WB concerned over deforestation in Bangladesh
The World Bank (WB) has expressed deep concern as deforestation is alarmingly increasing in the country.
The country has only 17.8 percent or 2.56 million hectares of forest at present and such rapid reduction of forests lead to soil erosion, serious landslides and loss of biodiversity.
The issue has come to light during a meeting with the forest department officials concerned at the WB Dhaka office last week.
Conversion of forest lands for settlement, agriculture and commercial purposes have alarmingly increased deforestation and such decline and deterioration of forests significantly reduces the opportunity to mitigate climate change, said the WB.
If total forest-cover continues to decline in Bangladesh, the potential for forests' carbon sequestration will be reduced in coming years, it fears.
To face the catastrophe, the WB also has suggested undertaking afforestation and reforestation drive to improve forest management and development of alternative livelihoods of forest dependent communities to address the challenges of vulnerability to climate change in Bangladesh.
In this regard, Mohammded Younus Ali, chief conservator of forest (CCF) under the Forest Department, told the news agency yesterday that Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) has recently approved the allocation of US$35 million for the "Bangladesh Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation Project".
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