Star Online Report
The oil tanker that sank in Shela river in the Sundarbans on December 9. Photo: Star
“It is an initial report over the oil spill in the Sundarbans and the final one will be made public after two weeks,” Emilia Wahlstrom told reporters at a press briefing held at the Surma Hall of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka this afternoon.
UNDP and Bangladesh government will work together to ensure ecological balance in the world largest mangrove forest, Wahlstrom added.
From the environmental perspective, traffic through the valued and biodiverse Sundarbans World Heritage Site should be avoided. A number of factors limited the impact of the oil spill, the shipping of oil through a sensitive environment present a serious risk to both the envioronment and the communities that depend on it for their livelihood –appropriate safeguards and mitigation measures need to be put in place before opening the route to traffic, She said.
Based on the mission’s observation, there is limited immediate environmental impact to the mangrove and aquatic ecosystems, Wahlstrom added.
Emilia
Wahlstrom addresses a press briefing at the Surma Hall of Pan Pacific
Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. A team of UN experts led by Wahlstrom is
studying the impact of recent oil spill in the Sundarbans. Photo: Star
As per the action plan (of the Sundarbans oil spill response mission), the team today came up with the findings and recommendations on the basis of the site assessments and interviews with the affected people in and around the Sundarbans.
