Community-based approach stressed

Members of the civil society and government officials at a workshop urged the government to give special attention to the haor areas and ensure community-based approach for protection of those areas and their residents.

The General Economic Division (GED) of the Planning Commission in cooperation with UNDP-Bangladesh organised the workshop on "Environment and Climate Change Policy Gap Analysis in Haor areas" at a hotel in Srimangal here.

Md Kamrul Hasan, deputy commissioner of Moulvibazar, was in the chair.

GED member Prof Shamsul Alam, in his speech as the chief guest, said they should learn more about the issues concerning the water bodies to solve some of the problems.

Prof Mrityunjoy Kundo, chairman of the Department of Aquatic Resource Management of Sylhet Agricultural University, said community-based sanctuary has to be ensured to save the haors, as the people of those areas know the problems.

In his keynote speech, Dr M Moklesur Rahman, Executive Director of Centre for Natural Resource Studies, said no attention has been paid to haor fisheries though haors are important Ramsar site. The role of the Department of Forestry in managing the Ramsar site is not clearly mentioned.

There is also a lack of focus on the impacts of climate change on fisheries resources and fish biodiversity in haor areas, he added.