Conserve bio-diversity of the Sundarbans

The Royal Bengal Tiger in its abode--the Sundarbans.

The Royal Bengal Tiger is unique in its kind and is not found anywhere else around the world. So as our country is gifted with such an animal, it is the duty of the authorities and the people to look after this animal and its habitat. The Sundarban withholds our country like a cradle; its absence would just wash away the existence of Bangladesh in other words. Other countries too are being benefited form this forest, directly or indirectly. So other countries too have the duty to look after this valuable resource as well.

One project known as the Sundarban Bio-diversity Conservation Project (SBCP) was on, but on September 04, 2003 unfortunately the South Asian Department of the ADB intimated that funding for the SBCP would remain suspended until and unless certain terms and conditions specified by ADB were fulfilled. This US$ 77.5 million project was conceived in 1997 and was commenced on April 01, 2000. Moreover there were external finance of US$ 33.9 million, which was supposed to come from the ADB, then a grant of US$ 12.2 million from the GEF and another grant of US$ 3.1 million from the Government of the Netherlands. The reason the fund was suspended is because it could not fulfil its purpose.

The specified purpose of the project was to structure a sustainable management system for the SRF, conservation of the bio-diversity in the Sundarbans, and for eliminating the poverty of the 3.5 million people inheriting the Impact Zone of the project. But the devastating fact is that the Forest Department was able to implement only one-third of the planned activities. Within this time span ADB released 23 percent of the approved funding. So at this point it is visible that the Forest Department had not been able to utilise the fund effectively. According to ADB there was no fault in their plan, while according to the SBCP Watch Group, the original project design itself was faulty, so ADB is obliged to bear the entire cost of re-designing the project as a grant.

At this crucial point, it certainly won't be wise to keep debating and blaming one another for what happened. It is essential that every individual and group who are involved with this conservation project, should come forward and act together to find out the reasons why this project could not fulfil its aim. Then they should take the required initiative in redesigning the project and its implementation as a whole. Moreover they should specifically assure that the local people have a stand on the overall activity of the project and that their opinion be also taken while taking any decision. The suggestion and opinions of the local people and the Local Government bodies must be taken in every step and the Forest Department should be accountable to them.

The conservation of bio-diversity of the Sundarbans is very much essential. So it won't be wise to withdraw the funds for its conservation project nor that it be cancelled over some disputes and ineffectiveness. Instead it would be wise for everyone involved with the project to take the stand to implement the project more effectively and efficiently so that it gives out a worthy result.