DHAKA, March 6, 2024 (BSS) - Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury today said the government has taken initiatives to use digital technology to ensure sustainable conservation of wildlife, coexistence of humans and wildlife, and prevent legal wildlife trade.

"Diverse digital technologies are being explored to accelerate wildlife conservation. Civil society, technocrats, and conservationists must all be committed to the sustainable adaptation of nature and the application of digital innovation in wildlife conservation," he said.

The environment minister made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at a discussion organized at the Forest Department here on the occasion of World Wildlife Day 2024 with the slogan "Connecting people and Planet: Exploring Innovation in wildlife Conservation".

Chief Conservator of Forest Md. Amir Hosain Chowdhury presided over the function. 

Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed; Additional Secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun were present as special guest in the event. Dr. Mohammad Anwarul Islam, Chief Executive, Wild Team, and Mukit Majumdar Babu, Chairman, Nature and Life Foundation, also spoke on the occasion. 

The environment minister said the tiger survey of the Sundarbans is continuing through camera trapping. At present, crime monitoring and management activities in Sundarbans are being conducted through drone technology and smart patrolling, he said.

He said wildlife conservation and prevention of illegal trade of wildlife through advanced tracking systems, real time data analytics, radio collaring are also being used.

Saber Chowdhury said DNA barcode database creation through genetic sequencing and species identification from trophy or wildlife samples at the Wildlife Forensic Lab under the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit of the Forest Department is a milestone in wildlife conservation activities.

For the first time in Bangladesh, in 2022, the activity of determining distribution and movement of elephants in the Cox's Bazar forest area through the radio collaring of elephants has been undertaken, he said.

The minister said a wildlife crime reporting tool has been developed for the coordinated use of law enforcement agencies including the Forest Department to speed up wildlife crime control activities. 

"Through which the picture of wildlife crime across the country can be easily found. We need to be committed and work together to protect our country's wildlife," he said.