project (STIFPP), the Slum Improvement Project (SIP), the Municipal Services Project (MSP), the Urban Poor Reduction Project (UPRP) and the Urban Basic Services Project (UBSP).
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
NGOs and CBOs facilitate grass-root level planning and implementation.
Programmes and Projects
Activities in solid waste and sewage related issues are briefly described below (note: US$1=Tk42):
In the second phase of the STIDP covering 21 municipalities all over the country, 2,947 dustbins will be installed under solid waste disposal in the next five years (1996-2000), at a cost of Tk.22.59 million. There will be 30,000 pit latrines and 40 public toilet cum biogas generators under the project in its health and sanitation programme, costing Tk.136.9 million.
To develop a sustained municipal service system, the Local Government Engineering Department has embarked upon an alternative approach to solid waste management and the health and sanitation programme. This involves the participation of local governmental institutes (municipalities) and non-governmental organizations with the LGED playing the role of a facilitator. The following projects are being implemented through a participatory process:
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Technology is needed for recycling, transportation, disposal design improvement, and equipment. Capacity-building will be required at the following levels: (i) Executive agency level: technical/technological issues, support to local governmental bodies, NGOs/CBOs, beneficiaries; (ii) Local governmental bodies: technical/technological issues, equipment, linkage with governmental agencies and support to NGOs/CBOs.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Bangladesh cooperates with India, China, and Pakistan in the areas of technolgy
dissemination, re-cycling, and sanitary landfill.
Hazardous Wastes
Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Decisions are taken through inter-Ministerial Consultations involving the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and their respective agencies. Decisions are, however, taken by the cabinet when there is disagreement among the Ministries and Departments on a particular issue. Involved are also the Customs department, Agricultural workers, Health workers, Industrial Entrepreneurs, Environmental workers, Coast guard, and Bangladesh Rifles.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
Bangladesh signed the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal in 1989.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Banning the import of hazardous wastes is a national priority.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
No information is available
Challenges
Human resource development in the management of hazardous wastes and equipment for detection is necessary. Financial assistance from international development financing agencies and development partners is required for environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Cooperation exists between Bangladesh and other SAARC countries and the Secretariat of
the Basel Convention.
Radioactive Wastes
Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) is, in principle, responsible for developing and implementing a national strategy and the necessary infrastructure for the collection, handling, treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes in compliance with the regulatory requirements, duly considering local and socio-economic conditions of the country. The Ministries of Health, Industry, Science and Technology and Education are also involved.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
To assure adequate protection of occupational workers and members of the public, the management of radioactive wastes has been carried out in the following way:
Wastes are temporarily stored in the respective places of origin. The proposed waste processing and storage facility will be constructed at AERE, Savar, to meet the current national needs on approval by the competent authority.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
The operation and maintenance of a 5 MW research reactor, the production of
radio-isotopes, the use of radio-isotopes in industry, medicine and research have resulted
in the generation and accumulation of radioactive wastes, warranting safe, planned and
proper management so as to protect humans and the environment (at present and in the
future) from the undue risks of ionizing radiation.
Significant quantities of solid and liquid wastes, mostly low-level, are being generated
during the operation and maintenance of the TRIGA reactor facility, production of
radio-isotypes, research, industry and other institutional activities in Bangladesh.
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
Financing for this sector comes from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Government of Bangladesh.
Cooperation
Bangladesh cooperates with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
* * *
This information is based on Bangladesh's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997
For direct link to the Web Site of the Basel Convention, click here:
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