Table of Contents

Content Page No.

Introduction 2
History 3-4
Activities 4-6
services 6-9
objectives 9-11
On going projects 12
vision 12
Mission 13-14
Other events 14-16
Limitation 16
Recommendation 17
Conclusion 17-18

Introduction

Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is an independent, non-profit, non-

government, policy, research, and implementation institute working on sustainable
development (SD) at local, national, regional and global levels. BCAS addresses
sustainable development through four interactive themes: (a) environment-

1
development integration, (b) good governance and people’s participation, (c) poverty
alleviation and sustainable livelihoods, and (d) economic growth, public-private
partnership and sustainable market.

BCAS envisions promoting people-centred sustainable development by applying and

advancing scientific, technical and local knowledge through research, by developing
models, demonstration, policy advocacy and project implementation. To achieve the
goal, BCAS gives great importance to integration of environment and development,
promoting people’s participation and good governance, encouraging rapid economic
growth, and facilitating public-private partnership for poverty alleviation and
sustainable livelihoods. BCAS is committed to develop southern perspectives, ensure
north-south dialogue and environmental justice and access to resources and
knowledge for the poor. Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is an
independent, non-profit, non-government policy, research and implementation
institute working on Sustainable Development (SD) at local, national, regional and
global level.

To achieve the vision of BCAS to promote people-centered sustainable development

by exchanging and maximizing knowledge among the different actors and
stakeholders, to generate innovative ideas and approaches adaptive to socio-cultural,
economic and bio-physical systems and initiation of community actions through
participatory research and effective policy advocacy over hundred full-time and part-
time staff among whom there are two dozens of senior professionals, more than three
dozens of mid level professionals and researchers work at BCAS at different
capacities under ten active divisions working on Natural Resources Management
(NRM), Environment and Development, Renewable and Conventional Energy, Social
and Economic Issues, Trade and Sustainable Development, Livelihoods and Poverty
Reduction Strategies, Global Change and Human Dimensions, Policy Analysis and
Training, Governance and Advocacy, Publication and Outreach. Various projects and
activities are carried out through out the year under each division.

2
 History

Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is an independent, non-profit making

non-governmental research organization. It was initiated in 1984 and started its first
major activities in 1986. It is one of the leading Bangladeshi policy institutes working on:

· Integrating Environment and Development, EID (Resource Management, Environment

and Development - RMED);
· Governance and Peoples Participation - GPP; and
· Rapid Economic Growth (REG).

Bangladesh centre for advance studies for Environment Education was created in
recognition of the importance of environmental education in Bangaldesh overall
environment and development strategy. It was established in 1986, and over the 20 years,
it has grown to become a leading research institute in the non-government sector in
Bangladesh and South Asia. It works using interactive approaches and multiple
methodologies. BCAS has been registered with the Social Welfare Department as well as
NGO Affairs Bureau of Government of Bangladesh. Dr. Atiq Rahman, Executive
Director has been awarded “Champion of the Earth” for year 2008 by the UNEP.

At the time it began its activities, it was perhaps the only organization actively engaged in
environmental education in the country. While carrying out programmes in different parts
of the country. Within five years of activities, it was realized that for a country as vast
asBangladesh and its diversity, physical presence was important for effective
implementation. Based on this, the first regional office was opened for the Sothern region
in 1991-92. Since then it has been a conscious effort to have an office or presence in the
geographical area of work

At present BCAS has over hundred full-time and some part-time staffs working in
different capacities. It has a core active management unit guided by a board of directors.
BCAS has two dozens of senior professionals and scientists, more than three dozens of
mid-level professionals and researchers. It has 6/7 programmes working on Natural

3
Resources Management (NRM), Environment and Development, Renewable and
Conventional Energy, Social and Economic Issues, Trade and Sustainable Development,
Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction Strategies, Global Change and Human Dimensions,
Policy Analysis and training, Governance and Advocacy, Publication and Outreach.

