Sustainable development requires integration of agriculture, biodiversity, food security: Rizwana

Sustainable development is not possible without harmonising agriculture, biodiversity, and food security, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, said today (5 May).

"Destroying the environment in the name of development is not acceptable," she said. "We must bring environmental concerns into the mainstream."

She made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the second session of the "Conference on Agricultural Production and Biodiversity" held at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital.

"To ensure food security, we must conserve the environment and protect the rights of farmers," the adviser said. "The notion that development inevitably harms the environment needs to change."

She added that when effective action is taken against industrial pollution, concerns are raised over the potential loss of jobs for thousands of workers, while the livelihoods and safe drinking water of millions dependent on rivers are often ignored.

She expressed alarm over the illegal extraction of topsoil from agricultural land for brick kilns, calling it "a form of plunder".

She noted that the government is working to pass the Agricultural Land Protection Act, stressing that without such a law, agricultural land in Bangladesh may cease to exist.

Highlighting the importance of organic farming, Rizwana Hasan said excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is degrading the soil. "We must immediately invest in the production and distribution of organic fertilizers. Despite pressure from multinational corporations, we need to develop our own agricultural model."

The adviser urged both the state and individuals to rethink consumption habits, saying, "We complain about power shortages, yet we waste electricity with unnecessary air conditioning and lighting. Consumption patterns and environmental considerations must go hand in hand."

She also shared that the government has initiated a restoration project in the Madhupur Sal Forest. Eucalyptus trees are being removed and replaced with native sal trees and other endangered species, she said.