Staff Reporter: Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern over Bangladesh's failure to show solidarity with the joint declaration of world leaders on forest and land use at the COP-26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland on November 2. The organization immediately expressed solidarity with the international declaration and called on the government to take concrete steps to stop deforestation and protect and restore forests by 2030 in line with it.

This information was given in a statement on Thursday (November 4).

TIB executive director. Iftekharuzzaman said, “It is extremely disappointing that Bangladesh did not show solidarity with the declaration of 124 countries in the world to stop deforestation by 2030 at the Glasgow Climate Conference. In particular, even though many countries in Africa, including Brazil, are involved in this declaration, it is unbelievable that Bangladesh, as the country most affected by the effects of climate change, did not respond.

He said, “However, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, deforestation in Bangladesh is almost double the global average rate, which is 2.6 percent. In the last seventeen years alone, about 66 square kilometers of tropical rain forests have been destroyed in the country. And as the forest department, 2 lakh 87 thousand 453 acres of forest land has been occupied across the country - of which 1 lakh 38 thousand acres are reserved forest land. Even the Sundarbans, a natural sanctuary for various unscrupulous public and private activities, are now under threat. In such a difficult reality, Bangladesh must immediately be involved in this global declaration.

9 years to achieve the goal of the declaration of world leaders to stop deforestation, said in a very short time. Iftekharuzzaman said, “World leaders have failed to implement a similar agreement adopted at the 2014 climate conference. However, if this year's announcement fails, it will be more difficult to achieve the net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. Therefore, Bangladesh should lead the country affected by the effects of climate change, immediately show solidarity with this declaration and try to play an effective role of the most polluting countries in its implementation. We expect Bangladesh to intensify national and international efforts to ensure adequate and timely funding for forest protection and restoration by 2030, including a reduction in carbon emissions to reduce carbon emissions.

He warned that if Bangladesh's forest lands were in crisis, the livelihoods of 19 million people would depend on the forest. Cox's Bazar's Jhilangja Forest has set up an administration academy with a settlement of 700 acres. Lathalia has undertaken various projects such as constructing a safari park in the protected forest. However, these projects will have a huge negative impact on the environment and deforestation will increase. "We expect the government to have a good sense of urgency in canceling such projects that pose a threat to forest protection and strongly demand that no more coal-based projects be adopted and approved after 2021."

TIB hopes that the government will come up with a clear plan of action and effective measures to stop deforestation and occupation by 2030 and protect natural resources and human livelihoods. In addition, maximum efforts will be made to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the forest sector in tackling climate change and achieving sustainable development goals.