The floodplains of Bangladesh represent one of the world's most important wetlands. It is home to hundreds of species of fish, plants, and wildlife and is a critical habitat for thousands of migrating birds.


However, in Bangladesh…

• Aquatic and floodplain ecosystems continue to be severely degraded. The wetland ecosystems have lost connections with larger water bodies (rivers and canals) due to siltation and land filling or draining for agriculture and homestead use.



• More than 50% of seasonal and perennial wetlands have been affected by growing unplanned urban and agricultural land use.



• True forest habitat is less than 6% of total land area and is declining rapidly.



• Massive deforestation has resulted in loss of biodiversity and productivity of tropical forest resources.



• Bangladesh's expanding population destroys critical habitats, causing a decrease in biodiversity. Most of Bangladesh's tropical forests and almost all of the freshwater floodplains have been negatively affected by human activities.



• Ineffective Conservation Policies Lead to Biodiversity Loss



• Many communities are unfamiliar with environmental issues. Few currently participate in decisions regarding local natural resources. In addition, there is little data on Bangladesh's ecosystems. Inadequate data and limited local participation leads to poor environmental policies. There are also few people trained in natural resource management. Without sufficient environmental protection, biodiversity in Bangladesh continues to decrease.



• Damage to natural resources hurts not only the environment but also the income of the poor. For example, the number of fish species and the average fish catch has decreased drastically. This reduces the income of the very poor who depend on fish for protein and their livelihood. In the forests, loss of biodiversity and products means less food, fodder, medicine and shelter for the poor.