India teams up with in Bangladesh to conserve Sunderbans

by Samta Jain on April 5, 2010

On Sunday, Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests announced that India collaborates with Bangladesh to launch Sunderban Ecosystem Forum in a region that is “ecologically vulnerable and sensitive to climate change.”

Mr.Ramesh said, “The Ecosystem is scheduled to be launched in this September. The objective behind this collaboration is environmental cooperation between the SAARC countries.”

The forum will consist of non-governmental organizations as well as civil society of the two countries that will coordinate efforts to bring up afforestation, protection of tigers and management of mangroves. Moreover a joint tiger enumeration exercise is also expected to be added.

“We have to recognize that the entire Sunderbans region is one ecosystem — 40 per cent of which is in India and the remaining 60 per cent in Bangladesh, and we must share our experiences and working plans for conservation,” the minister added.

The Minister also said that the 13th Finance Commission had approved a grant of Rs.450 crore to strengthen embankments at certain dangerous areas in the Sunderbans.

He also revealed that the Union Cabinet has already sanctioned this Rs.1, 156 crore Integrated Coastal Zone Management project. From this total amount of money, Rs.300 crore will be spent in West Bengal mostly on the Sunderbans.