BS CS

Consultants play a pivotal role in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process because they are the ones who carry out assessments, deal with multiple stakeholders and thus face the most pressure. Considering the ineffectiveness of the EIA process, the current study attempts to identify the challenges faced by consultants in Punjab whilst dealing with stakeholders. Participant observation, professional practice and unstructured interviews were employed as data collection methods. Key challenges identified include the lack of equal treatment, insufficient capability of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and consultants, and the lack of awareness on the parts of the proponents and the public. Legislations accompanied with procedural controls exist in Punjab regarding EIA but the implementation is weak. A strong political will is necessary for implementation of EIA rules and regulation, awareness of the proponents and the public and capacity building of EPA. Registration and accreditation can help bring competent consultants in the field who can improve the process. Previous research carried out in Pakistan investigated the

Three species of bears occur in Bangladesh, but most populations have declined to very low numbers or disappeared completely. No systematic surveys have been conducted to determine status and distribution of the remnant populations. Therefore, we conducted surveys at 87 sites with historical records of bears. Footprints, claw marks, and other signs were used to identify bears to species level. In addition, semi-structured interviews were carried out targeting local community members to determine the status of bears. Bear signs were documented in 26 sites in the northeast, 42 sites in the southeast, and 1 site in the north-central region of Bangladesh. With the exception of a single sign that presumably came from a sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), all were identified as Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus). Additionally, we documented one recent occurrence of a captive sun bear captured in the southeastern region of Bangladesh not covered in our survey. We conclude that the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is possibly extinct in Bangladesh. Although Asiatic black bear signs were recorded from many sites, the populations are scattered and likely to be very low in numbers. Similarly, the single confirmed record of sun bear suggests that the species is possibly a vagrant from adjoining Indian populations and the populations in Bangladesh are not self-sustaining. Deforestation and hunting are major threats to bears in Bangladesh. Unless urgent conservation measures are taken and degraded forest areas are restored, we suspect that the Asiatic black bear may soon become extinct in Bangladesh.

Satellite-based tracking of migratory waterfowl is an important tool for understanding the potential role of wild birds in the long-distance transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, employing this technique on a continental scale is prohibitively expensive. This study explores the utility of stable isotope ratios in feathers in examining both the distances traveled by migratory birds and variation in migration behavior. We compared the satellite-derived movement data of 22 ducks from 8 species captured at wintering areas in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Hong Kong with deuterium ratios (δD) of these and other individuals captured at the same locations. We derived likely molting locations from the satellite tracking data and generated expected isotope ratios based on an interpolated map of δD in rainwater. Although δD was correlated with the distance between wintering and molting locations, surprisingly, measured δD values were not correlated with either expected values o...

Islam 2006). All wild elephants are now protected under the Bangladesh Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Act of 1974 and cannot be hunted, killed or captured. The act has provision for the Chief Wildlife Warden to declare an elephant as a 'rogue elephant' and issue a special permit for destroying it. According to the Wildlife (Conservation) Act (Draft) 2011, the penalty for killing an elephant will be imprisonment for 2-7 years or a fine of Tk 100,000-1,000,000 (US$ 1,420-14,200) or both, and for a repetition, imprisonment and a fine of Tk 1,200,000 (US$ 17,140) or both (MoEF 2011). The Act has been tabled at the parliament and sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee responsible for MoEF for review. Wild elephants Past distribution Only about a hundred years ago, elephants were abundant in most forests of Bangladesh, including places such as Madhupur near Dhaka. In early 1990s the number of wild elephants was estimated to be 195-234, with 83-100 of them being trans-boundary elephants (Chakraborty 1996; Islam 2006).

We investigated the range of people involved in killing tigers Panthera tigris in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, their motives and methods, and their links to the commercial trade. Using snowball sampling we conducted 141 qualitative interviews with local people. We identified five categories (village residents, poachers, shikaris, trappers and pirates), each with different motives, methods and networks. Village residents kill tigers predominantly for safety, whereas others kill in the forest professionally or opportunistically. Poachers kill tigers for money, but for others the motives are more complex. The motives of local hunters are multifaceted, encompassing excitement, profit, and esteem and status arising from providing tiger parts for local medicine. Pirates kill tigers for profit and safety but also as a protection service to the community. The emerging international trade in tiger bones, introduced to the area by non-local Bangladeshi traders, provides opportunities to sell ti...

Bangladesh, a country with a size of 147,570 km 2 , has the largest delta in the world with one-third of the country residing a costal shoreline. The livelihood of the inhabitants is exposed to a series of tribulations causing radical setbacks, of which natural disasters like tropical cyclones bring large-scale salinity intrusion. Occurring due to three main causal factors including climate change, sedimentation, and low water flow, salinity poses challenges in agriculture and overall food security, hence impeding the health and livelihood of marginalized women, children, and elderly and explicably the overall vulnerable population at large. Against that backdrop, this chapter will delineate three broad spectra of Bangladesh's approach to "living with salt": (1) the assessment of salt intrusion in water and soil in Bangladesh's coastal zones due to climate change, (2) understanding the vulnerabilities to salinity within marginalized population, and (3) coping or adapting strategies to combat and live with salt. The chapter also includes the findings of a recent case study conducted on Bangladesh coastal zone to demonstrate the current livelihood conditions under salinity, conditions of the actions taken by the government and nongovernment organizations, gaps, and recommendations for a more resilient coastal community.

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are Critically Endangered in Bangladesh with only 106 individuals remaining. Poaching is one of the major reasons for the rapid decline in tiger numbers across their entire range. In Bangladesh, very little is known about the utilization of tiger parts, and few details exist to date regarding their acquisition and trade. This research is an original study that explores the local usage, poaching, and trade of tiger parts in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh for the first time. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 141 respondents in the villages around the Bangladesh Sundarbans from December 2011 to June 2013. The respondents include Village Tiger Response Team members (n=46/141), general members of the village community (n=62/141), and tiger killers (n=33/141). The study revealed the local use of, and belief in, the medicinal values of tiger parts is diverse (e.g. medicinal uses, as protection from "dangers" in the forest, and to en...