Coming soon, an Indo-Bangladesh joint forum to protect Sunderbans

Indian Express , Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Correspondent : Express News Service
Kolkata : Announcing a first-of-its-kind joint initiative of India and Bangladesh to combat climate change, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the two countries are coming up with a joint forum to protect the unique ecosystem in the Sunderbans.

“I have sent a proposal to the Dr Hasan Mahmud, Minister for Environment, Government of Bangladesh. I am confident and optimistic that we will launch the forum in September this year,” said Ramesh, while addressing an international workshop on “Climate threat to Sunderbans across India and Bangladesh” in the city.

The forum will work in areas of mangrove protection, tiger protection and building embankments. Ramesh said that experiences like Aila has proven that the initiatives so far taken to combat climate change are not correct and that the government will have try “something new”.

Insisting on more region-level cooperation on climate change, Ramesh said that the theme at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, scheduled to be held on April 27 and 28, will be “Climate Change and Environmental Negotiation”. Ramesh said the Cabinet has approved the Rs 1,156 crore World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project. To be implemented for the next five years by the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment, the ICZM would initiate activities in the Sunderbans, Haldia and Digha-Shankarpur regions at a total investment of Rs 300 crore. While 78 per cent of the funds will be provided by the World Bank, the remaining money would be provided by the Centre and states.

The minister said that the ministry has also approved Rs 450 crore for strengthening and armouring embankments in the Sunderbans for the next five years.

For a scientific network to be established in various research institutes, the Indian Network for Comprehensive Change Assessment would be set up across 128 research institutes in the country to share the impacts of climate change, said the minister. He added the first assessment report on Himalyan Region vulnerable coastal area, including Sunderbans, would be released in November this year.

 
SOURCE : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Coming-soon--an-Indo-Bangladesh-joint-forum-to-protect-Sunderbans/600081
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us