Play store
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has called for greater involvement of local communities in protecting rangelands and promoting sustainable land management, while stressing the need to safeguard common and community lands and strengthen the economic capacity of rural communities.
He made the call on Wednesday at a ministerial dialogue on “Restoration of Rangelands and the Well-being of Pastoralist Communities” in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Mintoo said Bangladesh does not have extensive rangelands in the conventional sense, but the livestock sector plays an important role in the country’s rural economy and livelihoods. Post-harvest croplands, fallow lands, char areas, wetlands and roadsides are commonly used for livestock grazing.
The livestock sector contributes around 2 percent to Bangladesh’s gross domestic product and supports the livelihoods of millions of people, he said.
However, grazing areas are gradually shrinking because of population pressure and competing land uses, with significant declines particularly in coastal areas, the minister said.
He stressed the need to identify and map community and common grazing lands, strengthen cooperation between local administrations and communities, and establish accessible and effective mechanisms to resolve land-use disputes.
Highlighting the environmental importance of wetlands and floodplains, Mintoo said these areas help maintain soil fertility, regulate water, conserve biodiversity and store carbon.
Therefore, he said, livestock production and environmental conservation should not be treated as competing priorities but integrated into national land-management planning.
Referring to Tanguar Haor, the minister said community-based management has produced positive results in conserving biodiversity and natural resources. However, he stressed that sustained financing and long-term commitment are essential to ensure the success of such initiatives.
Mintoo said Bangladesh would further integrate sustainable rangeland and common-land management into the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, the National Adaptation Plan and the National Roadmap for Combating Land Degradation, Drought and Desertification.
He also called for adequate financing, accountability and practical measures to restore rangelands and promote sustainable land management.
Bangladesh, he said, is ready to share its experiences with other countries and learn from successful initiatives elsewhere.
Ministers, deputy ministers and heads of delegations from various countries participated in the ministerial dialogue.