Long march against Indo-Bangla joint power plant to save the Sundarbans

[帅的一匹]

Why not ask China to provide more environmental friendly solution in this area?

Is it a reaction to the news of BD cancelling chinese port and letting India and Japan build new deep water ports? Does Rampal Thermal Power Plant fall within the limits of Sunderban? In my opinion Rampal is farther from sunderbans much more than Kalapara where the China is building its thermal power plant. Have the protesters targetted kalapara thermal plant also? if no, they are playing politics at the behest of the chinese perhaps.

We have tech superiority to build a coal power plant than India. You are not trusted here. We are ready to provide Bangladesh world class energy solution, which won't sacrifice its environment they love. We respect Bangladeshies and their land.

 

[RISING SUN]

Why not ask China to provide more environmental friendly solution in this area?


We have tech superiority to build a coal power plant than India. You are not trusted here. We are ready to provide Bangladesh world class energy solution, which won't sacrifice its environment they love. We respect Bangladeshies and their land.

OK. Go ahead. On topic, any project if it being initiated, must have feasibility study done on all aspects including saving the natural habitat. Bangladesh government should release the studies to calm things down and alley fears of degradation of Sunderbans. BTW Sunderbans are spread between both countries. If it can affect Bangladesh Sunderbans then surely it might impact on our part too. Any ideas?

 

[Banglar Bir]

• 
  
• REPORT ON THE MISSION TO THE SUNDARBANS WORLD HERITAGE SITE,
• 
  
• BANGLADESH,
• 
  
• FROM 22 TO 28 MARCH 2016

Photo © N.Doak/IUCN

Naomi Doak (IUCN)


Mizuki Murai (IUCN)


Fanny Douvere (World Heritage Centre)

June 2016

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The mission thanks the Government of Bangladesh for its invitation to undertake the Reactive Monitoring Mission and for its hospitality and assistance throughout the visit. In particular, the mission thanks the representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Department of Environment and the Bangladesh Forest Department who assisted in the preparation and organisation of the mission, accompanied the mission team throughout the visit and responded to requests for information and logistics of the visit. The mission is further grateful to the rangers and staff based in the property who contributed to the organisation of the visit and provided the mission with helpful information.


The mission also thanks the representatives of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Public Administration, Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt.) Limited, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services and Mongla Port Authority for meeting with the mission and providing information.


The mission further thanks the various scientists, experts and NGOs for their important insights shared with the mission team prior, during and after the visit of the mission team to the property.


The mission extends its gratitude to the representatives of IUCN Bangladesh, WINROCK International and experts at the University of Khulna who met or consulted with the mission during the visit.


Finally, the mission thanks the UNESCO Dhaka office and staff for their invaluable support to the logistical and technical preparation before and during the mission.


Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................... 2


1. BACKGROUND TO THE MISSION............................................................... 7


1.1 Inscription history.................................................................................. 7


1.2 Inscription criteria and World Heritage values.................................. 7


1.3 Integrity issues raised in the IUCN evaluation report at the time of inscription......................................................................................................................... 7


1.4 Examination of the State of Conservation by the World Heritage Committee 8


1.5 Justification for the mission................................................................. 9


2. NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE WORLD


HERITAGE PROPERTY.................................................................................... 12


2.1 Protected area legislation................................................................... 12


2.2 Institutional framework and management structure...................... 12


2.3 Other International designations and programmes........................ 13


3. IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF ISSUES/THREATS................ 14


3.1 Inadequate water flows affecting the integrity of the property.. 14


3.2 Coastal development......................................................................... 15


3.2.1 The 1320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (Rampal Power Plant) 15


3.2.2 Other Power Plant developments................................................ 20


3.2.3 The Mongla Port Development..................................................... 21


3.3 Shipping and Dredging....................................................................... 22


3.3.1 Effects of the 2014 oil spill and other shipping accidents....... 22


3.3.2 Dredging of the Pashur River........................................................ 23


3.4 Resource extraction and illegal wildlife trade............................... 24


3.5 The effects of climate change.......................................................... 25


3.6 Cumulative impacts, ecological monitoring and management of the property 26


4. ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF CONSERVATION OF THE PROPERTY 28


5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................. 30



















LIST OF ACRONYMS


BIFPCL Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd

BFD Bangladesh Forest Department


BHEL Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

BPDP Bangladesh Power Development Board


CEGIS Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services

DoE Department of Environment

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment


EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency

ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment


IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests

MW Mega Watt


NGO Non-governmental organisation

NTCP National Thermal Power Corporation


OUV Outstanding Universal Value

PA(s) Protected Area(s)


RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance

SEWS Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary

SRF Sundarbans Reserved Forest


SSWS Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary

SWWS Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary


UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

WHC UNESCO World Heritage Centre


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



The reactive monitoring mission was undertaken from 22 to 28 March 2016 following World Heritage Committee Decision 39 COM 7B.8. The objective of the mission was to follow up on the concerns raised by the World Heritage Committee and assess the current state of conservation of the property.


The mission visited the eastern parts of the property and met with key representatives and staff from relevant government institutions at both local and national level. The mission visited the site where the Rampal power plant is being constructed and met with representatives from the Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL). The mission also visited locations of several of the most recent ship accidents and met with staff from the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) and the Mongla Port Authority. Issues pertaining to the conservation of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) were discussed and raised with representatives from a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and scientists both during and after the mission. The mission also consulted a wide range of scientific articles published in international peer reviewed journals relevant to the core conservation issues for the property and its surrounding mangrove forest upon which it is dependent for its integrity and survival.


The mission concludes that the Sundarbans World Heritage property continues to support the OUV for which it was inscribed. The property is iconic as part of the world’s largest mangrove system and home to an important population of the Royal Bengal Tiger among other species. Ecological monitoring information being patchy, there is no clear indication with regards to the level of threat for species such as the Royal Bengal Tiger. There are some indications that illegal wildlife trade of this and other important species is increasing. The property appears to be in overall good condition but is currently undergoing changes due to high salinity and is damaged in its south eastern section from Cyclone Sidr that hit the coast of Bangladesh in 2007.


The mission affirms the threats to the OUV of the property raised in previous World Heritage Committee decisions. It concludes that the majority of concerns raised in Decision 39 COM 7B.8 are yet to be adequately addressed and minimal progress has been made to deal with these threats. The mission also identified additional threats to the OUV of the property that are of considerable concern and have not been previously raised by the World Heritage Committee. The most important of these relate to drastically reduced freshwater flows and the lack of integrated management of the property.


Based on the many consultations the mission team conducted during and after the visit, the mission concludes that the following three threats are of serious concern and require urgent, immediate attention:


First, the freshwater flow into the Sundarbans has been drastically reduced following the construction of the Farakka Barrage and increased water extraction, which is resulting in substantial increases in siltation and salinity that are threatening the overall balance of the ecosystem, its functioning and regeneration. Salt tolerant mangrove species are expanding and gradually displacing other species, while higher salinity is stimulating an increase in barren areas. In the absence of a comprehensive, multilateral and integrated freshwater inflow management plan it is unlikely the property’s OUV can be maintained in the long term.


Second, the mission team identified four core potential threats related to the prospective construction and operation of the 1320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (Rampal power

plant), the current site of which is located 65 km from the closest boundary of the World Heritage property. These include pollution from coal ash by air, pollution from wastewater