The UN and other development partners must prioritize conservation of the environment that sustained heavy damage following the latest Rohingya influx, Bangladesh’s forest minister said on Monday.
Anisul Islam Mahmud told a high-level discussion in Dhaka that although Bangladesh showed its hospitality by sheltering the Rohingyas, the influx has had a significant environmental impact on Cox’s Bazar.
“The government has already extended its support and additional investment to restore the environment,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at the launch of a UNDP report on the Environmental Impact of the Rohingya Influx.
The report highlights the critical impacts of the influx of more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees on the environment of Cox’s Bazar and recommends measures for mitigation, restoration and conservation.
Currently, the crisis affected population is almost 1.5 million, putting massive pressure on the already dilapidated environment of the district.
"A total of 4,300 acres of hills and forests have been cut down for temporary shelters, facilities and firewood in Ukhiya and Teknaf, threatening the biodiversity,” the report said.
“Some of the key impacts will likely become irreversible if measures are not taken immediately.”
From 1,502 hectares of forest area, about 793 hectares have been encroached. Around 3,000 to 4,000 acres (1,200–1,600 hectares) of hilly land in the Teknaf-Ukhiya-Himchari watershed have been cleared of vegetation.
The report identifies the collection of nearly 6,800 tons of fuel wood each month by the Rohingyas and use of 60 culms of bamboo on average to construct each Rohingya temporary shelter as the key causes for the encroachment.
Also, indiscriminate hill cutting for building Rohingya shelters is causing the hilly terrain to lose its natural setting, causing a potential risk of landslides.
The report also identified thousands of shallow tube wells as threats to the aquifers. In addition, air pollution has risen due to increased vehicular movement and smoke from firewood while polythene bags and plastic bottles are all piling up in various parts of the area due to the lack of a recycling system.
The study also addressed related gender-based issues and health risks due to the Rohingya influx.
Sudipto Mukerjee, Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh, said the emergency is putting immense pressure on scarce natural resources, resulting in degraded natural forests, barren hills and an emerging water crisis.
“This situation demands immediate investments in restoring the environment and ecosystem as part of the Government of Bangladesh’s response in Cox’s Bazar,” he said.
“Sensing the urgency for measures to prevent further degradation and to support early restoration, we, at UNDP, undertook this report with the aim that it would help development actors to program early and sustained response and funding.
"The UN system has stepped up with solutions like alternative fuel, solid waste management, and replantation, but the current investment is not adequate.”
The report recommends sustainable solutions and long-term effort for restoration and conservation.
