Local groups, youth volunteers and seed committees will coordinate planting and monitoring across Shyamnagar, using native fruit, forest and medicinal species to strengthen fragile coastal ecosystems.
A campaign to plant one million indigenous tree seeds for coastal restoration was launched on Tuesday in Shyamnagar, a climate-vulnerable coastal upazila in Bangladesh’s southwestern Satkhira district, in support of the government’s national campaign to plant 250 million trees.
The campaign title “One Million Seeds Plantation for Coastal Restoration” initiative was inaugurated at 10:00 AM in front of Akashlina Eco Tourism Centre in Burigoalini Union of Shyamnagar.
The initiative is jointly organized by 128 people’s organizations, 25 youth organizations under the Shyamnagar Upazila Volunteer Association, the Green Coalition and the research organization BARCIK.
The event was chaired by Ms. Alpona Rani Mistri, a National Agriculture Award-winning farmer, and moderated by Md. Shahin Islam, Regional Coordinator of BARCIK.
Ms. Shamsuzzahan Konok, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Shyamnagar, attended as chief guest.
Special guests included Kalyan Banerjee, Adviser to the Satkhira Green Coalition; M. Belal Hossain, Joint General Secretary of the Green Coalition; Krishnananda Mukharjee, President of the Shyamnagar Upazila Green Coalition; Saifuddin Siddique, President of the Shyamnagar Upazila Volunteer Association; and Anannya Raj, Youth Leader.
Local government representatives, government officials, environmental activists, teachers, journalists, researchers, representatives of voluntary organizations, farmers, youth organizations, people’s organizations and seed donors also attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Shamsuzzahan Konok praised the initiative, saying the One Million Seeds Plantation Initiative was a timely and commendable effort that complements the Government of Bangladesh’s ambitious 250 Million Tree Plantation Campaign.
She said the initiative would make a significant contribution to protecting the coastal environment, biodiversity and natural ecosystems while strengthening climate resilience. She also assured participants of the local administration’s continued support.
During the event, she symbolically planted several indigenous tree seeds and a banyan sapling.
Kalyan Banerjee, Adviser to the Satkhira Green Coalition, said Bangladesh’s coastal areas are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, cyclones, storm surges, riverbank erosion and biodiversity loss due to climate change.
He said restoring coastal ecosystems through the plantation of one million indigenous fruit, forest and medicinal tree seeds represented an important nature-based solution for climate adaptation and environmental restoration.
Seed donor Rabindranath Mondal said he was optimistic that successfully planting one million indigenous tree seeds would help restore the coastal landscape, enhance biodiversity and create habitats for birds and other wildlife.
According to the organizers, approximately 700,000 indigenous tree seeds have already been collected and preserved, including jackfruit, black plum, known locally as Jamun, neem, tamarind, palmyra palm, date palm, mahogany, deodar, ashphal, banyan, Indian almond, sacred fig, known as Parash Pipal, and Arjun, among other native species.
They said 11-member Seed Plantation Committees had been formed in all 12 unions of Shyamnagar Upazila to coordinate plantation and monitoring activities.
With the official inauguration, plantation activities have now begun and will continue until the target of one million seeds is achieved.
Speakers at the event said, “Every seed planted today is the beginning of a future tree. Every tree is more than just greenery, it absorbs carbon, conserves biodiversity, protects soil and riverbanks, provides habitat for wildlife, and serves as a natural defense against the impacts of climate change.”
The organizers called on government agencies, civil society organizations, educational institutions, young people, environmental advocates and citizens from all walks of life to join the collective movement for restoring coastal ecosystems and building a greener, safer and more climate-resilient Bangladesh.
