DURING his tenure as Secretary. Ministry of Environment and Forest.

Syed Marghub Murshed has communicated to the nation In the most eloquent manner the need to conserve our nature and bring about an end to widespread environmental degradation. On the eve of taking up his new assignment as Secretary. Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. Murshed talked at length on various issues related to environment in a candid conversation.

Q: Your association with the environment ministry began back lit 1993 when It was Just a fledgling. Then, in 1998, you went back to the ministry for a second stint. Now. 23 months later, as you are moving on to your next assignment, what Is your evaluation of the ministry's progress?

A: Environment Is an emerging science. Everybody has a stake in it. Environmental issues are crosscutting and do have national, regional and global dimensions. One has to keep him/herself updated with latest developments, information and knowledge. In a sense it is really a very technical and development ministry. Given its small manpower, the ministry has to rely on the technical know-how of different institutions of repute. Because no single ministry or agency can solve complex environmental problems alone, we have tried to bring together the civil society bodies and various stakeholders groups as allies in a progressive cleanup effort.

We have not only helped bring to the forefront the green and brown issues at the highest decision-making level but also institutionalised public participation in environmental decision-taking process. The results of our efforts have been wide-ranging. not only in terms of public participation, increased awareness and Save the Buriganga Campaign, and Clean Dhaka's Air. but also in helping to bring about long-term improvement of our ecologically critical areas.

It has clearly been demonstrated that ordinary people -men. women and young people alike - have it in them to contribute substantially to a better quality of life for themselves and their communities.

Q: How Jar have you been suc( essjul m your clean-up mission^

A: I never gave up in the conservation cause I have tried my best. We have stewarded the country's globally acclaimed National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) at it's people's consultative unique formulation phase. We also piloted the execution of it's follow-up Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP).

We have got the Sunderbans declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We processed the proposal to declare the Tanguar Hoar a Ramsar site (to the Ramsar Secretariat). Our civil society bodies have been successful in getting declared six areas of the country Ecologically Sensitive Areas - St Martin s Island, the beach between Teknaf and Himachari in Cox's Bazar, the Kaptai Lake, the Madhabkundu Waterfall, the Kuakata beach and the outer perimeter of the Sunderbans.

Some of our friends in ADAB. CEN. FEJB. BELA and IUCN give us credit to prevent oil and gas prospecting in the Sunderbans (Blocks 5 and 7) by foreign oil companies. But people like Khushi Kabir. Dr Kazi Faruq Ahmed. Dr Atiq A Rahman and Rizwana Hasan have done the major groundwork.

Q: During your second tenure as the environment secretary you have been moving very fast to amend some of our old laws, rules and regulations to Improve the legal instruments. But what is the state of enforcement?

A: We have got the Amendments to Forest Act of 1927 and the Environment Act of 1995 passed in April this year. We piloted from this ministry the law to set up Environment Courts passed (April 2000). We placed the proposal for amending the ordinance to control Brick Manufacturing industries before the Cabinet (obtained approval In principle). We put forward the Idea to introduce licence procedure for sawmills all over Bangladesh. We put all our efforts to improve enforcement to avert environmental degradation.

Q: Do you think you were successful in cleaning up the Forest Department?

A: We not only tried to clean up the Forest Department but were also successful in increasing the manpower of the Forest Department (from 6780 to 8603) for the first time after 1982. We also have increased the manpower ol the Department of Environment from 193 to 250 for the first time after the creation of the department. We set up offices of the Department of Environment in two new divisional Headquarters (Barisal and Syl-het). We began fresh recruitment at the Class I (ACF) and Class HI (Forester) levels in the

Forest Department after a period of 16 years (after 1984). We upgraded the post of Forest Ranger to (Class II) gazette status.

We have finalised the National Conservation Strategy document We gave go-ahead signal to the UNDP-funded project to control use of CFCs in Aerosol products and saved Bangladesh delegation led by Environment Minister Syeda Sajcda Chowdhury from embarrassment. In no time we launched project to conserve the ecologically critical areas of Bangladesh funded by the Global Environment Facility. We Initiated the Marine Park Project In St Martin's Island. The Bay Park projects at Kuakata and Cox's Bazar has also started.

