Haor ecosystem rarest in world, must be protected: environment adviser

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the Haor ecosystem is one of the rarest in the world and must be protected.

She emphasised that harmful activities such as soil extraction from agricultural lands within the Haor boundaries must be stopped by clearly defining its limits.

She made these remarks as the chief guest at a seminar titled "Haor: Challenges and Potentials", organised by the Netrokona Journalists Forum-Dhaka at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, according to a press release issued by the forum.

Rizwana Hasan noted that the government is formulating a comprehensive master plan to protect the Haor region.

As part of this plan, four major initiatives are being undertaken: construction of embankments, afforestation, protection of tourism, and formulation of policies.

She further explained that the Haor area consists of ponds, canals, and rivers, while the rest are mainly paddy fields, which are privately owned.

This complexity of ownership makes Haor management particularly challenging.

"To prepare this master plan, we have organised a nationwide workshop and incorporated the feedback we received. The final version of the plan will be made available on the website," the adviser added.

The seminar was presided over by the Netrokona Journalists forum's president Rafique Muhammad and moderated by its general secretary Shawkat Ali Khan Litho.