The National Coastal Convention 2025, held on December 13-14 at the National Military Museum in Dhaka, served as a vital platform for addressing the environmental and economic future of Bangladesh’s 19 coastal districts. One of the event’s highlights was Parallel Session 2, titled “Advancing Sustainable Natural Resource Management for Coastal Communities,” which brought together leading researchers and practitioners to discuss how to protect the “economic and environmental backbone” of the nation.

Chaired by Dr. M Zainul Abedin and moderated by Rezaul Karim Siddique, the session moved beyond sim

ple summaries to provide a deep dive into the specific challenges and untapped potentials of the coast.

The Issue: A Coastline Under Siege

The coastal region, rich in both biotic and abiotic resources, is currently facing a “triple threat” of climate change, un

planned industrialization, and unsustainable land use.

• The Salinity Crisis: Between 1993 and 2022, salinity intrusion has affected 1.056 million hectares—roughly 37% of all cultivable land in the 19 coastal districts. Experts warned that if this trend continues, agricultural income could drop by 21%, threatening national food security.
• The Shrimp Farming Dilemma: While profitable for a few, unplanned shrimp farming has pushed saline water deep into the mainland, damaging soil health and displacing small-scale farmers who can no longer grow traditional crops.
• Industrial Pressure: Research highlighted that over 190 industrial projects have been authorized within 5-10 km of the Sundarbans, leading to increased heavy metal pollution in the soil and water.

 The Program: Innovative Pathways to Resilience

The keynote speakers outlined three transformative strategies to turn the tide for coastal communities.

1. Empowering Women and Youth as Ecosystem Managers Amit Ranjan Dey of ActionAid Bangladesh emphasized that women are the primary managers of household ecosystems. ActionAid’s model focuses on Women-led Emergency Response (WLER) and community seed banks. Their results are striking: over 3,000 women have achieved 100% vegetable self-sufficiency even in high-salinity zones by adopting climate-resilient practices.
2. From “Farming” to “Livelihood Systems” Professor Dr. Moin Us Salam proposed a shift from traditional “T Aman-Fallow-Fallow” sequences to a complex “Food/Livelihood System” model. This approach integrates nutrition, safety, and market access. He highlighted that while regions like Barishal and Khulna are struggling, they are also innovating with “accommodated crops” such as sunflowers, guavas, and salt-tolerant rice.
3. The Blue Carbon Revolution Mohon Kumar Mondal, Executive Director of LEDARS, introduced the massive economic potential of “Blue Carbon”—the carbon stored in mangroves, seagrass, and wetlands.

• Economic Impact: The Sundarbans sequester approximately 3 million tons of  annually. At a carbon price of 15 million USD (1.8 billion BDT) in annual revenue** for Bangladesh.
• Job Creation: Managing these ecosystems could support the livelihoods of 30,000 to 35,000 people through restoration, monitoring, and sustainable fisheries.

Key Recommendations for a Sustainable Coast

The session concluded with several urgent policy recommendations to be integrated into the national agenda:

• Policy Integration: Formally incorporate “Blue Carbon” and community-based management into national climate and economic policies.
• Land & Rights: Reform land laws to establish agricultural land rights for women farmers and provide 25-year leases of “khas” (government) land to youth.
• Technological Innovation: Integrate solar-powered irrigation and climate-resilient value cha
• ins to reduce dependency on traditional farming.
• Infrastructure Protection: Implement strict measures to protect coastal embankments, which are the first line of defense against salinity.

The National Coastal Convention 2025 made it clear that protecting coastal resources is not just an environmental issue—it is a matter of climate justice and national survival.