Bangladesh and India have decided that their next joint and bilateral meeting on conserving the biodiversity of the Sundarbans and the Royal Bengal tiger will be held in Bangladesh. The next meeting on transboundary Asian elephant conservation will take place in India.

The decision came at a courtesy meeting between Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi at the Secretariat on 7 September. State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam and the ministry's acting secretary, Dr Fahmida Khanam, were present.

Both sides agreed that the next meeting of the joint working group under the two countries' existing memorandum of understanding on Sundarbans biodiversity would be held in Bangladesh. They also discussed tackling environmental problems and climate change, transboundary environmental issues, carbon credits, cutting carbon emissions and developing a green economy.

The environment minister said that as close neighbours, Bangladesh and India have closely linked environmental and ecological interests. Challenges such as climate change, floods, drought, river and water management, air pollution and biodiversity loss are not confined to any one country.

He said mutual trust, exchange of information and experience, and effective regional cooperation need to be strengthened to deal with them. Bangladesh wants to advance a positive and constructive relationship with India based on mutual respect and shared interests, he said, expressing hope that cooperation on environment and climate would deepen for the welfare of both peoples and a sustainable future.

State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam stressed expanding joint efforts to conserve the two countries' shared ecological zones and biodiversity, including the Sundarbans. He said the Sundarbans is a shared natural resource and acts as an important protective shield against climate change and natural disasters.

The meeting also discussed transboundary air and river pollution. Representatives of both countries emphasised the exchange of scientific information, regular contact between the agencies concerned and effective coordination to address these problems.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.