Bangladesh called for effective measures to ensure easier access to financing, technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries to protect biodiversity.
Dr. Fahmida Khanam, head of the Bangladesh delegation and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, made the call at the high-level segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Yerevan, Armenia, according to a press release.
In a statement delivered at the Yerevan Plenary Hall on Monday evening local time, she said Bangladesh is home to nearly 14,000 species across its terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems.
However, climate change, habitat loss and growing pressure on natural resources pose serious threats to the country’s biodiversity, she said.
She also highlighted the loss of biodiversity in coastal areas and the degradation of mangroves and wetlands, warning that these trends are increasing social and environmental risks.
Dr. Fahmida Khanam said the government has prioritised the participation of all sections of society in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
In line with the framework, Bangladesh has set 23 national targets encompassing 107 activities, she said.
The activities include integrating biodiversity into planning, restoring ecosystems, expanding protected areas and identifying invasive alien species.
