In celebration of World Environment Day, Bonayan, the largest private sector-driven afforestation program in Bangladesh, is set to distribute 5 million saplings nationwide. This initiative marks Bonayans 44th year of significant contributions to environmental restoration.
Bangladesh faces increasing challenges from climate change, including severe cyclones, floods, heat waves, and desertification. Trees play a crucial role in mitigating these impacts, and afforestation programs are vital for disaster mitigation and environmental protection. Bonayan has been at the forefront of these efforts for over four decades.
World Environment Day, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is the largest international event for the environment, inspiring governments and stakeholders to take action to preserve our planet.
Aligned with the Bangladesh Governments strategic vision to combat climate change, Bonayan has prepared 5 million saplings across 19 nurseries nationwide. This effort complements United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) # 15 (Life on Land), which calls for actions to increase the area of tree-covered land to 25% in relation to the total land area of Bangladesh by 2030.
"World Environment Day comes as an opportunity to remind us of the necessity of taking a cohesive and comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship. This year, again, we will distribute 5 million saplings under our afforestation initiative, underscoring our dedication to fostering a better tomorrow.
Sustainability is at the heart of our journey, and we are proud to have the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the government to strengthen afforestation efforts across the country to restore the ecosystem. We believe that by working together, we can achieve the target of 25 per cent land-to-tree ratio in time," said Ahmed Raihan Ahsanullah, Spokesperson of the Bonayan program.
Inspired by a philosophy of responsible business operation, Bonayan started its afforestation journey in 1980 with a view to combatting the impacts of climate change and creating a greener environment. So far, 125 million fruit, forestry, and medicinal saplings have been distributed (free of cost), and 119 medicinal corners have been established nationwide under this program. Currently, Bonayan is operating its project in 24 districts across the country, including Dhaka, Mymensingh, Manikganj, Tangail, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Lalmonirhat, Natore, Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Meherpur, Jashore, Chattogram, Bandarban, Khagrachari, Coxs Bazar, Rangamati and Noakhali (Bhasanchar).
Owing to its impacts on the overall ecosystem and biodiversity, Bonayan has garnered several accolades both locally and internationally over the years, including the Prime Ministers National Award (five times), the Chief Advisers National Award, SDG Brand Championship Award 2023, the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award on Green Leadership from Enterprise Asia and Bangladesh Innovation Award 2021 in the SDG inclusion category.
Bonayan will continue its journey and keep working with other stakeholders, including government agencies and private organisations, to step up its efforts for building a better tomorrow for all.
