Dhaka, 18 December 2007 (IUCN) – Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), in association with The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Bangladesh Country Office, organized a day-long workshop on “Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation Study in South Asia (ESPASSA)” at BRAC Centre, Dhaka on December 17, 2007.

As a part of the ESPASSA project (www.espassa.org), BRAC is currently leading a Situation Analysis to provide a synthesis of information on the current status of and challenges to the ecosystem services that are most important to the well-being of the poor of this country. The project aims to initiate a process through which dialogue could be established with key organizations/individuals such as ecosystem managers, policy-makers and communities that benefit from or depend on ecosystem services; support the assessment of information and knowledge needs identified in the Situation Analysis and evaluate the potential for skills and knowledge exchanges to strengthen research capacity.

In this connection the National Stakeholder Workshop on ESPASSA in Bangladesh provided a platform to the professionals from relevant government agencies, semi-government and autonomous organizations, leading NGOs and other stakeholders to share their knowledge, concerns and insights in light of ecosystem services and poverty mitigation.

In the first session of the workshop, a draft situation analysis prepared by BRAC was presented highlighting important aspects of different ecosystem services and trends in the form of case studies. It was followed by two more sessions led by selected discussants. In the second session, knowledge and trends on ecosystem services and drivers of different ecosystems, namely coastal forest, inland water, agro-ecosystems and hill and uplands were discussed. In addition, the knowledge gaps, skills needed, leverage points, opportunities, constraints, and challenges to over come the constraints were identified. The third session focused on “Poverty and Ecosystem Services Linkages in Bangladesh”. Under this theme the status of ecosystem valuation and relevance to poverty; the drivers and impacts of ecosystem degradation on the poor; and future directions in terms of policy responses to ecosystem degradation and poverty were discussed by the participants.

The Bangladesh component of ESPASSA has immensely been benefited from the knowledge shared through papers presented and lively discussions at the workshop. It is expected that the suggestions, recommendations and inputs provided by the stakeholders will be incorporated into the Bangladesh Situation Analysis, which will be an important part of the Situation Analysis of India and the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region under ESPASSA.

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Notes to editors 

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

• Haseeb Md. Irfanullah, PhD, Senior Programme Officer, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
  haseebiucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/
  
  
• Mahbubur Rahman Masum , IUCN Bangladesh Communications Officer, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
  masumiucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/

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More information available at: http://www.iucnbd.org/

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