Speakers today call for formulation of an action plan to implement WSSD outcome

Press Release, September 15, 2002

Speakers today made a call to formulate an action plan to execute the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation adopted at the just ended World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) for ensuring the sustainable livelihood of the people of Bangladesh.

They were participating at a briefing session on WSSD outcome organised by Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB) at FEJB Conference Room here. Environment and Forest Minister Shajahan Siraj, State Minster for Environment and Forest Jafrul Islam Chowdhury and representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and DFID took part in the briefing session attended by the members of the civil society bodies.

FEJB Chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury chaired the briefing session organised with support from Ministry of Environment and Forest, UNDP and Danish 92 Group.

Environment and Forest Minister Shajahan Siraj said Bangladesh drew wide attention in the recently held World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) by focusing the issues of its concern.

“We began to take preparations for the summit months ahead of the event which enabled us at the government and NGO levels to focus the issues concerning Bangladesh and gained support for its causes,” he told the participants.

The minister added that Bangladesh courageously highlighted its problems like sharing of waters in common rivers with India saying Farakka and other barrages constructed upstream were threatening the lives of millions as well as the environment particularly the ecosystem of the world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans.

He said the international community particularly extended their supports for the promotion of jute as an environment-friendly biodegradable product.

Siraj said the WSSD has set specific targets in most of the issues of environment and sustainable development and “we believe we will be able to attain the target with the assistance of development partners and involvement of al our people.”

“In Bangladesh we have experienced that if leadership is there, people play their due role particularly as far as environment is concerned.” he said.

Jafrul Islam Chowdhury said the WSSD has set the field for carrying out activities at the national level across the world as many countries, which earlier did not retify the international treaties and conventions on environment were forced to acknowledge the issues to play their due role.

Paul Martin of the World Bank said the link between poverty and environment appeared to be a major focus of the WSSD, on which Bangladesh could concentrate as bad environment affect human health, causes poverty and expose people to vulnerability.

Quamrul Islam Chowdhury said the WSSD has set some "ambitious targets" but what is now needed was the will and capacity to attain the goals.

"The test will be whether countries meet them," he said emphasising the need for formulating a national action plan to execute Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Ki Hee Ryu of ADB underscored the need for integrating water and poverty issues in the light of WSSD outcome.

Mofizur Rahman
General Secretary