Bangladesh Forest Information and Data 11.1% or about 1,442,000 ha of Bangladesh is forested, according to FAO. Of this 16.4% ( 237,000 ha ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Bangladesh had 237,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Bangladesh lost an average of 2,600 ha or 0.17% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Bangladesh lost 3.5% of its forest cover, or around 52,000 ha.
Bangladesh's forests contain 80 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Bangladesh has some 871 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 7.5% are threatened. Bangladesh is home to at least 5000 species of vascular plants. 0.0% of Bangladesh is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
Bangladesh Environmental profile
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Bangladesh
Previous version of this profile (2009)
Bangladesh: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 square kilometers) 13017
Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 1442
Percent Forest Cover 11
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 436
Primary Forest, % total forest 30
Other wooded land (1000 ha) 289
Percent other wooded land 2
Bangladesh: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 436 30
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 769 53
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 237 16
Bangladesh: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990 2000 2005 2010
1494 1468 1455 1442
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
-3 -3 -3
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
-0.18 -0.18 -0.18
Bangladesh: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha)
1990 2000 2005 2010
1255 1197 1177 1205
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
-6 -6 1
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
-0.5 -0.46 0.07
Bangladesh: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990 2000 2005 2010
436 436 436 436
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
0 0 0
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
0 0 0
Bangladesh: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990 2000 2005 2010
239 271 278 237
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
3 1 -8
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010
1.26 0.51 -3.14
Bangladesh: Primary designated function (percent)
Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown
49 8 17 1 25 0 0
Bangladesh: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN
Public ownership Private ownership Other
62 36 2
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Individuals Business entities and institutions Local, indigenous and tribal communities
33 0 67
HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS
Public administration Individuals Business entities and Institutions Communities Other
- - - - -
Bangladesh: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total
(million m3) Per hectare
(m3) Coniferous
(million m3) Broadleaved
(million m3) % commercial species
70 48 0 70 62
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species
- -
Bangladesh: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons)
1990 2000 2005 2010
84 82 82 80
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons)
2000
55
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr)
1990 2000 2005 2010
n.s. 0 n.s.
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr)
1990 2000 2005 2010
n.s. n.s. n.s.
Bangladesh: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE
1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn)
- -
EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE
Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area
146 - - - - -
Bangladesh: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005
240 249 253 -
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005
562 865 1016 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 562 865 1016 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Bangladesh: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) Value per ha forest
(US$)
Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total
- - - - -
Bangladesh: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees)
1990 2000 2005
- - -
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY
(1000 full-time employees)
1990 2000 2005
78 93 93
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees)
1990 2000 2005
- - -
Bangladesh: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (1994)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (1995) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1927) Sub-national forest law: No
Bangladesh: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
2000 2005 2008
# % female # % female # % female
- - - - 12000 3
Bangladesh: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005
Forest revenue Public expenditure (1000 US$)
Domestic funding External funding Total
(1000 US$) Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments
- - - - - - -
Bangladesh: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010
UNCCD:
World Heritage Convention:
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Bangladesh: Environment
Environment - current issues many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Natural hazards droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season
Bangladesh: Land use / Resources
Land use (%) arable land: 62.11%
permanent crops: 3.07%
other: 34.82% (2001)
Natural resources natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Bangladesh: Economy
Economy - overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several years.
GDP - per capita $2,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate (%) 5.2% (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 20.5%, industry: 26.7%, services: 52.8% (2004 est.)
Industries cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar
Economic aid - recipient $1.575 billion (2000 est.)
Debt - external $21.25 billion (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line (%) 45% (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 63%, industry 11%, services 26% (FY95/96)
Bangladesh: Population / Demographics
Population (July 2005) 144,319,628
Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.09%
Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 1,077.7
Percent rural (2003) 75.8%
Median age (years) total: 21.87 years
Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 3.13 (2005 est.)
Ethnic groups (%) Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)
Largest Cities in Bangladesh
Cities and urban areas in Bangladesh with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
City Country City Population Urban Area Population
Dhaka Bangladesh 8539500 10168600
Chittagong Bangladesh 2546400 2546400
Khulna Bangladesh 1190000 1190000
Rajshahi Bangladesh 699700 699700
Rajshahi Bangladesh 511800 511800
Narayanganj Bangladesh 351100 351100
Nasirabad Bangladesh 334400 334400
Komilla Bangladesh 313000 313000
Silhat Bangladesh 302000 302000
Rangpur Bangladesh 267100 267100
Barisal Bangladesh 260400 260400
Narsingdi Bangladesh 258300 258300
Tongi Bangladesh 228300 228300
Bogora Bangladesh 224100 224100
Jessor Bangladesh 223800 223800
Brahamanbaria Bangladesh 202400 202400
Dinajpur Bangladesh 181400 181400
Pabna Bangladesh 157300 157300
Nawabganj Bangladesh 151900 151900
Tangayal Bangladesh 148300 148300
Bangladesh: Infrastructure
Telephones - main lines in use 740,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.365 million (2003)
Roadways (km) total: 239,226 km
paved: 22,726 km
unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)
Bangladesh: Health
Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 62.08 years
male: 62.13 years
female: 62.02 years (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate 62.6 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: leptospirosis
animal contact disease: rabies (2004)
Bangladesh : References & Data Sources
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005 Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001) Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas. Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory. RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com 