Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Wednesday said the government is working sincerely to prevent desertification, land degradation and drought.
He made the remark while speaking at a workshop titled 'National Roadmap for Combating Land Degradation in Bangladesh' at the Department of Environment (DoE) in the city's Agargaon area, a ministry press release said.
Addressing as the chief guest, Shahab Uddin said the DoE has already formulated a roadmap for building a land degradation-free Bangladesh by updating the land use map, identifying the causes and indicators of land degradation, preventing degradation and mitigation or reuse.
It will be possible to prevent land degradation by working at the national and divisional levels in a coordinated manner in eight thematic areas identified in the roadmap prepared to check land degradation, he said.
The minister said effective efforts of all stakeholders are needed to check land degradation in the country.
To this end, he said, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the Soil Resources Development Institute, the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority and CEGIS are working with the DoE through the Sustainable Land Management Project.
"There are many sustainable land use technologies in Bangladesh through which we will be able to reduce land degradation to zero," Shahab Uddin said.
He said awareness and capacity building, training programmes, scientific research and initiatives will be taken to raise awareness about the financial, social and environmental benefits of sustainable land management policies and uses.
Ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation can make a significant contribution to achieving desired goals, he said, adding, "We call upon all to work together sincerely to prevent land degradation in this country".
Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Begum Habibun Nahar, Environment Secretary Md Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary (Admin) of the ministry Iqbal Abdullah Harun and Additional Secretary (Development) Ahmed Shamim Al Razi were present at the workshop with DoE Director General Md Ashraf Uddin in the chair.
Project Director Dr Md Sohrab Ali and former secretary Prof Zahurul Karim, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
