Bangladesh must halt the industrialisation of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world, says UN expert John H Knox on Tuesday.
Stretching along the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is considered one of the natural wonders of the world.
It has been designated under the Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"The accelerating industrialisation of the Sundarbans threatens not only this unique ecosystem - which hosts Bengal tigers, Ganges river dolphins and other endangered species - but also poses serious risks to the human rights of the 6.5 million people whose lives, health, housing, food and cultural activities depend directly on a safe, healthy and sustainable Sundarbans forest," said Knox.
He made the remark in his last public statement as the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment on Tuesday, according to a statement received from Geneva.
Despite objections from UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh has approved more than 320 industrial projects in the area, including the massive Rampal coal-fired power plant, bypassing requirements for public participation and environmental impact assessment.
Last year, the High Court of Bangladesh directed the State not to approve any industries within the 10-kilometre buffer zone of the Reserved Forest.
However, Government approvals have continued despite the decision, the statement reads.
"The threat posed by untrammelled industrialisation of the Sundarbans is emblematic of the threats facing the environment around the world," the Special Rapporteur said.
"Of course the people of Bangladesh, like people all around the world, need to improve their economic well-being. But pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs is chasing fools' gold. Without a healthy environment, economic gains are unsustainable," Knox stressed.
To have truly sustainable development, he said, it is critical to protect the environment.
"And to ensure that environmental concerns are taken into account, governments must listen to the voices of those who are most affected by proposed industrial projects," he added.
"Too often, the people who raise questions about development projects are ignored or even treated as enemies of the state. But really, they should be treated as the champions of sustainable development," the independent expert said.
Mangrove forests provide benefits for clean air and water that extend far beyond their immediate location, said a UNB report.
"We all have an interest in the protection of the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world," Knox added.
"But even beyond that, the Sundarbans symbolises the choice facing all of us. Will we pursue development that respects human rights and protects the environment, or will we pursue industrial projects in disregard of their environmental costs, and end up with neither a healthy environment nor a healthy economy?," said the UN expert.
