Once lively inhabitants of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf coastline in southeast Bangladesh, the red ghost crabs (Ocypode macrocera) are now becoming increasingly rare, according to local media reports. Known for their agility and burrowing abilities, these elusive crabs play a critical role in the beach ecosystem by controlling organic debris and
Author: Mahadi Al Hasnat
Rise in conflicts between humans and fishing cats in Bangladesh
A toxic tide threatens Bangladesh’s water lifeline beneath the surface
Imagine a mother in a rural village drawing water from a well with her pitcher. This seemingly ordinary water holds her family’s future — for drinking, cooking and bathing. But beneath the surface lurks a hidden threat: contamination by arsenic, salinity and heavy metals, silently poisoning the lifeline for millions
Mothers seek safety in bigger families as climate disasters claim children
Jhinuk recalls screaming as water rushed into her hut in northeastern Bangladesh last August. “Four children clung, two stumbling toddlers. Fear choked me, air like ice, but I held them high, defying the hungry tide,” she says. But it wasn’t to last: “One tiny hand slipped from my grasp.” In another
Bangladesh wildlife trade booms during monsoon
Ramsar status is no guarantee of protection for key Bangladesh wetlands
As Bangladesh authorities prepare to declare the country’s largest freshwater wetland a Ramsar site, its two other designated wetlands of international importance, including the Sundarbans, continue to come under increasing threat. The Ramsar Convention calls for the protection and sustainable use of wetlands, and designates internationally important ones as Ramsar sites.
How much of Bangladesh’s protected forests are really protected?
On July 20 last year, representatives from 11 NGOs held a joint protest against a government decision to establish a FIFA-funded training facility inside a reserved forest. The previous month, the government had de-reserved an 8-hectare (20-acre) plot of land inside the Khuniya Palong reserved forest in the district of Cox’s
Forest management tool to help rein in rampant wildlife trade in Bangladesh
For years, authorities in Bangladesh have struggled to rein in the rampant illegal wildlife trade, as the country serves both as a source and transit point for domestic and international trade in a significant number of globally endangered species and their body parts. Trafficking routes often extend to China, India
Water-stressed Bangladesh looks to recharge its fast-depleting aquifers
Bangladesh is looking to recharge its aquifers with storm water, reclaimed water, desalinated water and potable water, in an effort to ward off the depletion of this precious resource.The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has finalized a draft national strategy for what it calls managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and submitted
