Environment rights groups said on Wednesday that the climate change adaptation planning has barely been integrated into the national budget 2013-2014. A national climate commission should be formed for appropriate integration of climate adaptation, which is necessary for the country’s survival. They were speaking at a press conference on “Budget 2013-14 does
environment
How Chittagong is losing its natural environment
The overall natural environment of the port city of Chittagong is under threat due to pollution, rampant hill cutting, tree cutting, absence of a drainage and sewerage system and discharge of clinical, industrial and household wastes. This is causing health and environmental hazards. Sources said the water of the Bay of Bengal at the Chittagong port channel is being polluted
Warming trees limit warming – a little
Warmer temperature prompts trees to release aerosols which in turn stimulate cloud formation. And that can help to cool the temperature, at least modestly.
Trees may provide the Earth with a little shade from global warming – indirectly. European and Canadian researchers report that they have found what engineers like to call a negative feedback loop above the forests of Europe and North America.
It works like this. Trees – those natural chemical factories that routinely deliver complex aromatic compounds such as
Evaluating services of forest
Biodiversity contributes considerably to economy and environment
Dr. M. A. BASHAR
In developing countries, the necessity of publicising services of forests is severely lacking. This sector must be given attention with special emphasis. The country like Bangladesh has to be very serious in all respects to understand and exercise the services offered by the forests. We must remember that the services are very important
Mobile towers’ radiation poses threat hazards
An in-depth study of the impact of radiation emanating from cellphone towers on human health and environment is yet to be conducted in the country, even though the number
of cellphone towers established by different operators has increased significantly in the last few years, following the expansion of mobile networks on a large
A prerequisite for sustainable development
Natural Resource Governance
A prerequisite for sustainable development
Rukshana Sultana
The constitution of Bangladesh — article 143– illustrates that all natural resources on land and underground minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters, or the ocean over the continental shelf of Bangladesh, are the properties of Bangladesh. In general, natural resources include oil and gas, minerals and metals, forests, fish, land and water. In Bangladesh, some 83% of the total population explicitly depends on natural resources. Therefore, to ensure sustainable use of these resources
Contemplating mitigation measures
Global Warming
Contemplating mitigation measures
Md. Atikur Rahman
All things that make up the environment are interrelated. The way in which people, animals and plants are related to each other and to their surrounding is known as
ecology. The ecosystem is a complex web that links animals, plants and every other life form in the biosphere. By altering any one part of the web you can affect all
other parts. For example, the destruction of forests may have serious ecological consequences for humans and animals
Save Savar from further degradation
Probir Kumar Sarker
Over the recent years, Savar is experiencing immense pressure of new industrial, commercial and residential establishments. But most of these have already been done or
are underway indiscriminately haphazardly, and by violating the environmental laws and ignoring overall public convenience, not to speak of the care for future growth.
It has been a lucrative
World living beyond its resources, summit off-track: WWF
Biodiversity has decreased by an average of 28 per cent globally since 1970 and the world would have to be 50 per cent bigger to have enough land and forests to provide for current levels of consumption and carbon emissions, conservation group WWF said on Tuesday.
Unless the world addresses the problem, by 2030 even two planet Earths would not be
Save Sonadia, save Sundarbans
Sourav Mahmud
Sonadia Island is one of the biodiversity hotspot of Bangladesh. In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh included a provision for the declaration of Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act. Twelve sites are classified as ECAs and guidelines exist to control further damage to these areas. Sonadia is considered ecologically important by the government and in 1999 was declared as an ECA under Environmental Act of
Ramsar Convention: Our obligation
Dr. M.A. Bashar
It is learnt from newspapers very recently that in the Sundarbans area three large constructions will take place which are very dangerous and detrimental to normal functioning of the mangrove forest ecosystem. It means that the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors will be seriously hampered in the ecosystems conservation. The projects are: construction of coal-based electric plant; depot for storage of coal in Phulbari; and a ship-yard covering large area. Already it is protested by various environment related
Green abroad, polluter at home
He is a Bangladesh born Spaniard. His family members campaign to protect and conserve the environment abroad. But back in his own country, his garment factory in Gazipur pollutes the river Turag. His name is Giasuddin Murad.
The Department of Environment yesterday fined him Tk 39 lakh for emptying his factory’s
Environment: Future farmers hold key
GLOBAL food demand will double by 2050, according to a new projection, and the farming techniques used to meet that unprecedented demand will significantly determine how severe the impact is on the environment, researchers say.
The study researchers warn that meeting the demand for food will clear more land, increase nitrogen use and significantly add to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. These actions could harm the atmosphere and cause the extinction of numerous species,
Declaration for survival
Climate-hit countries critical of inaction of rich nations, vow to fight the fallout together
The worst hit climate vulnerable countries have emphasised developing their own capacities to fight the effects of climate change instead of sitting idle and waiting for assistance from developed countries.
The determination was expressed at the end of a two-day Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) conference in Dhaka yesterday through a 14-point Dhaka
New scrap shipyards near Sundarbans
Govt eyes Baleshwar river bank in Barguna; environmentalists decry
Although the Sitakunda ship breaking yards in Chittagong continue to wreak havoc on the environment, the government nonetheless plans to allow new yards on the bank of the Baleshwar river in Patharghata upazila of Barguna district.
A team of top officials from different departments, led by the additional secretary of the
Flood: Some positive effects
Mohiuddin Zakaria
Flood is overflow of huge amount of water on the normally dry land. The EU flood directive defines flood as ‘a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water’. In broader sense, flood can be classified in two types as: natural flood and catastrophic flood. Natural flood is the flood that is caused naturally by the overflow of huge volume of water from rivers, lakes, oceans, or by heavy rains, etc. On the other hand catastrophic flood is the flood that is caused by some significant and unexpected events, for example dam breaching,
Birdwings enriching forest ecosystem
Dr. M A Bashar
Ecosystem itself is the phenomenon of interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in an area. This interaction means both of the factors in an area of the biosphere are equally “interacted” to form and run the system. But apparently plants are the primary phase as producers and successive phases are completed by animals as the consumers. So, plants in the system are treated collectively as the first trophic level and the animals as the successive trophic levels. These animals again provide some backward support to the plants for their multiplication and sustenance to form the final shape
Salvaging Dhaka
Md. Mahbubul Huq for The Daily Star
The engine behind a city is, apparently, its mayor. He is the chief of local government administration. Local government administration is responsible for providing services such as: fire safety, police protection, any emergency services, public school, water and sewerage, city planning, maintaining local environmental health, garbage collection, public transportation. Other services provided include: recording births, deaths and marriages; managing public burial sites, public parks, open spaces and other public land.
Local government functions
Birds eavesdrop on predator chipmunks
Ground-nesting birds eavesdrop on chipmunks in order to protect their nests, according to scientists.
Ovenbirds and veeries live alongside egg-eating chipmunks in the Hudson Valley, New York, US.
Researchers have found that when simulated chipmunk calls are played, the birds nest up to 20 metres further away.
The study is the first to show that birds heed the chatter of non-avian species
Evaluating services of Sundarbans
Muhammad Selim Hossain and Mohammed Abdul Baten for The Daily Star
Forest is a bounteous gift of nature that provides the basis of life and livelihood for humans. According to human history, hunting and gathering, the first and foremost livelihood of homo sapiens, was forest based. Interestingly, mangrove is the most diverse forest and is maximum service provider of all the forest types. Today, it is man whose relentless activities are, however, at the root of eroding this invaluable biological capital of nature.
Forest management has also seen a long chronological development