Dhaka : Friendship and Conservation International jointly organised a two-day technical workshop, starting today, 2 August, with an inauguration ceremony. Titled “Prioritising Nature-based Interventions for Resilient Coastal Bangladesh”, the national consultation was held at the Westin Hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The initiative aims to identify where restoring and protecting mangroves in Bangladesh can have the greatest impact, contributing to the development of a coordinated national coastal resilience blueprint.
The event was attended by Mr Shaikh Faridul Islam, MP, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as the Chief Guest.

The Special Guests included former Secretary Dr Md Faridul Islam and Mr A.K.M. Sohel, Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

Other distinguished guests included Mr Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests, and Professor Dr Md Abdul Wahab of the Department of Aquaculture and Marine Fisheries at Bangladesh Agricultural University.
The inauguration ceremony began with welcome remarks by Runa Khan, Founder, Friendship. Saurav Malhotra, Managing Director South Asia at Conservation International, also addressed the event.

Shaikh Faridul Islam, MP, State Minister who was the Chief Guest said, “I really appreciate the initiative taken by Conservation International, as well as Friendship. They are doing a great job for the community for Bangladesh, as well as more than 100 countries, as mentioned by Mr. Saurav. The coastal people have a very a different lifestyle. They are fighting with nature for their bread and butter.”

“So I found that everybody is interested,” he continued, “but we must coordinate in how to fix it. That is the most important part of this. A lot of NGOs are working or INGOs are working in that area, but if you are working collectively, only then it will be very effective for the community.”

Runa Khan, Founder of Friendship said, “The finance ministry, the planning ministry, the disaster ministry, the fishing ministry, fisheries, the agro, local government, everybody together, all the key agencies, all aligning together in a policy, planning, finance, implementation and monitoring framework under one shared framework. And yes, it must have a clear lead institution, clear responsibility to who is going to do what amongst the institutions.

Organisations like us, the private sector, civil society, the UN, international partners are only there to help and strengthen what the government decisions are. And here we call for a move beyond fragmented projects towards a coordinated landscape action with courage, with hope, and with a dream for Bangladesh. And we will have resultant action by the people, for the people, environment, for the environment, for the biodiversity, or life of our country protected by a coastal belt which saves our lives.

It is with deep hope we have this workshop today. This workshop should help all of us to agree to prioritize coastal landscapes for mangrove restoration and protection.”

Saurav Malhotra, Managing Director South Asia, Conservation International, said, "Bangladesh has made significant investments in helping coastal communities adapt to climate change. Restoring and protecting mangrove forests is an important part of that effort, helping reduce climate risks while supporting wildlife and communities’ livelihoods.
Through our collaboration with Friendship and the Government of Bangladesh, Conservation International is committed to helping identify practical, science-based solutions that can be scaled to deliver lasting benefits.”

The ongoing workshop aims to identify coastal areas in Bangladesh where mangrove restoration could deliver the greatest impact for people and nature. Participants and technical experts at the event are reviewing maps and technical data to identify priority locations that would have the greatest benefits for biodiversity, climate, ecosystem-based livelihoods, while assessing community readiness, institutional coordination and data availability. Workshop participants are also exploring global best practices in coastal green-grey solutions and the role of mangroves as high-value blue carbon ecosystems. These discussions are expected to contribute towards coordination for coastal resilience, including priorities for restoration, governance, monitoring, policy support and sustainable financing.