The Madhab Kundu. the Madhutilia. the Ghozni and Mlthapakur Eco Park projects, the Hakluki and Marjat Boar Bird Sanctuary projects, the Kaptai National Park and the Maffiupur National Park pro-

jects have also entered into implementation phase.

We have been successful in launching the Sitakindu and Barabkundu Botameal Garden project and extended the Cox s Bazar Cassuarina (JHOW) Plantation project. We launched the Ramgar Bald Hill afforestation project and the Maheshkhali Bald Hill Afforestation Project.

We helped expansion of the Forest Resources Management project to the Hill Districts assisted by The World Bank. The Hill District Forest Rehabilitation project saw the daylight.

Q: What is the position of the Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP)?

A: Our Ministry has not only launched the Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP). the biggest ( NDP activity in Bangladesh with 21 different government and civil society and professional bodies as it's co-execut-ing agencies but also guided all these institutions in shaping their environmental policies.

It is now entering in (he middle year of the five-year programme-period.

We have also kicked off the Bangladesh Environment Management (BEMP) project funded by CIDA to strengthen Department of Environment. The Sunderbans Bio-diversity Conservation Project was launched with ADB assistance. We revived the Coastal Green Belt and Social Forestry Sector Projects assisted by ADB. We also initiated the Waste to Energy (through Plasma Technology) project to convert municipal solid waste Into power.

Q: But your ministry could not curb air pollution nor could it arrest depletion of our forest cover.

A: We have also initiated (he programme to convert autorickshaws to use C N G (Compressed Natural Gas) use. the AQMP (Air Quality Management Project) with the World Bank Is entering Implementation phase.

We have decided to go ahead with the phase out of polythene Programme of the Dept of Environment and obtained the ban on black and coloured polythene production approved by the Prime Minister

Initiatives have been taken by Environment Ministry to phase out of two-stroke engines and get the ban on the import of

these engines approved as well as get t^e ban on the hnP°r’ of leaded petrol and high sulphur diesel approved.

We proposed the ban on the import of low-grade (high sulphur) coal (the proposal is under consideration) Also proposed tile compulsory use of Catalytic Converters in petrol driven vehicles and particulate betters in diesel driven vehicles (the proposal is under consideration). We proposed the sale of lubricants in sealed containers at all petrol pumps and proposed Zero Tariffs for the import of CNG-driven vehicles (the proposal has been accepted in part.)

We prepared project document for the cane and reed land as well as the project to re-exca-vate the waterway separating the Sunderbans from human settlements in the Khulna and Bagerhat districts (the project may be approved soon). We also prepared a proposal to set up a separate Wildlife Circle In the Forest Department (this is also

likely to be approved soon).

We have been successful in getting the ban on felling of trees in natural forests extended for five years (2000 to 2005) by the Cabinet and got the ban on export of snake and lizard skins extended.

We negotiated with the US State Department about an agreement for support to afforestation in Bangladesh under the Tropical Forest's Conservation Act passed by the US Congress in 1998. An agreement between Bangladesh and the US may be signed this month. Bangladesh will be the first country’ in Asia to sign an agreement of this kind with the US.

In my last week at the Ministry’ of Environment and Forest I have tried to arrange payment of arrears to workers in the rubber estates of the BFIDC (they had not been receiving salaries regularly for several year). This project to set up a Sports Goods Complex under BFIDC also received approval and work to set up such a complex will begin in the beginning of the 2000-2001 financial year.

Q: We have heard a lot of talks about the Save the Buriganga Campaign. But. we are yet to see any bold step to bring back the Buriganga. The rate of encroachment Is climbing up along the riverbanks.

A: Yes. we are yet to save the Buriganga. But we have been committed to save the river from dying. We cannot save Dhaka if we cannot get back this lifeline river. A proposal to clear the Buriganga was also submitted to CIDA last week The circular waterway project connecting the Buriganga. the Sitalakhya. the Turag and the Balu to ease surface traffic congestion in the city of Dhaka has also been conceived.

Q: Do you think these steps are enough?

A: Definitely not. We have to take some more steps and programmes to curb air pollution But at least we tried to do sensitise the people about these problems. We have tried in putting forward measures designed to integrate environmental policies and rules within economic, planning, budgetary and development strategies. People need some of these steps turned into action to make a difference, bring a change and propel the nation to the highway of sustainable development