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World Elephant Day today: Threats intensified

Wild elephants face serious threats to their survival in the country, thanks to frequent killings of the giant mammal and shrinking of their habitat in the absence of concrete protective measures by the government.

Since 2001, a total of 120 elephants have died for various reasons, including direct shootings, shows data of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department of Chattogram Circle.

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At least 12 elephants have been killed in shootings by poachers in the last five years — all in the forests under Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram (South).

To conserve the fast-depleting elephant population, the government formulated a 10-year “Bangladesh Elephant Conservation Action Plan (BECAP)” in 2018, outlining six objectives.

Sadly, none of the objectives of BECAP, prepared by the Forest Department, have been implemented yet, intensifying the threats to elephants.

The objectives include reducing human-elephant conflict and poaching, protecting their habitats, and conducting research and improving knowledge in elephant conservation.

According to the 2016 elephant census conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there were 248 Asian elephants living in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and in other regions including Sherpur. The survey covered 12 identified corridors through which the herd of elephants move from one forest to another in search of food.

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The Asian elephant, the species found in Bangladesh, has been included as endangered on the IUCN Red List, as apart from poaching, construction of settlements in forests and hills seriously threaten their existence.

“The extent of elephant deaths we see each year is really alarming,” eminent wildlife biologist Monirul H Khan told The Daily Star, calling for immediate action.

According to Forest Department data, the country lost 90 elephants by direct killing between 1995 and 2016.

Despite the frequent killings, the Forest Department could not bring any offenders to book since the government formulated the Wildlife Conservation Act-2012.

As per the law, elephant killing is a non-bailable offence and offenders are jailed for a minimum of one year and up to a maximum of seven years. Besides, a fine of Tk 1 lakh at the lowest and Tk 10 lakh maximum is imposed for the offence.

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CORRIDORS THREATENED 

In the last three years, three out of the 12 recognised corridors in Cox’s Bazar were blocked due to large structures and the Rohingya camps.

Another corridor — Chunati-Fasiakhali-Medakocchopia — will be jeopardised due to the under-construction railway lines linking Dohazari of Chattogram to Ghumdum in Cox’s Bazar, apprehends forest department officials.

The rest of the corridors are threatened by encroachment, setting up of brick kilns, gardening, and fish farming inside reserve forests.

Monirul, also a professor of zoology at Jahangirnagar University, said, “We must regenerate the habitats of elephants. The corridors must be secured for their risk-free movement.

“We have to apply the conservation law to ensure exemplary punishment of the offenders. We also have to raise awareness among mass people.”

Raquibul Amin, country director of IUCN, said elephants will not get safe habitation and their population will not be protected until the government includes it in the national priority list.

“Out of the 12 corridors, three have already been blocked. There are corridors which fall on private land. So, we need to make sure the elephants are safe when they move through private land,” he said.

Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, chief conservator of forest, said they were conducting a feasibility study to identify more corridors being used by elephants.

“The elephant response teams formed under the BECAP worked well in the beginning but due to the fund crisis, we could not incentivise them. I have directed forest officials concerned to find ways to ensure coordination,” he told this newspaper.

Amir said they have taken up a project to mitigate human-elephant conflict by reinstating the corridors.

“Some of the corridors are on private land. So, we will write to the government to acquire the private land so that elephant movements are secured.”

He added, “The project will cover three regions. If the ministry approves the project, we will be able to implement many of the action plans outlined in BECAP.”

Published : August 12, 2021

By : The Daily Star/ANN

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Vietnam administers record 1.4m doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, total crosses 11m mark

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam administered over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, the highest one-day increase since the country starts its vaccination campaign on March 8, according to the health ministrys report on Wednesday.

The total doses given in Việt Nam reached 11,341,864 and the number of fully vaccinated people crossed the mark of 1 million (1,036,102 specifically) as of Tuesday.

The country has currently received some 18.7 million doses of vaccines of various types, mostly AstraZeneca and Moderna.

Up to 2.5 million doses of Moderna along with 250,000 doses of Sinopharm, donated by the US and Chinese governments respectively, would remain in storage until second doses are given.

The health ministry said that 72 per cent of the received doses have been distributed.

According to the National Government Portal on COVID-19 Vaccination, HCM City, the epicentre of the fourth wave of infections and which has been allocated the most vaccines, is leading the race with over 3.5 million doses administered. The southern city has given at least one jab to 51.66 per cent of the official population over 18 years old (around 7 million).

Hà Nội, also the recipient of a large number of vaccines, has administered about 1.5 million doses, with 25.41 per cent of the population getting at least one vaccine shot.

Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long, during a meeting on Tuesday, has asked for close collaboration between the medical sector and the army as vaccines will come in great quantity especially in the final months of the year, including vaccines like Pfizer which need to be preserved in strict conditions.

The Health Ministry issued a document on scheduled allocation of vaccines for localities between now and year’s end to ensure vaccination progress.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Huy Dũng said more than 2.4 million people downloaded the electronic health record app.

Minister Long suggested the Ministry of Information and Communications soon launch a campaign to call on residents to download the app, fill in health declarations, register for vaccination, as well as issue vaccination certificates via software.

All 63 cities and provinces have so far updated data on the software. 

Helicopters to transport COVID-19 vaccines

Military forces are ready to be on duty around the clock and mobilise helicopters to transport COVID-19 vaccines to islands and disadvantaged areas, according to Deputy Minister of Defence Vũ Hải Sản.

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long said receiving, transporting and storing vaccines have been implemented resolutely by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the army. They established eight cold storages facilities to keep and preserve vaccines with a total capacity of 60 million doses.

He added that 63 trucks with cold storage capabilities have been delivered to the army to transport vaccines to localities as scheduled.

Deputy minister Sản added that the Ministry of Defence has mobilised and trained staff and prepared vehicles to be ready to transport vaccines when needed.

The ministry would have transportation plans right after more doses of vaccines arrive in Việt Nam, he said. — VNS

Published : August 12, 2021

By : Viet Nam News/ANN

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China maps out new blueprint on building of rule of law govt

BEIJING – China has set out an outline on promoting the building of a rule of law government from 2021 to 2025, on the basis of the successful implementation of a previous 5-year plan.

The document, jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, was made public Wednesday.

Identifying promoting the rule of law for government as the main task in advancing law-based governance in all areas, the document highlighted the guiding philosophies, principles, and overall goals of this cause for the next five years.

It urges improving government functions in various fields, including economic adjustment, market supervision, social management, public service, and environmental protection.

The government’s function in formulating development strategies, plans, policies and standards should strengthen. More legal and institutional efforts should curb unjust interventions in micro-economic activities, says the document.

It also specifies that the lists of power and duties of departments of the State Council should be formulated by the first half of 2022. The negative list for market access should also be strictly implemented.

On improving the law-based business environment, the plan calls for concrete efforts to prevent the administrative power from eliminating or stifling competition. It pledges improvements in the system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list for foreign investment. It also promises strengthened enforcement of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition laws.

It stresses pushing forward legislative activities and studies in key areas such as national security, bio-security, infectious diseases prevention and control, and digital economy.

The document calls for improved emergency response systems, including monitoring and early warning, information reporting, rapid response, restoration and investigation and assessment of relevant events.

Primary-level organizations and the public should be guided and regulated in participating in emergency response to enhance the capability of handling emergencies in accordance with the law, the outline says. It added that drills in this regard should be conducted regularly.

Systems of exercising oversight over administrative powers should improve, it says. It calls for greater transparency in government.

Also, it urges governments at all levels to promote law-based administration with the help of digital technologies, including the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence.

The document stresses strengthening the Party’s leadership for the building of a government based on the rule of law.

Published : August 12, 2021

By : China Daily/ANN

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U.S. gives Myanmar $50 mln in aid as humanitarian crisis worsens

WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) – The United States said on Tuesday it was giving Myanmar more than $50 million in aid as surging COVID-19 infections worsened a humanitarian crisis in the Southeast Asian country already reeling after generals overthrew a democratically elected government earlier this year.

It is also providing Thailand with $5 million to cope with novel coronavirus, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced the funding during a visit to Thailand, he added.

In Myanmar, the U.S. funding will aid “those forced to flee violence and persecution” as well as help groups provide health care services in addition to essentials such as food, shelter and water, the State Department said.

“This funding comes at a critical point of rising humanitarian needs and will help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the lives of the people of both Thailand and Burma,” Price said. “In the wake of the February 1 coup, people from Burma continue to flee their homes due to ongoing violence.”

Six months after the army seized power, Myanmar’s economy has collapsed and its health system has buckled as coronavirus cases surged.

COVID-19 cases peaked in Myanmar last month, with 3,824 new daily infections now reported on average, Reuters data show. It has seen 333,127 infections and 12,014 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began. 

In Thailand, the average number of new COVID-19 infections are at their peak, with more than 20,400 cases reported daily, according to Reuters data. 

Published : August 12, 2021

By : Eleven Media/ANN