BANGLADESH COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21: REVIEW OF PROGRESS MADE SINCE THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, 1992

Information Provided by the Government of Bangladesh to the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Fifth Session
7-25 April 1997
New York

United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Division for Sustainable Development
The Information contained in this Country Profile is also available on the World Wide Web, as follows: http://www.un.org/dpcsd/earthsummit

OVERVIEW 

1. Bangladesh recognizes the vital importance of participating in the global attempts to halt the process of environmental deterioration. Bangladesh was actively involved in the proceedings of the UNCED, signed the Rio Declaration and endorsed Agenda 21. This reflects the strong commitment of Bangladesh towards promoting environmental management and sustainable development.

2. The priority areas of concern in Bangladesh are (1) Disaster Management; (2) Deforestation, including mangroves; (3) Biodiveristy losses; (4) Water Pollution; (5) Land Degradation; and (6) Air Pollution.

3. A National Conservation Strategy (NCS) has been prepared in line with the World Conservation Strategy. The NCS has identified problems in eighteen different sectors and made recommendations for addressing these problems. In December 1996, the NCS is in its final draft stage and expected to be approved soon.

4. A National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) has been prepared identifying the key environmental issues and actions required to halt or reduce the rate of environmental degradation, to improve the natural and man-made environment, to conserve habitats and biodiversity, to promote sustainable development, and to improve qualitative indicators of human life. The NEMAP can be considered to be the first initiative towards the preparation of a National Agenda 21. The NEMAP has outlined an action plan to address the environmental issues of Bangladesh.

5. A National Environment Committee with the Head of the Government as its Chairperson has been set up to ensure an effective top-level management of the environment and to integrate development and environment at the national level.

6. Bangladesh has developed Draft Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for (1) water pollution; (2) air pollution; (3) noise pollution; (4) sewage pollution; and (5) industrial pollution. By approving the EQS, the Government will ensure compliance through monitoring. The development of indicators is also needed in this respect.

7. A country study on climate change has just been completed under the United States Country Study Programme (USCMT). Another project on Asia Least Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy (ALGAS) is in progress with the support of the ADB. Under these studies, an inventory of GHG emissions and an analysis of vulnerability impacts have been completed and both are in their refinement and updating stages.

8. Bangladesh has prepared a National Phase Out Plan of Ozone Depleting Substances, which is currently being implemented with assistance from the Montreal Multilateral Fund.

9. Bangladesh has adopted an Environment Protection Act in 1995 for the preservation of the environment.

10. Bangladesh has carried out inventories of its forest resources and biological diversity in both dryland and wetlands. Reliable and high-quality data is expected to become available after the completion of these inventories. After this, Bangladesh will be able to develop indicators for sustainable management of these resources in light of the indicators developed by the DPCSD. In order to be able to develop and test indicators for sustainable development, Bangladesh needs financial and technical support for other inventories, and data and information collection.

11. Major international conventions/ protocols signed and ratified by Bangladesh are as follows:

(1) International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1981.

(2) Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989.

(3) Plant Protection Agreement for the South East Asia and Pacific Region, 1974.

(4) Treaty banning nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, 1985.

(5) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 1973.

(6) Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985.

(7) Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987.

(8) The London Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, 1990.

(9) Convention on Wetlands of International Improtance Specially Waterfowl Habitats (the Ramsar Convention).

(10) International Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992.

(11) Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992.

(12) Convention to Combat Desertification.

12. Major constraints in the implementation of Agenda 21:

(1) Lack of domestic financial resources and appropriate technology.

(2) Poor inflow of financial and technical assistance againt commitments made under different conventions.

(3) Legal and institutional weakness and lack of trained human resources.

(4) Lack of high-quality data.

(5) Coordination among so many different actors.

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