Coastal zone Management

Coastal Zone and island Management in the Bangladesh

Coastal zone of Bangladesh is suffering from a wide range of climate change driven hazards and anthropogenic problems. So this vast coastal area needs management and holistic framework for sustainable development, conservation of coastal ecosystems and safety of coastal communities. The coastal management and development programs of the country took place in the early 1960s through undertaking a number of initiatives such as construction of coastal embankments, building coastal greenbelt, and land reclamation, community based management and delta development(Iftekhar, 2006).

Bangladesh_Coastal_Zone_Management_Status_and_Future_Trends

Previous Bangladesh coastal management strategies (Fao, 2006)

Off shore islands development boards (1977-1982)
Bangladesh national conversation strategy (1987)
Coastal environment management plan for Bangladesh (1987)
Coastal areas resources development plan (1988)
Special parliamentary committee on coastal area development (1998-1990)
National capacity building approach the ICZM initiative (1997)
Coastal zone policy (2005)
Tsunami vulnerability map (2005)
Coastal development strategy (2006)

The government of Bangladesh in cooperation with the Netherlands jointly has explored the possibility of drawing up a delta plan for Bangladesh which is an integrated and holistic plan, to ensure a safe living and sound economic development in Bangladesh. This will provide a complete strategy for the development of the delta project for the next 50 to 100 years. It will be a road map towards coordinated and prioritized investment in land and water management, continuously bringing in the latest knowledge, leading to the desired future in 2100. .

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figure -1 coastal zone of Bangladesh

figure -2 Proposed Island management of Bangladesh

figure -3 Delta plan 2100 for the coastal area of Bangladesh

Potentialities and challenges of Blue Economy in Bangladesh

Blue economy is a sustainable ocean-based new economy concept. It has numerous opportunities for sustainable development in socio-economic sectors in every Maritime nation. Bangladesh has gained a large marine zone with enriched natural resources in the Bay of Bengal. This study aims to identify the blue economy opportunities and challenges for blue growth in Bangladesh. Coastal and marine living and non-living resources are the main components of the blue economy. Conversely, climate change driven events, sea level rise, pollution and lack of skilled manpower are identified as challenges To achieve sustainable blue growth in Bangladesh needs strategic spatial planning, regional cooperation and technological development. Currently Bangladesh already has taken some successful initiatives.

Scope of Blue Economy(BE) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) in Bangladesh part Bay of Bengal is the backbone of Bangladesh Economy. it might create jobs for millions and bring about noticeable changes in the lives and livelihood of the millions of people living along the coastline, in islands and across Bangladesh, if the marine resources belonging with many sectors are managed and governed by principles of biodiversity protection, conservation is community-led and efforts for care are intertwined with a vision of scientific understanding(Hussain et al. 2017) The recent two verdicts of maritime boundary of Bangladesh with Myanmar and India, allowed the country to exercise sovereign right to 118,813 sq. Km of waters extending up to 12 nautical miles of territorial sea and a further Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles into the sea and Continental Shelf extending up to 354 nautical miles (nm) from the Chittagong coast. Under BE, Bangladesh can directly or indirectly be benefited from different sectors such marine fisheries and aquaculture, Marine biotechnology, Hydrocarbon and minerals exploration, shipping and port facilities, marine ecotourism, carbon sequestration and renewable energy. These are major the potentials Ocean based sectors

Table 1: Major marine resources and their potentials (precisely modified (Hussain et al., 2017))

Marine resources

Sector

Present potentials

Future potentials

Living marine resources of Bangladesh

Marine fisheries and mariculture

Seabass, crab , mullet , shrimp , hilsha and grouper etc.

Large scale production and offshore culture

Nontraditional species culture

Seaweed, oyster and mussel etc.

Alternative food

Marine biotechnology

Coral , seaweed ,marine bacteria

Chemical , medicine and others

Carbon sequestration

Mangrove , salt marsh , seagrass

Storing carbon and reduction of CO₂

Non –living marine resources of Bangladesh

Oil , gas and minerals

Exploration , extraction and mining

Use of high tech for more supply

Sea salt

Long coastline for Solar evaporated salt

Sustainable production

Marine renewable energy

Wind , tide , wave , current etc.