Activities

Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) work at different levels -

Local and Grass-roots Level

At the local level, BCAS works with communities through eco-specific participatory
management processes. BCAS has established eco-specific research canters in different
parts of country such as the Wetlands Research and Training Centre (WRTC) in Chanda
Beel in the Modhumati Floodplain to develop natural resource management capability with
active participation of local communities, initiated diffusion of renewable energy technology
(solar photovoltaic) among the islands dwellers in the River Meghna, integrated local level
Water Resources Management Study Centre in Tangail, fisheries resource enhancement
through community husbandry in Maulavibazar, Gazipur, and Sherpur, providing
Environmental Education to non-formal schools in Dhaka, Gazipur and Chanda Beel areas.

National Level

At the national level, BCAS has spearheaded and initiated numerous activities, along with
others, including the National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP), Sustainable
Environment Management Programmed (SEMP), National Conservation Strategy (NCS),
New Fisheries Management Programmes, different aspects of Social Forestry, Integrated
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Strategy, New Fisheries Management Policy, Monitoring
and Evaluation of Third Fisheries Project of the Government of Bangladesh, Fourth Fisheries
Project, and Bangladesh State of Environment Report 2001. It has also carried out several
national level studies on climate change issues including Vulnerability Assessment for
Bangladesh to Climate Change and Sea Level Rise, Bangladesh Climate Change Study
under USCCS, Asia Least-cost Greenhouse Gases Abatement Strategy (ALGAS). It also
works closely and carried out numerous studies and advisory inputs for the government of
Bangladesh, particularly with the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Department of

4
Environment, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Council, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Local Government
and Engineering Department. Along with these BCAS has also been involved in a number of
collaborative research and initiatives with leading Bangladeshi NGOs including BRAC,
Grameen Bank, Grameen Shakti, Proshika etc.

Regional Level

At the regional level, BCAS is the secretariat for the Climate Action Network South Asia
(CANSA) working on Climate Change related issues. BCAS publishes CANSA’s Newsletter
“Clime Asia”. BCAS is also working as the secretariat of the South Asia Sustainable
Livelihood Forum. BCAS is the international wing of Centre for Environment Education
(CEE), it is also a member of Regional and International Networking Group (RING) in South
Asia. BCAS has undertaken a number of collaborative research and policy advocacy on
sustainable livelihoods, trade and environment, climate change, civil society initiatives on
sustainable development and community action, and environmental, socially responsible
public-private partnership and intergovernmental input in World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD).

International Level

At the international level, BCAS is involved in a number of collaborative research, policy

analysis and advocacy including North South Dialogue (NSD) on Climate Change, Global
Compact Initiative under aegis of UN as RING member. BCAS participated in all the
preparatory meetings of UNCED in Rio and WSSD in Johannesburg as a NGO
representative, where it also played a key role in giving advice to the government
delegations. BCAS provides secretarial support to Global Forum on Environment and Poverty
(GFEP) originated during the Earth Summit in Rio. As a centre of excellence from the south,
BCAS has been involved in the process of formulation and reporting on all Global
Environment Outlook (GEO) Reports of UNEP. Scientists of BCAS are actively involved in
promoting science for sustainable development under the auspices of Pug wash and other
movements.

Services

• Climate Change

5
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) has rightly recognized climate change as
global environmental issue and start working at beginning of the institute. The institute was
involved and lead climate change related country studies in association other national level
organizations. It has in-house capacity in terms of relevant skilled human resources,
computerized software, other analytical tools such as Geographic Information System (GIS),
Spatial Analytical Modules to carryout activities related to emission inventory, analyze technical,
social and economic cost-benefits of mitigation options using LEAP and MARKEL, assess
impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change and sea level rise, develop climate
change scenarios by employing IPCC recommended General Circulation Models (GCM),
assess possible adaptation options and their likely contribution to achieving sustainable
development of the country etc. Recently it has acquired MAGICC and SCENGEN model for
generating climate change scenario for Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments. At present
six in-house personnel working in climate change division and two of them gave inputs in the
Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at
different level.

