Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Bangladesh supports rich cetacean diversity in its fresh and marine waters [ ] 57 Managing the ecologically critical areas Since 2010, Bangladesh has increased its protected areas of marine, ecolog- ically critically endangered, botanical gardens, and national parks. A total of 21 protected areas (PAs) — seven National Parks, 12 Wildlife Sanctu- aries, a Marine PA and a Special Bio- diversity Conservation Area — have been declared by the government to conserve wildlife and their habitats. The total area of the 20 newly added forest PAs is approximately 34,000ha. All 38 forest PAs now cover over 10 per cent of the total forest area which is 1.8 per cent of the area of the country. The two Marine Protected Areas together comprise 243,600ha, just over 2 per cent of the 11,881,300ha of Bangladesh’s total ecologically critical areas (ECAs). The total area of ECAs managed by the Department of the Environment is 384,529ha or about 2.6 per cent of the country. The Bangladesh Forest Department administers botanical gardens, safari parks and several eco-parks, all harbouring a diverse community of flora and fauna. A notable national achievement is the declaration of Nijhum Dweep island as a National Park. Located within the Hatiya upazila in Noakha- li district, at the confluence of the Meghna estuary on the Bay of Bengal, the park is home to the world’s largest population of Indian Skimmer as well as 76 migratory bird species. Nijhum Dweep also lies within the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area of the Gan- ges-Brahmaputra and Meghna delta. A total of 152 plant species repre- senting 55 families have been record- ed on the island. Among these, 66 are tree species, 15 are shrubs, 58 are herbs and 13 are climbers. The island has been divided into several zones based on common vegetation types and, since 1971, trees such as Keora, Baen and Gewa have been planted. In a recent study, six species of amphib- ians and 22 species of reptile were re- corded including five species of turtle (three of sea turtle), seven species of lizard, and ten species of snake A total of 193 species of bird (76 migratory), 17 species of mammal, 61 species of invertebrate and 14 fish samples were also recorded. The current estimation of the spotted deer population on Nijhum Dweep was less than 2,000. The island is at the crossroads of two global migratory birds’ flyways: the East-Asia-Australasia and the Central Asia. More than half a dozen globally threatened migratory birds winter on the island, including the spoon-billed sandpiper and the Asian dowitcher. Bangladesh Bangladesh B angladesh shares a border with India to the west and north, India and Myanmar to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south. With a total area of 147,570 km 2 , the country lies on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system delta — one of the largest river systems of the world. The north-east and south-east portions of the country are hilly, with some hills rising over 1,000m above mean sea level. Bangladesh is very rich in biodiversity, with approximately 80 per cent floodplain, 12 per cent hills, and 8 per cent terrace or uplifted blocks. Following the 2012 and 2014 decisions of the International Arbitral Tribunal, Bangladesh has 118,813 km 2 of marine area. The rich genetic diversity in crops, livestock, fish, trees and wildlife directly and indirectly support the lives and livelihoods of the people of the country by supplying a wide range of provisional, regulatory and cultural services. Rawnak Jahan Khan Ranon, Instagram contest