Supply electricity to the national grid

Marine trade

Port

Use of high tech and skilled manpower for more profit

Ship breaking

ship building and second handed materials

Use of high tech for more profit

Oceanographic research and human resources

Human development and research

Skilled nation of blue growth

Marine Ecotourism

Mangrove , beach , island and offshore

Strengthening economy

Marine spatial planning

Marine resource management

Tool and guide for marine sector development

References

Bari, Abdullahel. 2017. “Our Oceans and the Blue Economy: Opportunities and Challenges.” Procedia Engineering 194: 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.08.109.

Chowdhury, Sayedur Rahman, M. Shahadat Hossain, S.M. Sharifuzzaman, and Subrata Sarker. 2015. “Blue Carbon in the Coastal Ecosystems of Bangladesh.” Experimental Fingings 12 (December). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1001.1284.

Hossain M.S., Hossain, M.Z. and Chowdhury, S.R. 2006. “An Analysis of Economic and Environmental Issues Associated with Sea Salt Production in Bangladesh and Thailand Coast.” International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 32, 159–72.

Hossain, M Shahadat, Mostafa Hossain, and Sm Sharifuzzaman. 2015. “Background Paper for Preparation of O PPORTUNITIES AND S TRATEGIES FOR O CEAN AND R IVER Prepared by Submitted to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Bangladesh Country Office , Dhaka , Bangladesh” 6 (February): 379–85.

Hossain, Md Shahadat. 2001. “Biological Aspects of the Coastal and Marine Environment of Bangladesh.” Ocean and Coastal Management 44 (3–4): 261–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0964-5691(01)00049-7.

Hossain MS, Chowdhury SR, Sharifuzzaman SM. 2017. “Blue Economic Development in Bangladesh: A Policy Guide for Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture.” Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, 32pp.

Hussain, M. Gulam, Pierre Failler, A. Al Karim, and M. Khurshed Alam. 2018. “Major Opportunities of Blue Economy Development in Bangladesh.” Journal of the Indian Ocean Region 14 (1): 88–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/19480881.2017.1368250.

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figure 4 : links between Blue Economy and Sustainable development

Good Ocean Governance

Good governance is an important element of stable, peaceful, and sustainable development. This actually covers a wide range of things. No doubt it is mainly for the betterment of people. Similarly, ocean governance is an integrated framework of policies, actions, and affairs regarding the ocean to protect the marine environment, sustainable use of oceanic resources, and conserve the marine environment from androgenic impacts. When I attended on this digital session, I saw that we are only talking about only ICTs. I think we need to talk about environmental, climate change and lower class people in Bangladesh. We know that Bangladesh is now at great risk because of climate change and global warming. You will see if you visit coastal areas of Bangladesh and coastal vulnerable communities and people. When you observe nature. Nature is changing in rough manners day by day because of human activities. This is truly an injustice for nature and ultimately for the human. I would like to talk about climate change, its impacts, and ocean governance. Because Bangladesh has a large maritime zone which is almost the same size as the country. If we need to do for the betterment for the people and we need to consider along with governance for the people. The Bay of Bengal is a greater contributor to the Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh doesn’t have a maritime framework and policy regarding how to utilize marine natural resources such as oil, gas, some renewable energies like tidal energy, wave energy, and how to conserve the available resources. The most promising we get from the Bay of Bengal are fisheries, medicinal organisms, minerals, marine trade, and shipbreaking, tourism, carbon sequestration, etc. For example, marine fisheries (20% of the total fish production of Bangladesh) resources which provide about 60% animal protein of the Bangladeshi people. Having the same size as maritime areas is not becoming useful and sustainable. Some development initiatives have recently been taken and some are in the process of being initiated in different sectors. I think Bangladesh needs an integrated holistic coastal and ocean governance framework for the maritime resources exploration, exploitation, utilization, and management in sustainable ways. This structure can be further prolonged to include cross border and, regional collaborations especially in the environment, river and island management, conservation, and scientific research.

Good Ocean Governance

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