BCAS is the secretariat for the Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) consisting of
fourteen non-governmental organizations in South Asia working on Climate Change related
issues and publishes a Journal “Clime Asia”.

• Environmental Studies

Integrating Environment and Development for facilitating Sustainable Development is one of

the primary aims of Environmental Studies Group. Key objectives of Environmental Studies
Group are to increase understanding and scientific knowledge of integrated environmental
assessment, risk assessment, environmental resources and livelihoods, policy advocacy, and
environment and development discourse. The group works at global, regional, national, sub-
regional, municipal and local level on different aspects of environment and development. The
group is providing inputs on regular basis to Global Environmental Outlook and State of
Environment Reporting, as BCAS is one of the South Asian Collaborating Centres of United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The group closely works with Department of
Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) of the Government of Bangladesh.
Over the last decade and half the group has produced a number of reports, and published a
number of books on environmental issues and concerns of Bangladesh.

6
• Natural Resource Management

The Natural Resource Management (NRM) group works on resource management,

protection and conservation for improving livelihoods of the rural community and facilitating
sustainable development of the country. Key approach for the natural resource management,
protection, and conservation adopted by the group is community involvement in planning and
management. This approach enables the group to bring local level knowledge, need and
process of involvement for bridging gaps between top-down and bottom-up planning and
management. Over the last decade the group has conducted a number of studies on
resource assessment, management practices, and established community based
management of fish sanctuaries. The group is also promoting alternative livelihoods options
at community level to reduce pressures on natural resource base and ecosystem services.

• Energy

Energy division is one of the leading pioneers. Aiming at the capacity building in the policy,
research and advocacy on conventional and renewable energy in Bangladesh, a good number
of renowned scientists and specialists in the line of energy have been working in this Division.
It has a good number of reports and publications. A six monthly newsletter named, Bangladesh
Renewable Energy Newsletter, is being published from this division. Besides these, a book on
solar energy is going to be published soon. Energy division has completed a number of national

and international projects.

The energy division has a vision:

• To develop ideas and models aiming at resources management, environment

protection and institution development with an approach towards sustainable energy.

• To help direct and formulate policies and programmes related to energy and
environment.

• GIS Division

The Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is the leading non-government
scientific research and policy institute working on Resource Management, Environment and
Development issues. As part of its resource and information base the Natural Resource
Information Centre (NRIC) has been set up within BCAS having all the books, journals,
videos, photographs, computer databases and other information sources. In 1993 a PC
based Geographical Information System (GIS) consisting of IDRISI and ARC/INFO software
and 486DX PC computer, digitizing tables, color plotters and printers were acquired and

7
expert and technical level personnel trained in their use at the East West Centre, Honolulu,
Hawaii as well as in Dhaka. The purpose of the GIS capability is to give support not only to
on going and future BCAS projects but also act as a training centre for Universities, Research
Institutes, NGOs, Government and Private Sector in the application of GIS as well as provide
GIS services to clients including NGOs, Government, Private Sector, Donors etc. During its
short period of existence the GIS centre has already made some notable achievements in
these regards.

• Publication & Documentation

BCAS has a strong Publication and Documentation division which has been working for
more than one decade with a board of experts having expertise in the field of quality
documentation and dissemination. This division consists of editorial members led by a Chief
Editor. During documentation and publication of any report, book, newsletters and Journal,
the total responsibility is on the editorial board. The members of the editorial board are
designated as editors. The editors contribute in this division by carrying out the assignments
given upto them. Sometimes, the editorial board members also can contribute in any
publication by providing articles, news, chapter etc. All the materials are thoroughly edited
and finalized the chief editor.

