The Government of Bangladesh has been exploring diverse digital technologies to accelerate wildlife conservation. Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury conveyed the matter at a function organized on the occasion of World Wildlife Day-2024 under the slogan of connecting people and land, digital innovation in wildlife conservation at the Forest Department on Wednesday, March 6.
He said, the government has taken initiatives to use digital technology and services to ensure sustainable wildlife conservation and legal wildlife trade and coexistence of humans and wildlife. Diverse digital technologies are being explored to accelerate wildlife conservation. Civil society, technologists and conservationists need to pledge to the sustainable adaptation of nature and the application of digital innovation in wildlife conservation.
The environment minister said that the tiger survey of Sundarbans through camera trapping, the research program on tiger prey is ongoing. At present, crime monitoring and management activities in Sundarbans are being conducted through drone technology and smart patrolling. Wildlife conservation and prevention of illegal trade in wildlife through advanced tracking systems, real time data analytics, radio collaring etc. are continuing.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, creation of DNA barcode database through species identification and genetic sequencing from trophy or wildlife samples at Wildlife Forensic Lab under Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit of Forest Department is a milestone in wildlife conservation activities. For the 1st time in Bangladesh, in 2022, the activity of determining the distribution and movement of elephants in the Cox’s Bazar forest area has been undertaken through the radio collaring of elephants.
The minister said that a wildlife crime reporting tool has been developed for the coordinated use of law enforcement agencies including the Forest Department to speed up wildlife crime control activities. Through which the picture of wildlife crime across the country will be easily available. We need to pledge and work together to protect our country’s wildlife.
Chief Forest Conservator Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury presided over the event while the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary Iqbal Abdullah Haroon, Chief Executive of Wild Team Dr. Mohammad Anwarul Islam, Chairman of Nature and Life Foundation Mukit Majumder Babu and others were also present in the program.
Total views: 77
