This presentation is mainly based on the key factors causing environmental degradation in saint martin's island Bangladesh as well as focuses on the challenges towards conservative approaches. i have done several literature review to fullfil this task

1. Environmental Degradation &
Conservation Approach towards
Threatened Biodiversity of Saint
Martin’s Island Bangladesh
Presented by
Aivee Akther
ID: 161-30-133
Semester: Spring’18
Course name: Coastal & Marine environmental
Management
Course code: ESDM303

2. Beauty of Saint Martin’s Island
• Separated from mainland by a channel of 9km wide.
• Rich biodiversity hotspot (once!)
• Crystal clear Blue sea
• Unique marine & terrestrial diversity
Mangroves, lagoons , sandstone, rocky areas , sea
turtles, sea grass, colorful fishes, molluscus,
crustaceans etc
• Coral reef ecosystem
 Covering 5-10% surface area
 Act as a sink of Carbon di oxide
 234 species of fish ,89 are coral associated
 Ex: butterfly fish, parrot, snappers
 Nutrients supplier of marine food chain

3. Causes & Effects of Environmental
Degradation in Saint Martin’s Island

4. Causes of Environmental Degradation in
Saint Martin’s Island
Natural causes

5. Land use pattern, Living condition &
livelihood of local inhabitants
Lack of knowledge
Unplanned drainage system
Causes: salinity intrusion( 11.65%), drainage congestion (
41.55%), effects on agriculture (8.75%)
Limited access to formal jobs
– Illegal collecting coral, algae, shells, starfish to sell
– Stone & rock for lime making & construction
Land use pattern
• 37% area used as agricultural land in 2006 decreased
to 33% in 2009
• 2% of land area of coconut forest decrease (2009-
2015)

6. To be continued…
• Filling of lagoon, clearing rocky land /habitat for
cultivation, Collection of sand dune vegetation for fodder
& fuel supply, clearing plum trees form beach (
deforestation!)
Overexploitation of coastal fishery resources
– 57% local’s involved in fishing, Catching 1650MT fishes are
annually from water adjacent
– Boat anchoring , uses of destructive gears
– Killing turtles
Increasing hotel, motel & restaurants
– Recorded 33 hotel, motel & restaurants in 2007 which
increased to 74 in 2009 (CWBMP)
– Eco unfriendly structure
– Discharge untreated sewage wastes into sea (majority!

7. Unregulated, unplanned, eco-unfriendly
Tourism
• Average 750 person visited per day in 2005-2006
increased to 3000 per day !( 5000 even more in
peak tourism season)
• 41.41% waste mismanagement done by tourists
• More than 37% land use changes done for tourism
• Illegal collection of coral & shells
• Snorkeling, scuba driving

8. CONTAMINATION
Water pollution
– Presence of coliform bacteria in grounwater ten
times more than BD standards ( VLC survey,2007
– Huge Discharge of domestic, sewage & other
wastes from local habitats & hotels
Dried lagoon
In northern part :bisected by a road restricting
the flow of water , become a dustbin !
Soil pollution
Uses of Chemical pesticides in agriculture

9. Endangered Fauna & Faunal
Diversity
• Threatened Olive ridley & green turtles (
IUCN,2010)
Causes: uses of rock weighted gill net by
fisherman, Flashlights/ sounds of generator from
local hotels, Illegal extraction/selling of turtles
eggs, tourism, depletion of coral
• Seaweeds ( trading to mayanmar)
• Shells & live mollusks extraction by local & tourists
• Holothuria atra, sea urchins
• Decreased wintering shorebirds

10. Threatened Coral reef ecosystem
• 67% Coral colonies are
Dead(SOS,2013)
• 41 Species of coral found
2015 whether 141 was
founded in 1980.
• Causes: Global warming,
Coral extraction, discharge
Of crude oil, plastics, non-biodegradable wastes,
Sedimentation, water pollution ETC

11. Conservative approaches
Some projects implemented by government
• Declared ECA in 1999
• SMBCEDP ( 2000-2007) by ministry of environment
& forest dept.
• CWBMP ( 2000-2009) by UNDP & DOE
• CMP ( included zonation plan )
Other projects
• ‘Dive against debris’ by SOS,2013 ( 90.31% plastics!
• Green world ( failed! )
• Wind power plant (2006)

12. Integrated Coastal Management Zone

13. Conservative approaches
• Well regulated, planned, sustainable ecofriendly
tourism enforce, eco tourism ( MOEF ,2004)
• Marine protected area ( tomasik ,1997)
• Protecting coral reef system by implementing 3R’s
• RETREAT, REGENERATE, REGULATION
• More clean up campaign from underwater
should done!

14. Some moments of collecting wastes from
saint martin’s island by dept. of
ESDM, DIU

15. REFERENCES
Hasan. J. (2000) ‘Environmental Laws in Bangladesh: In Search of a
Regulatory Framework’, Bangladesh State of Environment Report (Dhaka:
FEJB) pp. 297-306.
Haque. M. (2000) ‘Implementation of International Conventions, Treaties and
Protocols on Environment and Development’, Bangladesh State of
Environment Report (Dhaka: FEJB) pp. 285-293.
Islam. M. Z. (2002a) ‘Marine Turtle Nesting at St. Martin’s Island’, Marine
Turtles Newsletter 96, pp. 19-21
Islam.M. Z. (2002b) ‘Threats to Sea Turtles in St. Martins Island, Bangladesh’,
Kachhapa 6, pp 8-11.
Islam. M. Z. (2001) St. Martin Pilot Project, National Conservation Strategy
(NCS) Implementation Project-1, Final Report (Dhaka: Ministry of
Environment & Forest, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh).
•

16. SAVE NATURE , SO THAT NATURE
CAN SAVE YOU TOO