This document summarizes Bangladesh's biodiversity and efforts to conserve it. Bangladesh has rich biodiversity due to its diverse ecosystems like forests, wetlands, and agricultural areas. However, biodiversity faces many threats like habitat loss and pollution. To address this, Bangladesh developed a Biodiversity Action Plan and protects important areas. The government also strengthened laws and policies around biodiversity conservation and monitors progress through committees.

1. Dhaka school of Economics
University of Dhaka
An assignment on Biodiversity concept of Bangladesh
Submitted by: Nahin Mahfuz Seam.
Class : BEcon 1st
batch
Id no : 160121005
Roll no : 09
Subject : Environmental studies
Course ID : 103
Submitted to: Dr. Salma Sultan,
Assistant professor, DScE

2. What is Biodiversity?
Biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the
variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the
ecosystems within which they live and interact.
Biodiversity: Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the biodiversity-rich countries in the world. The five broad types of
ecosystems in Bangladesh are coastal and marine ecosystems, inland freshwater
ecosystems, terrestrial forest ecosystems, hilly ecosystems and man-made homestead
ecosystems. Haor (depressed land) wetlands are the most important natural ecosystemof
Bangladesh and the Haor basin is known for its rich biodiversity. The largest Haor in
Bangladesh is Hakaluki Haor which supports one of the largest inland fisheries in the
country. The hill ecosystems coveraround 12% of the country’s land area. There is an
occurrence of wide genetic variations in plants and animals, both in wild and
cultivated/domesticated states. The diverse agro-ecosystems of Bangladesh are rich in
genetic resources of plants and animals. There are 6,000 varieties of rice known to have
existedin the country.
Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)
There are many threats that drive biodiversity loss, among which some are direct and
dynamic while the others are indirect. Direct threats include changes in land use, habitat
destruction, introduction of invasive alien species, etc. On the other hand, examples of
indirect threats are the economic systemand policies of the State; unsustainable
exploitation of resources and weak management systems; gaps in spatial information; lack
of public awareness. Other threats are emanated from the effects of natural calamities. In
addition, habitat loss is considered the single largest threat to biodiversity.
Actions takento achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets
The Forest Policy 1994 aims to increase protected areas by protecting 10% of the reserve
Forest land by the year 2015. In order to provide legal basis for ensuring the conservation
and sustainable use of biological and genetic resources, and associated indigenous and local

3. knowledge, Bangladesh has developed the Biological Diversity Act.
Specific actions include: conservation of important biodiversity hotspots in Chittagong Hill
Tracts, conservation of Rampahar and Sitapahar of Chittagong Region, and conservation
of denuded hill areas of Ramgarh Shitakunda. Tanguar hoar has been established as a
Ramsar site and is also protected, among others, as a fish sanctuary. The Hakaluki haor,
Tanguar haor and Hail hoar have also been protected because of their importance for
migratory and resident birds. St. Martin’s Island, the only coral-bearing island of
Bangladesh, is protected as a marine park. Furthermore, a few mudflats, such as Nijhum
dweep and Sonadia Island, are protected as shore birds sites. The Ministry of Environment
and Forest has taken the initiative to increase the protected area system.
The Department of Environment (DoE) has, so far, designated nine areas significant for
biological diversity as Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) in the country.
Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding,
capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)
Sectoral and cross-sectoral mainstreaming of the NBSAP happens across an institutional
level, an individual level and in policy/legislative frameworks. At an institutional level, the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), through its National Technical Committee
on Biodiversity (NTCB), oversees activities related to biodiversity conservation.
At an individual level, researchers and professionals are working on different components
of the environment and ecosystems, without having explicit aims to translate the research
results into achieving the objectives of the NBSAP, although it is true that much research
work is closely connected with different NBSAP components.
The level of mainstreaming of the NBSAP into individual policies and strategies achieved
so far in Bangladesh can be said to be satisfactory. However, integration and
harmonization among policies to achieve common goals concerning biodiversity
conservation remains a substantial challenge. The NBSAP advocated that legal, regulatory
and policy regimes should be aligned with biodiversity conservation. In this regard, it can
be claimed that the strategic arrangements and legislative frameworks of the country are
strong enough to safeguard habitats, ecosystems and their associatedbiodiversity. The
environment and biodiversity-related policies, such as the Bangladesh Environment Policy
1992, Forest Policy 1994, Water Policy 1999, National Land Use Policy 2001, National
Fisheries Policy 1998 and the National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP)
1995 contain considerable elements related to biodiversity conservation.
Capacity-building at the individual, institutional and systemic or policy levels to handle the
complex issues of biodiversity conservation will greatly assist in furthering the
mainstreaming process.

4. Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation
The Government of Bangladesh has constituted the National Technical Committee on
Biodiversity and National Committee of Biosafety, headed by the respected Secretary of the
Ministry of Environment and Forests, to ensure monitoring and reviewing implementation
of the Convention on Biological Diversity and all other issues related to the Protocols there
under.
Ref: www.cbd.int/countries/?country=bd