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DHAKA, May 14, 2025 (BSS) - To protect biodiversity and promote sustainable, community-led management of Bangladesh's Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs), a new initiative was launched today at a workshop in Dhaka.

The five-year project, titled "Implementing Ecosystem-based Management in Ecologically Critical Areas in Bangladesh (EbM-ECA Project)," is a collaborative effort led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

 The Department of Environment (DoE) will implement the project with the support from UNDP and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a UNDP press release said.
 
This initiative goes beyond biodiversity conservation. It brings together science, indigenous knowledge, and community leadership to restore vital ecosystems while supporting livelihoods of resource users," said Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh.

 "Ensuring multi-stakeholders' coordination and environmental governance is key to successful delivery of the project-she added."
 
With total financing of $13.5 million, this project will pilot through community co-management, innovative ecosystem-based restoration practices, and community-led governance models in Halda River (Chattogram) and Morjat Baor (Jhenaidah), both biodiversity-rich wetlands facing pressure from pollution, overuse of natural resources, and climate change.
 
Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended the event as Chief Guest, emphasized the importance of innovation in natural resource management.

"If we can develop a co-management model for natural resource management and biodiversity conservation grounded in an ecosystem-based approach, it can serve as a replicable model both nationally and internationally," she said.

She also expressed sincere appreciation for the generous support provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and reaffirmed a strong commitment to ensuring value for money in all related initiatives.
 
Khairul Hasan, Additional Secretary (Development Wing), MoEFCC, joined as Special Guest, "Effective ECA management calls for innovation, cooperation, and participation from all stakeholders. This is a step in that direction."
 
Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Director General of the Department of Environment, chaired the workshop. "While we are implementing this project, we must ensure that people dependent for livelihood on this places must not be affected by project interventions".
 
The project's core components include the design and implementation of a financially viable, ecosystem-based co-management system, effective pollution control and water quality monitoring, biodiversity conservation, alternative livelihoods for vulnerable communities, and capacity building of resource users, government institutions and local stakeholders.

Lessons from these pilots are expected to guide replication in other ECAs across the country. The initiative aligns with Bangladesh's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and supports the Global Biodiversity Framework. It is expected to benefit over 11,000 hectares of wetlands and directly support communities surrounding the Halda River and Morjat Baor ECAs.
 
The inception workshop brought together more than 100 participants, including senior officials from MoEFCC, DoE, UNDP, technical agencies, civil society, academia, and development partners.

Discussions focused on creating scalable models of community-based conservation and strengthening institutional mechanisms to safeguard Bangladesh's rich ecological heritage.