Remarks by U.S. Ambassador James F. Moriarty at the Inauguration of a New Forest Protected Area

Honorable State Minister, Dr. Hasan Mahmud of the Ministry of Environment and Forests; Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. Mohammed Abdul Motaleb; Mr. Faiz Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Assalam-u-alaikum, namasker and good morning!

I am happy to be here today to inaugurate the Bangladesh Government’s newest protected forest area.  I am pleased that the U.S. Government-funded Integrated Protected Area Conservation (IPAC) project assisted the Ministry of Environment and Forests with this important expansion. This new area, named the Khurushia-Dhopachari Protected Area, adds some 4,700 hectares of tropical forest to Bangladesh’s protected area network. With the inclusion of this new area, the total forest area under protection stands close to 250,000 hectares.

I appreciate the government’s effort to extend the protected areas. Bangladesh has already lost more than 90% of its forest cover.  Bangladesh needs to aggressively expand the protected area network;   millions of people are directly dependent on its forests and wetlands.  For the good of these people, Bangladesh must expand protected areas to conserve natural resources, while at the same time ensuring people who live in and around these areas can make a living.

My colleague Denise Rollins has already told you about our work in Bangladesh. As part of a series of initiatives to improve and preserve the environment, the U.S. Government, through USAID and in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, is working to help restore thousands of hectares of forests and wetlands in Bangladesh. We work in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, local government, and local communities living in and around fifty wetlands and forest protected areas.

The U.S. Government helps train local communities and local governments to better manage natural resources, restore degraded areas, raise public awareness, and increase earnings. Our efforts directly benefit more than 2.5 million people living in and around the protected areas.

Bangladesh may be crowded, but it has sufficient land and water resources to support its people. Bangladesh is not alone among the nations of the world in facing the ultimate environmental challenge: how to sustain continued economic growth to support an expanding population, while preserving rich but finite environmental resources for our children’s grandchildren. All countries must strike a sustainable balance between economic growth and environmental protection. We are not protecting the environment simply for the sake of the fish and the birds and the trees. We are protecting it for our own sake because it is where we live and because it enriches us.

Damaging the environment is like deficit spending. It is a way of loading the cost of our generation’s prosperity onto the backs of our children. Protecting forests and wetlands is never easy. However, it is time we look at this issue not simply for today, but to make our tomorrows more rewarding and more fulfilling for the next generations.

I would like to close by again commending the IPAC project and the Ministry of Environment and Forest for including this new area under protection.   I also want to recognize my good friend State Minister for Environment, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, for his leadership on environmental issues in Bangladesh and in international fora. Bangladesh is truly fortunate to have such a dynamic and respected Environment Minister at this crucial time.   We look forward to continuing our productive working relationship with the Government of Bangladesh, through IPAC to support conservation of wetlands and forests. 

Thank you.