Biodiversity loss: When was the last time you saw a butterfly?
Butterflies and moths are vital indicators of environmental health. But 62% of the butterflies in Bangladesh are now threatened, with less than 2% of their habitats officially protected
A few weeks ago, I stood on a quiet hillside in northern Bangladesh. Wildflowers bloomed freely, and butterflies danced around them — flashes of orange, yellow, and blue weaving through the warm afternoon breeze. The moment felt magical.
But when I returned to Dhaka, I paused. The city's concrete walls, roaring traffic, and smog-filled air surrounded me. And then it struck me — when was the last time I saw a butterfly here?
It's not just me. I asked others the same question, and they feel the same way.
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Navid Anjum Hasan of Research Initiatives Bangladesh recalled, "I saw yellow-orange butterflies near a mustard field in Bogura about two to three months ago. In Dhaka, I honestly can't recall the last time I saw one. It's not just sad — it's a serious environmental signal."
SM Shaikat, Executive Director of SERAC Bangladesh, noted, "I've seen butterflies in Gazipur and Rangpur, but not in Dhaka. I think pollution and rising temperatures are the reasons."
A silent environmental crisis
Besides humans, the Earth is home to a wide variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms. Each differs from the others in appearance, structure, and function, creating an ecosystem that we call 'biodiversity'.
However, biodiversity is not just about the number of different species, but also about how they are connected to each other and help maintain the balance of nature. It is what sustains the natural world.
Butterflies and moths are more than just creatures — they are vital indicators of environmental health.
Bangladesh is home to more than 400 species of butterflies, yet research shows that 62% are now threatened, with less than 2% of their habitats officially protected. Their disappearance weakens ecological resilience, reduces pollination, and threatens food security.
When species like butterflies vanish, it signals the weakening of this natural infrastructure, threatening both environmental balance and human survival.
The main drivers of butterfly decline are habitat loss, chemical pollution, and climate change. Agriculture, particularly monocultures and heavy chemical use, is a leading culprit behind both habitat destruction and chemical contamination.
The link between climate change and biodiversity loss
Bangladesh, often called a land of rivers and greenery, is now facing a silent crisis — the collapse of biodiversity. While public debate on climate change often focuses on floods, cyclones, and rising sea levels, the unraveling of ecosystems receives far less attention.
Forests are shrinking, wetlands are drying, and rivers are losing their flow. Species that once thrived in villages and towns are disappearing. The IPCC warns that climate change is actively reshaping weather patterns and driving biodiversity loss. Rising temperatures, salinity intrusion, and extreme weather events are destroying habitats, disrupting plant cycles, and destabilising the delicate balance of ecosystems.
The consequences are already clear. Farmers in northern Bangladesh face reduced crop yields as poor pollination and soil degradation take their toll. Fish stocks along the Padma and Meghna rivers are dwindling, threatening both nutrition and income. Coastal communities struggle with rising salinity, which damages mangroves and farmland and forces migration. Women, children, and marginalised groups bear the brunt of these impacts.
By conserving habitats, reducing chemical use, and addressing climate change, we can preserve not only butterflies but also the web of life that sustains us. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc on natural habitats.
Protecting biodiversity requires urgent action. Communities, policymakers, and individuals must work together to strengthen research and conservation capacity, integrate local knowledge into biodiversity management, protect natural habitats and restore degraded ecosystems, and reduce pesticide and chemical use in agriculture.
By acting now, we can safeguard ecological services — pollination, clean water, food security, and climate stability — that sustain human life.
The decline of butterflies is not just an aesthetic loss — it is a warning that our planet is undergoing profound changes. So, pause and ask yourself: when was the last time you saw a butterfly?
Irin Akter Shuchana is a Youth Fellow at International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
