Environmental Hazards and Conservation Approach to the Biodiversity and Ecosystem of the St. Martin’s Island in Bangladesh - Management of Natural Resources in a Changing Environment - page 248

Environmental Hazards and Conservation
Approach to the Biodiversity and Ecosystem
of the St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh

Nurul Hoque Upal

Introduction

St. Martin's Island, a unique island of Bangladesh, is of high ecological signifi cance
as it is the only island in Bangladesh that has coral colonies in the shallows including
large areas of sand dunes and mangrove formations (Tomascik 1997 ). It is recog-
nized as one of the richest biodiversity hotspot in terms of marine biotic resources,
unparallel in the country. The island is endowed with vast marine and land resources
having global biodiversity signifi cance. The island is a good example of co-occurrence
of corals, algae, sea weeds, grasses and mangroves (UNDP 2010 ). Besides the
ecological importance St Martin's is one of the most attractive tourist spots in
Bangladesh because of its panoramic landscapes, clear sea water, and natural
treasures of coral colonies.
The attractive coral island in the Bay of Bengal is now threatened by environ-
mental collapse due to several natural and anthropogenic factors ingrained which
are directly or indirectly affecting the sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem
of the island. All the native species of fl ora and fauna of St. Martin's Island are
under signifi cant environmental impact. The deep-seated threats such as global
climate change, deforestation, over exploitation of natural resources, and uncontrolled
tourism make the ecological sustainability of the island vulnerable. Furthermore,
other supplementary issues such as over population, poor agricultural custom,
water pollution, construction activities, and harmful boat anchoring practices are
demanding strict conservation practices inevitable to protect the marine and land
resources of the island.