Coastal economic resource md. yousuf gazi

Coastal Economic Resource
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

▪ Some Glimpses of Coastal and Marine Attractions of Bangladesh

▪ Beach Sand Heavy Mineral a placer deposit of heavy minerals eg. zircon, ilmenite or rutile on a
contemporary or ancient beach or along a coastline. Investigation of radioactive minerals like monazite by
the erstwhile Geological Survey of Pakistan around the cox's bazar sea beach area started in 1961 and a
number of precious heavy minerals were identified the same year.
❑ Heavy Minerals

▪ After systematic surveys during 1967 to 1969 it was recognized that a potential zone of heavy minerals
exists along the entire coastal belt, mainly from Cox's Bazar to Badarmokam, and in some areas
of maheshkhali, kutubdia and Matarbari islands.
▪ Later, in 1975, a pilot plant was installed at Kalatali, Cox's Bazar with the cooperation of the Australian
Government to sample, separate and assess the commercial viability of the heavy mineral content in the
placer deposits.
❑ Heavy Minerals

▪ Until now seventeen placer deposits are found; fifteen are in the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong sea beaches and
nearby offshore islands. In fact seven are from the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf sea beaches (Cox's Bazar, Inani,
Silkhali, teknaf, Sabrang and Badarmokam), seven from Maheshkhali Island, one each from Matarbari,
Kutubdia and Nijhum islands, and Kuakata.
▪ Only eight types of economically important heavy minerals, namely, ilmenite, magnetite, zircon, rutile,
garnet, leucoxene, kyanite and monazite occur in these deposits.
❑ Heavy Minerals

▪ In 1974 the government awarded seven shallow water
offshore blocks on the continental shelf of Bangladesh to six
international oil companies. However, these companies left
Bangladesh in 1978 amid technical difficulties and political
instability. Oil was their primary target and early exploration
indicated that the area possessed gas rather than oil. The
world petroleum scenario had since changed and interest in
gas exploration increased among IOCs, despite challenges in
offshore deep water exploration. In 1998, the Bangladeshi
government awarded four shallow water blocks for to a new
group of IOCs. Shell, Cairn Energy and Santos operated the
offshore Sangu gas platform.
▪ Since 2009, the Bangladeshi government has launched
bidding rounds for awarding deep water blocks. Conoco
Philips and Tullow Oil won the first round of bids. The
victory of Bangladesh over Myanmar in securing maritime
territory in the Bay of Bengal has increased the number of
exploratory blocks in the EEZ to 27.
Offshore Petroleum exploration in Bay of Bengal
❑ Petroleum

Most commercial gas discoveries in Bangladesh are thermogenic.
▪ Biogenic gas pockets are abundant and frequently found in mainland but are too small to be
commercial. Reported when shallow water wells are drilled.
❑ Petroleum

❑ During the first round of exploration drilling in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, in 1970s, the IOCs
were not happy on three counts:
▪ Geothermal gradient is low, so oil windows at relatively greater depth
▪ Laterally extensive reservoir quality sands (i.e Titas field) are lacking
▪ A well developed growth fault system Like the Niger delta of the USA Gulf Coast is absent
❑ Petroleum

▪ Gas hydrate is a solid ice-like form of water that contains gas molecules in its molecular cavities1. In
nature, this gas is mostly methane. Methane gas hydrate is stable at the seafloor at water depths beneath
about 500 m.
❑ Gas hydrate

❑ Winds and Waves
▪ The generation of renewable energy from tides and waves, wind turbines located in offshore areas,
submarine geothermal resources and marine biomass could be viable alternatives for contributing to
energy needs and climate change mitigation objectives.

