Rizwana calls for global partnerships to protect oceans
She criticised the Hong Kong Convention as "grossly deficient," saying its failure to regulate toxic dismantling practices has left Bangladesh’s coastal environment at risk
Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources Syeda Rizwana Hasan urged stronger global partnerships and cross-sector collaboration to safeguard marine resources, warning that unchecked threats such as plastic pollution and hazardous shipbreaking pose grave risks to coastal nations like Bangladesh.
She was speaking virtually today (3 September) at the Ocean Decade Fifth Foundations Dialogue – High-Level Roundtable with Ambassadors, Experts, and Practitioners on "Driving Ocean Leadership and Innovation: Advancing Governance, Blue Economy, and Marine Science to Achieve 30x30," held at the International Conference Hall, Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building, Tokyo, Japan.
Rizwana said achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 on oceans will require collective international action, according to a press release.
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"The threat of sea-level rise is real. If not addressed, one-third of Bangladesh could go underwater, displacing millions in an already overpopulated nation.
"The same danger confronts 52 small island states worldwide. Global solidarity is imperative," she cautioned.
Bangladesh, she noted, ranks ninth globally in plastic pollution due largely to transboundary inflows from upstream countries and inadequate waste management.
Rizwana called for special provisions in the ongoing global plastic treaty talks to address the vulnerabilities of geographically exposed countries.
'Grossly deficient'
Regrading shipbreaking, she criticised the Hong Kong Convention as "grossly deficient," saying its failure to regulate toxic dismantling practices has left Bangladesh's coastal environment at risk.
Highlighting the Bay of Bengal's role in the economy and regional cooperation, Rizwana detailed government-led initiatives, including a national database of marine biodiversity and monitoring protocols developed with leading universities, the release added.
Research on the impacts of sea-level rise, she noted, underscores the urgency of protecting coastal communities.
Bangladesh's natural assets, ranging from Cox's Bazar, the world's longest unbroken sea beach, to its coral islands that shelter endangered Olive Ridley turtles, demand greater international cooperation in marine protection, she said.
Rizwana also pointed to the untapped potential of Bangladesh's seafood industry, inviting sustainable investment in processing facilities.
Other speakers at the roundtable included Dr Atsushi Sunami, president of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation; Kristin Iglum, ambassador of Norway to Japan; Prof Yutaka Michida, chair of UNESCO-IOC; Dr Saif AlGhais, chair of IOCINDIO Sub-Commission; and Ilana V Seid, permanent representative of Palau to the UN and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
