Bio-security essential for boosting economic growth
Sunderbans mangroves, rich in biodiversity, need proper protection
For thousands of years, people on Earth have habituated to live with environmental adaptation in a sustainable fashion. By applying traditional knowledge and wisdom built up regarding the use of natural resources including flora-fauna both mutually survived until the sixties of the past century. But over the past five decades, they have changed the ecosystems extensively. These changes have contributed too many development gains, but at massive environmental costs: loss of biodiversity, land degradation, reduced availability of water and natural resources for many of the world's most deprived people. Flora-fauna based resources provide raw materials for medicines, trade, industry and dependent livelihoods and sustenance system. Genetic resources based diversity provides for the latest breeding programmes, developed crops, enhanced agricultural production, and helps in food security. Forests, woodlands, fresh water and marine and other natural ecosystems provide a range of services, frequently not acknowledged in any national economic accounts but nonetheless vital to human welfare: regulating water flows, flash flood control, pollination, decontamination, maintaining carbon cycle, bio-diversity conservation etc. Biodiversity includes diversity within species populations (genetic variation), the number of species, and the diversity of ecosystems. Biological diversity means variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part, including diversity within species, between species and ecosystems. Biodiversity is indispensable for human existence and is critical for maintaining ecosystems. But globally one and a half acres of rain forests are lost every second. As a result, we are losing 137 plant, animal, and insect species every day. Those losses will have significant implications for human health, since approximately 25 percent of modern pharmaceuticals are derived from rain forests as well as medicinal plants based ingredients, not to mention that biodiversity maintains the very environment and atmosphere essential for human survival. In the light of these perspectives, the most important challenge to all who are responsible for supporting sustainable development will be to reverse the current degradation of biodiversity resources and loss of ecosystem services. South Asia is a region of importance for its rich biological diversity, marine, coastal and fresh water fisheries. Besides, this region is one of the most populous in the world and a large part of its population is dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival, often causing pressure on that. Biological resources, especially the flora and fauna are directly and indirectly of economic importance for humans providing food and medicines as well as industrial raw materials. The services rendered by biodiversity are vital for functioning of the global economy. Biodiversity and ecosystem services contribute to environmental sustainability, we simply cannot do without it. Admitting the importance, over the last two decades, the World Bank Group has built up a rich portfolio of biodiversity projects, worth more than USD 6 billion. A considerable amount of that investment has been dedicated to protected areas, but there is an increasing focus on improving natural resource management and mainstreaming biodiversity into forestry, coastal zone management, such as salinity control and agricultural activities. Bangladesh has possessed a plenty of species diversity in flora and fauna. Though area-wise it is a small country, its species richness has been relatively large, but population density of most of the species has declined drastically while human population has grown too large. Whatever, there are many severe threats causing biodiversity losses of which some are direct and others are indirect. Direct threats include: change of land use, fragmentation and loss of habitats, change in hydrological regime, pollution and grabbing, imprudent tourism, unsustainable agricultural practices, introduction of high yielding varieties and invasive alien species of plants and animals, and current transformational change known as climate change. Indirect threat are: shortcomings of economic systems and policies, lack of species knowledge and awareness, inadequate legal and institutional systems, unplanned infrastructural development and urbanisation, migration and other anthropogenic factors. However, for essential bio-security we have to prioritise the following areas: -Promoting green approaches; such as forestation, conservation maintaining plant diversity, eco-park and eco-tourism programmes. -Promoting green energy as well as renewable energy and green economy activities. -Introducing energy efficiency, bio-safety, bio-materials and environmentally benign programmes. -Participating in sustainable water systems programmes. -Continuing efficient waste management programmes including recycling. -Saving rivers and canals from polluters and grabbers. -Collecting and disseminating traditional farmer's knowledge. -Contributing to and participating in biodiversity programmes; United Nations REDD & REDD plus programmes. Finally, we see that governments and civil societies include environmental activists and anti-global warming activists in their programmes around the world who are committing to biodiversity conservation and marine water resources conservation because people, including private sector corporations and companies, have benefited greatly from animals, plants and marine waters resources. So, it is high time bio-security is paid appropriate attention in Bangladesh.
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