Marine biodiversity is particularly rich, with diverse species of fish, mammals and corals, although, many of them are
endemic and threatened. These coastal and marine resources are threatened by pollution, habitat destruction and the
introduction of invasive alien species. Unplanned coastal and industrial development, tourism and tanker oil spills are of
growing concern. CES’s sustainable marine and coastal management programme emphasizes the assessment and impact
studies of marine ecosystems and the promotion of regional collaboration and multi-stakeholder dialogue. This
programme is also dedicated to addressing the global threats of ocean acidification, invasive species, and loss of habitat
due to ever expanding urbanization and coastal development a coupled with various impacts of climate change.
Bangladesh coastal area covers a combined landmass of 19 districts- an area of 47,201 km 2 , 32% of country’s land, and
around 35 million people living in it representing 29% of the population. This diverse area is divided into three parts,
namely a) The eastern zone, b) The central zone, and c) The western zone. The coastline is around 710 km long and
hosting a diverse ecosystems like, mangrove forests, tidal flat, estuaries of hundreds of rivers, hundreds of islands,
including rural, urban and industrial areas.
