MID-TERM SCREENING AND SCOPING REPORT Volume 2: Mid-Term Scoping Report Prepared for the Strategic Environmental Assessment of South West Region of Bangladesh for Conserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the Sundarbans Dedication The SEA Team dedicates this report to our colleague and friend, Dr Jean Jean-Roger Mercier, who passed away on 5th July 2020 after a short illness. He gave us sage advice, guidance, wit and inspiration. We shall miss him. Acknowledgements This SEA was commissioned by the Bangladesh Forest Department of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change. The SEA Team is grateful to the SEA Project Director, Mr Md Zaheer Iqbal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, for his guidance and support. Grateful thanks are especially due to all those organisations and individuals who have provided information, advice and support, and participated in video-based meetings to discuss the approach and focus of the SEA. In particular, the team would like to thank colleagues in UNESCO for their sharing their perspectives on the SEA, IUCN for its support in identifying and sourcing materials concerning transboundary issues, and the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment for its advice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the conduct of the SEA. i ii Transparency Statement This Mid-Term Scoping Report is a product of the strategic environmental assessment of the South West Region and Sundarbans, It is intended to provide information on the scoping phase of the SEA and progress to date, and is produced in support policy-making, planning and decision- taking by the government of Bangladesh. It is intended as an open access document for sharing with all stakeholders, all those who have participated in the SEA process to date, and any other interested individuals or organisations. iii iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................... i Transparency Statement ............................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................... x Note on Mid-Term Screening and Scoping Report ............................................................................. xi Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................................. xiii Bengali Terms ............................................................................................................................................... xxi Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. xxiii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives of the SEA ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Steps in the overall SEA process ................................................................................................................. 5 1.4 What is Strategic Environmental Assessment ...................................................................................... 9 1.5 Kinds of impacts to be assessed by the SEA ........................................................................................11 1.6 The SEA team ....................................................................................................................................................11 2. The Scoping Phase of the SEA .......................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Aims of scoping and approach ..................................................................................................................13 2.2 Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the SEA ...................................................................13 2.3 Scoping activities conducted ......................................................................................................................14 2.3.1 Stakeholder analysis ..........................................................................................................................14 2.3.2 Thematic baseline papers ................................................................................................................14 2.3.3 Review of legal and regulatory framework ..............................................................................14 2.3.4 Survey of institutional capacities .................................................................................................15 2.3.5 Setting environmental and socio-economic objectives .......................................................15 2.3.6 Dedicated SEA website .....................................................................................................................15 2.3.7 SEA Prospectus ....................................................................................................................................15 2.3.8 Stakeholder consultations ...............................................................................................................16 2.3.9 Revision of list of key environmental, social and economic issues ................................16 2.3.10 Development of scenarios and consideration of alternatives ..........................................17 3. Baseline Conditions and Key Environmental and Socio-economic Issues in SW Region .................................................................................................................................................................... 19 v 3.1 Baseline theme papers .................................................................................................................................19 3.2 List of key environmental and socio-economic issues and concerns ........................................22 3.3 Key environmental issues ...........................................................................................................................25 3.3.1 Pollution and waste............................................................................................................................25 3.3.2 Water flow dynamics in rivers, river bank erosion, sedimentation and salinity .....39 3.3.3 Floods.......................................................................................................................................................50 3.3.4 Ecological issues ..................................................................................................................................53 3.3.5 Protected areas and hotspots ........................................................................................................59 3.3.6 Climate and climate change ............................................................................................................61 3.3.7 Industrialisation ..................................................................................................................................74 3.3.8 Urbanisation..........................................................................................................................................79 3.3.9 Land use ..................................................................................................................................................81 3.4 Key socio-economic issues ..........................................................................................................................86 3.4.1 Population dynamics .........................................................................................................................86 3.4.2 Livelihoods ............................................................................................................................................88 3.4.3 Migration ................................................................................................................................................92 3.4.4 Health and sanitation ........................................................................................................................95 3.4.5 Gender .....................................................................................................................................................97 3.4.6 Education ...............................................................................................................................................99 3.4.7 Culture, heritage and traditional knowledge ....................................................................... 101 3.4.8 Conflicts, power and security...................................................................................................... 102 3.4.9 Law and order ..................................................................................................................................