▪ For Small Island Developing State (SIDS), such renewable energy sources could help diversify their
energy portfolios and secure higher levels of energy security. Of all the marine sources, the highest
potential for electricity generation is in the offshore wind turbines sector. Global offshore wind capacity
is growing at the incredible rate of 40 per cent per year, producing 7100 megawatts of electricity in
2013.
❑ Winds and Waves

✓ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Bangladesh
▪ The Bay of Bengal is situated in the South of Bangladesh. There
is a total of 166,000 sq. km. water area including Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ). Fishing is only confined within 100-meter
depth. About 127 trawlers, 44,000 mechanized and non-
mechanized boats are engaged in fishing. Pelagic and deep-sea
resources are still untapped.
▪ In the year 2006-07 fish production was 24.40 lakh metric ton
(MT) in which only 35,391 MT. was trawl catch. Since India,s
discovery of gas and oil in 2005-2006, the Bay of Bengal has
become a coveted area for natural resource exploration.
❑ Marine Fisheries

▪ In recent years, the bulk of the production has been obtained from marine (16.78%) and freshwater
(83.22%) wild capture fisheries. In 2015–2016,Bangladesh was the 5th in world aquaculture
production, which accounted for half of the country's total fish production (55.15%) (DoF, 2016).
▪ There are about 795 (including 12 exotic species) species of fish and shrimp available in the both fresh
and marine waters of Bangladesh.

▪ Bangladesh is one of the resourceful countries with its wide range of marine aquatic bio-diversities. There are
about 1093 marine aquatic organisms where 44.35% are finfish, 32.23% shellfish, 15.10% seaweeds and only
8.32% are other organisms including shrimps. The details in number of species and their percentages are shown
in the table below:

▪ The net cultivable area is 1.95 million hectares. At present, coastal regions contribute approximately 16
percent of the total rice production of the country. In coastal districts rain-fed monsoon paddy is the
dominant crop, covering about 70 percent of the total paddy-cropped area. About 60 percent of the paddy-
cropped area is planted with local varieties adapted to poor water management that results in waterlogging
and salinity. The cropping intensity is 170 percent.3 The coastal zone produces a relatively high proportion
of pulses, oilseeds, betel nuts and leaves, winter vegetables and potatoes. The SRDI (Soil Resources
Development Institute) routinely prepares maps identifying many different types of agricultural land uses.
❑Agriculture

▪ Like in other parts of Bangladesh, coastal livelihoods are largely dependent on agricultural crops, mainly rice;
thus, agriculture predominates. Important factors affecting land use for agriculture are flooding, physiography, soil
salinity, drainage congestion and irrigation facilities. Agricultural land in the coastal area is limited to wet season
cropping because soil salinity is high in the dry season. Medium-high land dominates the coastal area, followed
by highland, medium-low land and lowland.
❑Agriculture

▪ In 1960, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation started to produce salt on 2 742 hectares
in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts in southeast of Bangladesh, where salt production continues to be
concentrated. Since then, land use under salt production has been gradually increasing (Figure 4) to meet
the ever-growing demand. There are 41 000 listed salt producers. In 2003/2004, 0.9 million tonnes of salt
were produced on 24 900 hectares of land.
❑ Salt production

▪ The forestry subsector accounted for 1.9 percent of the total GDP in 2002/2003 (MoF 2003). In addition to
traditional forest products like timber, fuelwood, pulpwood, wax and honey, forests provide raw material for
many wood-based industries. Nearly 50 percent (7 869 000 hectares) of Bangladesh’s forests are in the coastal
zone; they comprise both natural forests, including the Sunderbans, and planted forest.
❑ Forestry

▪ The natural forest area includes mangrove forest, mixed evergreen and deciduous forest and mixed
thickets and forest in Teknaf, Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, Ukhiya and Fatikchhari thanas of Cox’s Bazar and
Chittagong districts. Mangrove forests play an irreplaceable role in the life cycle (for example as breeding
or nursery grounds) of economically important fish, shrimp and crab species.
❑ Forestry

▪ Many tourist attractions are located in the coastal zone. Land use for tourism is still negligible, but is
gradually increasing. Cox's Bazar is the only well-developed beach town and is the most visited, as it
has both natural and cultural diversity. Kuakata beach, St Martin’s Island and the Sundarbans are
other important tourist destinations.
❑ Tourism:

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