National
Action Plan
Countries affected
by desertification are implementing
the Convention by developing and carrying
out national, sub-regional, and regional
action programmes. Criteria for 'preparing
these programmes are detailed in the
treaty's - five "regional implementation
annexes": Africa (considered
a priority because that is where desertification
is most severe), Asia, Latin America
and the Caribbean, the Northern Mediterranean,
and Central and Eastern Europe.
Drawing on past lessons, the Convention
states that these programmes must
adopt a democratic, bottom-up approach.
They should emphasize popular participation
and the creation of an "enabling
environment" designed to allow
local people to help themselves to
reverse land degradation. Of course,
governments remain responsible for
creating this enabling environment.
They must make politically
sensitive changes, such as decentralizing
authority, improving land-tenure systems,
and empowering women, farmers, and
pastoralists. They should also permit
non-governmental organizations to
play a strong role in preparing and
implementing the action programmes.
In contrast to many past efforts,
these action programmes are to be
fully integrated into other national
policies for sustainable development.
They should be flexible and modified
as circumstances change.
The Convention's
action programmes are being developed
through consultations among affected
countries, donors, and intergovernmental
and non-governmental organizations.
This process will improve coordination
and channel development assistance
to where it can be most effective.
It will also produce partnership agreements
that spell out the respective contributions
of both affected and donor states
and of international organizations.
Developed countries are expected to
encourage the mobilization of substantial
funding for the action programmes.
They should also promote access to
appropriate technologies, knowledge,
and know-how. The need for coordination
among donors and recipients is stressed
because each programme's various activities
need to be complementary and mutually
reinforcing.
The Convention opens
an important new phase in the battle
against desertification, but it is
just a beginning. In particular, governments
are regularly reviewing the action
programmes. They also focus on awareness-raising,
education, and training, both in developing
and developed countries. Desertification
can only be reversed through profound
changes in local and international
behavior. Step by step, these changes
will ultimately lead to sustainable
land use and food security for a growing
world population. Combating desertification,
then, is really just part of a much
broader objective: the sustainable
development of countries affected
by drought and desertification.
The Convention will
be implemented through action programmes.
At the national level, the programme
will address the underlying causes
of desertification and drought and
identify measures of preventing and
reversing it. National programmes
will be complemented by sub-regional
and regional programmes, particularly
when trans-boundary resources such
as lakes and rivers are involved.
Action programmes are detailed in
the five regional implementation annexes
to the Convention -- Africa, Asia,
Latin America and the Caribbean, the
Northern Mediterranean, and Central
and Eastern Europe.
The National Action
Programme (NAP) for Combating Desertification
is a national document owned by the
people. Its development has been based
on a participatory process involving
many stakeholders. The first step
in this endeavour was obviously determining
the methodology for development of
the NAP. This was accomplished through
the Inception Workshop. The participants
at this Workshop, which included representatives
of government agencies, NGOs, research
organizations, the media, donors,
and experts, suggested the adoption
of a combined approach of both ‘bottom
up’ and ‘top down’
planning processes. The ‘bottom-up’
approach was to be achieved through
multi-stakeholders consultation at
which representatives of grass-roots
and local organizations could participate
effectively while the ‘top-down’
approach was to be achieved through
a number of thematic consultations.
Ideas and proposals
were generated through multi-stakeholder
consultation. Discussions of the thematic
consultations came up with the status
of land degradation/desertification,
causes of degradation, threats and
actions needed. Participants in the
workshops identified the trend and
status of land degradation/desertification,
causes behind them, issues and actions
for combating the desertification/land
degradation in specific region as
well as at the national level in general.
Advisory Committee
While preparing the NAP, an Advisory
Committee was set up under the chairmanship
of Director General (DG), Department
of Environment (DoE) involving representatives
of the following organizations and
experts;
• Bangladesh Metrological Department
• Space Research and Remote
Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)
• Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Council (BARC)
• Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE)
• Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB)
• Forest Department (FD)
• Bangladesh Center for Advance
Studies (BCAS)
• Department of Zoology, Dhaka
/ Rajshahi University
• Department of Botany, Dhaka
/ Rajshahi University
• Department of Geography and
Environmental Science, Dhaka / Rajshahi
University
• Barind Multi-purpose Development
Authority (BMDA), Rajshahi
• Water Resources Planning Organization
(WARPO)
• Center for Geographic Information
System (CEGIS)
• Bangladesh National Herbarium
(BNH)
• Planning Commission
• IUCN – The World Conservation
Union , Bangladesh Country Office
• Environmental Expert, SEMP
s
It has been decided that the committee
will meet periodically and be responsible
for the following:
• provide overall guidance for
the preparation of the NAP
• review the draft NAP and prepare
a prioritized set of recommendations.
• finalize the NAP document
GOAL
To prepare ourselves for combating
desertification in Bangladesh
GUIDING PRINCIPLE
The principles form the basic guidelines
for the implementation strategy. These
principles are based on the following
facts and assumptions:
