Save CHT forests to protect biodiversity

To conserve the country's biodiversity, efforts must be taken to protect the forests of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), said speakers at a seminar.

They said this at a seminar titled "Priorities of Forest landscape Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation in The Chattogram Hill Tracts" organised by Arannayk Foundation on Wednesday.

According to the foundation data, CHT accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total land area. Only one percent of the total population live there.

The forest is now severely degraded due to multiple factors, including jhum cultivation, overharvesting, change in land use and lack of sustainable forest management, said speakers.

"To conserve the wildlife and greater biodiversity, we must protect CHT from the multiple threats it is facing," said Ishtiaq Sobhan, senior environmental specialist of the World Bank.

Satellite data from 2000 to 2015 suggest that the rate of deforestation and degradation is much higher in CHT than in the rest of the country, said Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, chief conservator of the department.