Urgent master plan needed to protect Saint Martin, speakers say
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in collaboration with the Department of Environment (DoE) and with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organised a consultation workshop on the Saint Martin's Island Master Plan: Integrating Grassroots Evidence with National Strategy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The workshop aimed to review and strengthen the draft master plan by integrating evidence from local communities with national policy priorities. The consultation sought to ensure that future interventions for Saint Martin's Island are practical, inclusive and grounded in the lived realities of the island's residents, while safeguarding its ecologically significant environment.
Senior government officials, local authorities, development partners, researchers, private sector representatives, civil society organisations and community leaders participated in the discussions. The workshop provided a structured platform to identify gaps, validate proposed actions and align conservation objectives with sustainable livelihood opportunities.
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Declared an ecologically critical area (ECA) in 1999, Saint Martin's Island continues to face growing pressure from unregulated tourism, biodiversity loss, unsustainable resource use and climate-induced risks. Against this backdrop, the master plan is being developed as a long-term strategic framework to balance environmental protection with socio-economic resilience.
Speaking as the chief guest, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, underscored the urgency of coordinated action to protect the island's fragile ecosystem. She said, "Protecting Saint Martin's Island requires urgent, coordinated action grounded in evidence-based planning. Meaningful engagement with local communities and strong cross-sector coordination will be critical to ensuring the master plan delivers lasting environmental protection and sustainable development."
Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said Saint Martin's Island is a unique asset not only for Bangladesh but for the planet, and called on all stakeholders to actively engage in the implementation of the master plan to secure a sustainable future for the island.
Sonali Dayaratne, deputy resident representative of UNDP, said the master plan presents an opportunity to protect biodiversity while strengthening community livelihoods, stressing that collective action by government agencies, the private sector, civil society and development partners will be essential to translating the plan into action.
Among others, Dr Md Kamruzzaman, director general of the Department of Environment, and AKM Azad Rahman, also spoke at the workshop.
The event featured thematic breakout sessions on ecology and conservation, infrastructure and waste management, tourism and governance, and livelihoods and social development. Participants shared challenges, identified priority actions and proposed recommendations to improve the draft master plan.
The consultation marked a key step towards finalising a comprehensive and implementable Saint Martin's Island master plan. The final plan is expected to be completed in early 2026 and will guide long-term efforts to protect the island's ecological integrity while supporting sustainable local development.
