Digital map to be used to save forests
The government is going to develop a digital map of the country’s forest to build a stronger forest monitoring system.
“Once we have a digital mapping of the forests, we can monitor if forests are destroyed anywhere just sitting in the ministry or the forest department. We don’t need to go to the spots physically,” State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters after a meeting.
The digital mapping will be done under the Forest Information Generation and Networking System project worth Tk 8.27 crore, said Mahmud, after presiding over the meeting of the Climate Change Trustee Board at his ministry yesterday.
“The mapping will play a very positive role in protecting forests,” the state minister told reporters. The trustee board, which is the authority to approve projects from the Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF), has approved the project.
The board also approved Afforestation in the Coastal Areas to Mitigate Adverse Effects on Climate Change project of Tk 19.9 crore and Land Reclamation by Constructing Cross-dam in Char Mainka, Char Islam and Char Mantaz project in Bhola worth Tk 24.37 crore.
Other projects include Protection of Karnaphuli, Icchamati, Halda and their branches in Chittagong worth Tk 20 crore and Installation of Solar Power Plant at Army Headquarters and all Formation Headquarters.
“We have approved the solar power project in principle, but asked them to reduce the amount from Tk 23.62 crore,” he said. Under the solar power project, 375 kilowatts power would be generated, Hasan Mahmud noted.
“By constructing cross-dams, we want to reclaim 144 square kilometers of land in Bhola chars,” he said. Already Bangladesh has witnessed reclamation of 105 square kilometers in the coastal area, he said.
Bangladesh government allocated a total of Tk 1,400 crore in last and present fiscal year to the CCTF. Of it, Tk 579.33 core or 34 percent of the money has been fixed deposited in the bank, while the rest Tk 820.66 crore is meant for projects.
So far, Tk 506 has been allocated for 45 government projects and 28 non-government projects, said the environment ministry officials.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, State Minister for Water Resources Mahbubur Rahman, Cabinet Secretary Abdul Aziz, Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tareq and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman were present at the meeting.
UNB Adds: the government yesterday approved the five projects at a cost of more than Tk 956 million to face adverse impacts of climate change.
The Climate Change Trustee Board approved these projects at its 7th meeting held at the environment and forests ministry yesterday afternoon.
