The government has launched the Second National Forest Inventory (NFI) of Bangladesh with the aim of developing effective forest management plans and ensuring the sustainable use of the country’s forest resources.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury announced the NFI commencement at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday.

The comprehensive data collected will facilitate tracking changes in forest cover, biodiversity, policy decision-making, international reporting, and national strategy development.

In his speech as the chief guest, Saber emphasised the NFI's significance in establishing Bangladesh's National Forest Monitoring System and its role as the primary data source for forest biomass and carbon inventory.

Additionally, the NFI will encompass non-timber forest products, soil analysis, and cultural aspects, going beyond wood volume assessment, he said.

“This database will be an asset to materialise our target under the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] and international declarations as well as better management of our resources.”

Highlighting Bangladesh's previous completion of a comprehensive NFI from 2016 to 2019, the minister underscored the second cycle's objective of analysing trends and identifying areas requiring interventions.

Farhina Ahmed, secretary, and Iqbal Abdullah Harun, additional secretary (admin wing), of the environment, forest and climate change ministry, and Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh, were the special guests at the event.

The function was presided over by Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, chief conservator of forests, with Gobinda Roy, project director of the SUFAL Project, delivering the welcome speech.

Zaheer Iqbal, deputy conservator of forests, Dicky Simorangkir, team lead-environment, forest and climate change, FAO Bangladesh, and Nikhil Chakma, national socioeconomic consultant, FAO Bangladesh, presented keynote papers.

BDST: 1508 HRS, FEB 25, 2024
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