He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a national technical workshop titled 'Prioritizing Nature-based Interventions for Resilient Coastal Bangladesh' held at Hotel Westin in the capital on Monday morning. The workshop was organized by Friendship and Conservation International.
The State Minister said forests, wetlands, coastal vegetation belts and integrated agroforestry systems play an important role not only in environmental conservation but also in increasing the availability of animal feed for livestock, improving animal health, and implementing the integrated 'One Health' concept combining human health, animal health and environmental health.
He said although Bangladesh has received international recognition for tackling climate change, its coastal region remains one of the most vulnerable areas in the world. Cyclones, storm surges, sea-level rise, spread of salinity and coastal erosion are threatening the environment as well as the economy, food systems and the livelihoods of millions of people.
Sultan Salahuddin Tuku said the fisheries and livestock sector, in addition to making significant contributions to the national economy, is the main livelihood foundation for rural communities. However, these two sectors are at greatest risk due to the adverse impacts of climate change.
He further said hundreds of thousands of families in the coastal region depend on rearing cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep and poultry. Livestock ensures their regular income, nutrition, employment and financial security. During natural disasters, it becomes the most important economic asset for many families.
The State Minister said the government is committed to strengthening climate resilience through sustainable natural resource management, ecosystem restoration and evidence-based development planning. He expressed optimism that the national programme to plant 25 crore (250 million) trees over the next five years will play an important role in restoring ecosystems as well as enhancing the capacity of people at climate risk.
Runa Khan, founder of Friendship, delivered the welcome speech. Former Secretary Dr. Md. Faridul Islam, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Md. Shahjaman Khan, and Managing Director for South Asia at Conservation International Saurav Malhotra were present as special guests.
