The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, is facing multiple challenges due to climate change, industries centred around Mongla and pollution from the Rampal power plant, among other factors. Amid this situation, Akram Point, an ecologically important area inside the Sundarbans, and Nolian village adjacent to the forest are being considered as potential sites for an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal to address the country's energy crisis.
Akram Point is the confluence of the Shibsa and Pashur rivers inside the Sundarbans. Within two kilometres of this point, the Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary lies on one side and the Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary on the other. Both sanctuaries are part of the World Heritage Site declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Another wildlife sanctuary is located within two kilometres of Nolian village, opposite the village along the Shibsa River. Although Nolian is not part of the Sundarbans, it falls within the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), which covers a 10-kilometre zone surrounding the forest.
On 13 August, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud announced at an event that three floating LNG terminals would be built at Hiron Point in Khulna, Mongla and Payra.
Later, on 19 October, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said at an event organised by the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry at a hotel in the capital that an LNG terminal would be built at a location near Khulna with a draft of 20 metres.
Akram Point is the confluence of the Shibsa and Pashur rivers inside the Sundarbans. Within two kilometres of this point, the Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary lies on one side and the Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary on the other.
A forest expert, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that it remains to be seen which method the Energy Ministry would use to lay the pipeline.
According to him, the conventional open-cut method would not be feasible. The underground breathing roots of trees would be damaged, causing many trees to die.
Pointing out that an alternative would be to lay the pipeline beneath the roots, but that would be extremely expensive, he said, "The government may not opt for that method in an effort to reduce costs."
Aninda Islam Amit, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, told Prothom Alo that the south-western region of the country had long been deprived of development. Industrialisation was essential to improving the lives of people in the region.
He further said the prime minister is visiting Khulna to assess plans for modernising Mongla Port, establishing the economic zone proposed by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and developing tourism in the Sundarbans. By seeing the area first-hand, she would be able to understand how these issues were interconnected.
The state minister added that feasibility studies and environmental assessments would be conducted before any such initiatives were pursued. Only if the findings proved favourable would there be scope for further discussions on these proposals, he said.
Minister and adviser visit Akram Point
The government's Finance and Planning Adviser, ministers and the chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) have visited Akram Point several times to assess the feasibility of constructing a terminal there. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is also scheduled to visit the Sundarbans today, Thursday. State Minister Aninda Islam had also mentioned the initiative to establish a new LNG terminal in a Facebook post on 14 August.
Two days later, on 16 August, a high-level government delegation comprising Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir; Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud; Shipping, Road Transport, Bridges and Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam; and BEZA Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, among others, visited Akram Point in the Bay of Bengal, the Shibsa River, the Sundarbans and Mongla Port. The chairman of the Mongla Port Authority was also part of the delegation.
After the visit, Shaikh Rabiul Alam said at a reception organised by the Mongla municipal BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) at the Mongla Port bus stand that afternoon that a floating LNG station would be established at Akram Point of Mongla Port. A 23-kilometre pipeline would be laid to bring gas to Mongla, which would then be used to generate electricity.
Asked for his opinion, M Firoz Ahmed, former professor of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and vice-president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), told Prothom Alo, "Whenever something is built inside a forest, there will inevitably be an impact, no matter how much anyone claims otherwise. Since the Sundarbans is our World Heritage Site, the government should reconsider this decision."
Firoz Ahmed further said that since gas is a flammable substance, the possibility of accidents cannot be ruled out. If an accident occurs, the Sundarbans will be affected.
During the process of converting LNG into gas, large quantities of cold or hot water would have to be discharged into the river. This would change the river water temperature and disrupt the process of photosynthesis. Fish eggs and fry could consequently be destroyed.
Recalling that there were several incidents of oil spills from ships in the past, he said a terminal would increase ship movements, which could also lead to oil leaks and spills. The more ships move through the area, the greater the pollution will be.
Forest department objects
The Department of Forest, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is the legal authority responsible for the conservation and maintenance of the Sundarbans. Although senior government officials have visited the proposed site for the terminal, the forest department has not been informed either formally or informally.
Asked about the matter, Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that the ministry had not informed the department about the proposed terminal. He declined to make any further comment.
Meanwhile, after learning about the proposed terminal through various sources, the office of the Conservator of Forests in Khulna recently sent a letter to the Forest Department expressing concern.
The letter said reports from various sources indicated that an LNG terminal would be established at Akram Point within the Sundarbans World Heritage Site. LNG would be supplied to the terminal through pipelines from the deep sea.
Akram Point and the surrounding forest areas are natural habitats where tigers and other wildlife roam freely. Construction activities for the terminal, artificial lighting and industrial operations would disrupt the natural breeding and movement of tigers, spotted deer and wild boars.
