World Environment Day Today
Call for collaborative global efforts
Department of Environment and Ministry of Environment and Forest jointly bring out a procession of floats from in front of National Museum in the city yesterday marking the World Environment Day 2011 today.Photo: STAR
World Environment Day 2011 will be observed in the country today as elsewhere across the world highlighting crucial environmental, economic and social roles played by forests. The theme of the day “Forests: Nature at Your Service” calls for collaborative global efforts for increased investment in forest management and forest resources to increase employment, reduce deforestation and help tackle climate change. Marking the day, speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the government to enact a new forest act as the old law ceased to be relevant. “The old act, promulgated for India in 1927, is not applicable anymore,” said environmentalist Barrister Abu Raihan Khalid at the seminar organised by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city. “An entirely new act is needed keeping in mind the needs and challenges of urbanisation and global warming,” he said. The speakers said many forest officers have to cut down trees and sell the timber to pay for boats hired for official duties and cellphone bills, as there are no government allowances for these expenses. This plays an important role in deforestation in the country, they said. Earlier, in his keynote presentation, environment researcher Pavel Partha said some forest officials use the right to shoot anyone for saving forest resources to their own advantage. In fact, many people from indigenous communities were shot dead in the past under false accusations, he said. The speakers called for more budgetary allocation for forest preservation, more employment opportunities for people residing in forest areas and more facilities for forest officials. At a human chain in front of city's Jatiya Press Club, Coalition of Local NGOs, Bangladesh demanded Tk 3,00,000 crore from developed countries over the next 20 years to help protect the country's farmlands, wetlands, forest and wildlife. Save The Environment Movement organised discussions, rallies and human chains in 64 districts across the country. Centre for Disaster and Vulnerability Studies of social science department in Dhaka University organised a seminar at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhudry Senate Bhaban observing the day. UN General Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972 to mark the opening of Stockholm Conference on Human Environment.
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