Verdensbankens betaler det meste for at redde landets spektakulære dyreliv, bl.a. tigrene i Sundarbans-sumpene
Bangladesh is set to launch a new police force to protect wildlife in response to a sharp rise in poaching and exotic animal smuggling, the government’s chief conservationist said Tuesday.
The 300-member Wildlife Crime Control Unit will be deployed in July as part of a 36 million US dollar World Bank-funded project aimed at protecting native endangered species and their habitats, Tapan Kumar said.
Some 38 water vessels and 65 road vehicles will be procured (anskaffet) under the World Bank loan with a view to strengthening drives in deep forests to curb poaching of wildlife.
– It is the first time we have created a specific force to combat wildlife poachers who have become increasingly sophisticated, Mr. Kumar said, adding that a recent increase in wildlife smuggling was alarming.
State Minister for Environment and Forests Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh will host a ministerial level Tiger Summit in Dhaka next year seeking ways to protect the tiger population from extinction.
– We have taken the decision in principle to host a ministerial level Tiger Summit in Dhaka in the second half of January 2012. Representatives from 12 tiger range countries across the world will join the summit, Mr. Mahmud said.
In fact, the World Bank will be providing the loan support under its regional cooperation strengthening project to conserve wildlife, he said.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