Akram Point is located close to the South Wildlife Sanctuary. As wildlife sanctuary areas lie on both sides of Akram Point, establishing a terminal there would have severe and long-term impacts on the vegetation, wildlife and overall ecosystem of this unique mangrove forest.
Further concerns raised in the letter
The letter noted that the movement of huge LNG carriers and ships would generate intense noise and vibration. As a result, the endangered Irrawaddy and Ganges river dolphins could lose their habitats. These aquatic animals could also be killed by collisions with the propellers of ships and tankers.
During the process of converting LNG into gas, large quantities of cold or hot water would have to be discharged into the river. This would change the river water temperature and disrupt the process of photosynthesis. Fish eggs and fry could consequently be destroyed.
Akram Point and the surrounding forest areas are natural habitats where tigers and other wildlife roam freely. Construction activities for the terminal, artificial lighting and industrial operations would disrupt the natural breeding and movement of tigers, spotted deer and wild boars.
The mudflats of the mangrove forest are habitats for numerous migratory birds and amphibians. Construction of the terminal would destroy these mudflats and, consequently, their habitats.
One of the major concerns raised in the letter relates to sundari and other mangrove tree species in the Sundarbans. If a terminal is established at Akram Point or Nolian, regular dredging would be required to facilitate ship movements. This would cause heavy metals deposited on riverbeds by industries to mix with river water. The breathing roots of mangrove trees would also become buried under sediment.
As a result, sundari, gewa and goran trees would die because they could no longer breathe. In addition, burnt oil and chemical waste discharged from ships could reach the forest floor and permanently disrupt the natural process of seedling regeneration.
UNESCO's latest meeting
UNESCO has been monitoring the condition of the Sundarbans since 2014. The latest meeting of the World Heritage Committee to review the overall condition of World Heritage Sites was held on 21 July in Busan, South Korea. Several decisions concerning the Sundarbans were taken during the 10-day meeting.
The World Heritage Centre provides technical assistance to the World Heritage Committee in assessing the overall condition of World Heritage Sites. In its report, the centre sought updated information from the Bangladesh delegation on the implementation of recommendations made by a joint UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mission in 2019.
Following the joint mission's recommendations, Bangladesh prepared a Strategic Environmental Assessment report for the southwestern region, including the Sundarbans. However, the World Heritage Centre criticised Bangladesh for not conducting detailed research on the Sundarbans as part of that assessment, despite its recommendation to do so.
According to the draft report of the World Heritage Centre, the centre urged Bangladesh to implement a Strategic Environmental Management Plan to address the direct and indirect threats identified for the Sundarbans over the next 20 years. It also emphasised the need for further research and data collection to assess the impacts on the Sundarbans in accordance with the management plan.
The World Heritage Centre also said that any decision to establish large industries around the Sundarbans should follow the guidelines of the World Heritage Convention to protect the forest's Outstanding Universal Value.
Bangladesh was asked to submit a report on the conservation status of the Sundarbans by 1 December 2027.
However, Azerbaijan proposed amendments to these recommendations at the World Heritage Committee meeting. In line with that proposal, the deadline for submitting the report on the Sundarbans was extended from December 2027 to February 2029.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kobir, met Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on 16 October. During the meeting, Azerbaijan expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh’s energy sector.
Rampal, UNESCO’s opposition and risks the Sundarbans facing
Environmental and forestry experts say the decision to install an LNG terminal could prompt UNESCO to remove the Sundarbans from the World Heritage List.
According to them, pollution from industries centred around Mongla and the Rampal power plant has already affected the Sundarbans’ wildlife and ecosystem in various ways. They believe that such energy infrastructure would expose the mangrove forest to even greater risks.
During the ousted Awami League government’s tenure, UNESCO strongly opposed the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Rampal, Bagerhat. At one point, it considered placing the Sundarbans on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
At the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Doha in 2014, UNESCO expressed concern over the Rampal power plant and the industrial development planned in the surrounding area.
The committee’s decision stated that it was unclear whether the potential indirect impacts of the power plant on the Sundarbans had been adequately assessed. The meeting in Doha also raised concerns about the development of other industries and infrastructure in the vicinity.
From 22 to 28 March 2016, a joint monitoring mission from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) visited the Sundarbans. In an assessment published on 18 October that year, the Rampal power plant was identified as a serious threat to the Sundarbans, and the mission recommended cancelling the project and relocating it elsewhere.
At the time, UNESCO’s assessment found that the environmental impact assessment conducted by the then government had failed to adequately consider the risks the power plant would pose to the Sundarbans.
Although the government then decided to provide UNESCO with all the information and data relating to the power plant, it remained adamant that the facility would not be relocated.
Subsequently, at a UNESCO meeting in 2018, the government was warned against approving industrial projects before conducting a strategic environmental assessment of the Sundarbans.