Press Release: Dhaka, 06 June 2021: The Environmental Club (EnCBUP) conducted by the Department of Environmental Science under Faculty of Science and Technology of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) arranged a webinar titled ‘Ecosystem Restoration as Environmental Conservation Strategy: Bangladesh Perspective’ on 06 June 2021.

Honorable Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar M.P. joined the webinar as the chief guest while BUP VC Major General Md Moshfequr Rahman, SGP, SUP, ndc, psc joined as the special guest. BUP Pro-VC Professor M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Ph.D joined the webinar as the guest of honor and Professor Dr. Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus, BRACUniversity presented the keynote paper. Moreover, Mr. Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, Forest and nature expert; Former Country Representative, IUCN Bangladesh; Ex – CCF, Bangladesh Forest Department, Mr. Muqeed Majumdar Babu, Chairman, Prokriti O Jibon Foundation and Malik Fida A Khan, Executive Director (in Charge, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, CEGIS) and Member National River Conservation Commission also spoke on the webinar. Brigadier General  Golam Faruque, psc, Dean, FST delivered the closing speech and thanks all the participants .

The speakers said in the webinar that from forests to wetlands to coasts, we all depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival. In spite of the inevitable necessity of ecosystem services over 4.7 million hectares of forests are lost every year. Over half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last century. Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks, like forests and peatlands. Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown for three consecutive years and the planet is one pace for potentially catastrophic climate change. The emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. By shrinking the area of natural habitat for animals, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens to spread. Considering all the losses occurred in last few decades, ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking at massive scale. It means bringing back plants and animals from the edge of extinction. This initiative emphasis on repairing billons of hectares of land so that people have access to healthy food, clean water and jobs.

Among others, BUP high officials, faculty members and students also attended the webinar.