Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the Ministry of Water Resources; and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has said that development planning must adopt integrated and forward-looking decisions with environment, biodiversity and public health at its centre. She noted that when environmental and ecological considerations are sacrificed in the name of development, society ultimately bears the cost. “While roads and infrastructure can be built, a Sundarbans or a river cannot be recreated,” she said, adding that climate change, pandemics and environmental crises repeatedly remind us that all elements of nature are deeply interconnected and that humans are not owners of nature, but an inseparable part of it.
She made these remarks as the guest at the seminar titled “One Health Initiatives: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Strategies,” held on 17 December at Hotel InterContinental in the capital. The Adviser observed that excessive process-oriented complexities, weak inter-ministerial coordination and prolonged decision-making timelines remain major barriers to implementing One Health initiatives. To address these challenges, she emphasized the need to establish effective advisory committees at national and district levels and to designate clear focal points in every ministry.
She further said that increasing manpower, expanding online processes, and strengthening coordination with the Planning Division, the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Finance would help accelerate project implementation. Drawing on practical experience, she pointed out that in many cases a significant portion of a five-year project timeline is consumed solely by land acquisition procedures, underscoring the urgent need for transparent and effective reforms to overcome this bottleneck.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan stressed that One Health is not merely a technical framework; it is a social and ethical value system. The rationale for protecting wildlife and pursuing nature-based development must be clearly communicated to people at all levels of society. Without shared social values, no development initiative can be sustainable. She expressed optimism that the government would work earnestly to further strengthen One Health initiatives through capacity building, policy reforms and effective coordination.
Speaking as the President of the seminar, Farida Akhter, Adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said that in the interest of public welfare, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock must work closely with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and other relevant ministries.
Among others, the seminar featured remarks by Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock; Md Saidur Rahman, Secretary, Health Services Division; Dr Md Abu Sufian, Director General, Department of Livestock Services; Professor Dr Tahmina Shirin, Director, IEDCR; and Md Jahidul Kabir, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Department.
Representatives from various departments and agencies also spoke during the open discussion session.