In this purpose, this Division has a Desk Top Publication where all materials are composed
and layout-designed is done by a skilled computer operator. For divisional development
there is a Publication, Committee (PDLC) of 4 members headed by a Committee
Chairperson who work to ensure the timely and quality output of the Division.

• Fisheries Division

The fisheries division of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) has been one of the old division
of BCAS and working since 1987. Late Dr. Mohammad Yourself Ali, one of the top most fishery scientist in
South Asia was the head of division from 1987 to 1998. This division regularly engages fisheries experts
and researchers in planning/designing fisheries related studies/research including data collection and
analysis to prepare reports, working papers and seminar paper and to give feed back to the government in
policy formulation and implementation for fisheries and water sectors. This division has four field research

8
stations in four different environmental zones in Bangladesh e.g., Gopalganj, Tangail, Pabna and Cox’s
Bazar Districts.

Projects and Key Activities: Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies has prioritized fisheries
as an important area of activities on the basis that the fishery sector offers employment and livelihood for
millions of people and contributes significantly to National economy. This division works both individually
and jointly with a number of National and International Universities and Research Organizations and
Development partners in Bangladesh. It has also established an excellent relationship with the Department
of Fisheries, Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) Bangladesh. From
its very inception, BCAS has been involved in studies, monitoring, evaluation, database management,
training of government officials and NGO workers in the field of fisheries management. This division has
published a number of key books, reports and scientific monographs.

Objectives:
1) The Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is a private, non-profit research
and policy institute. It was established in 1986 and over the years has grown to become a
leading research and policy institute in the non-government sector working on
environment and development related issues in both the national and international areas.

2) The organization is presently serving as:

a. A leading Bangladesh organization working on resource management,
environment and development (RMED) and sustainable development
issues;

b. A focal point of the existing, but often diffused, intellectual and scientific
energy and manpower to develop national capability to address and focus
on RMED issues particularly in multi-disciplinary are as

c. A policy institute or think-tank to address RMED and sustainable

development issues.

9
d. The Major aims and objectives of BCAS can briefly be outlined as
follows.

e. To provide strong incentives in the form of a congenial working

atmosphere and adequate remuneration to Bangladeshi scientists,
technologists and other experts to produce high equality work within the
country;

f. To attract Bangladeshi experts residing abroad to return home;

g. To collaborate and maintain liaison with scientists and institutions of other

countries and international organizations

h. To help provide Bangladesh experts for engagement as advisors to the

various departments of the government of Bangladesh as well as foreign
agencies and international institutions;

i. To arrange training programmes on specialized and newly emerging

subjects to be carried out both locally and abroad with national and
international experts and organize appropriate programmes for the
country's needs and conditions;

j. To perform work of charity in the field of advancement of scientific

education and research and undertake fundamental as well as applied
research in the fields of natural and social sciences;

k. To promote a greater scientific awareness among the general public and to

further multi-disciplinary scientific research on issues of national
importance;

l. To organize conferences, seminars and lectures and form study groups and
training programmes on subjects of national importance;

10
 m. To bring out publications including books, journals, newsletters and
monographs and to disseminate the results of its research;

n. To invite scholars, scientists and other eminent personalities to visit the

centre and avail of its facilities to conduct research;

o. To award prizes, scholarships and other incentives to outstanding

scientists, technologists and scholars; and

p. To offer its resources to establish linkages between various intra-

governmental institutions involved in Resource Management Environment
and Development (RMED).

Recent Research Publication of the Organization (1996-99):

1) Bangladesh Environmental Newsletter.
2) Bangladesh Paribesh Parikrama (Bangla BEN).
3) Bangladesh Renewable Energy Newsletter.
4) Clime Asia.

Future Plan of Research:

 Environment and Poverty Linkages.
 Global Climate Change Impacts and Strategies.
 Ecosystem based Participatory Management.
 Environmental Impacts Assessment and Monitoring.

On-going Research Projects:

• Community Based Resource Management in Madhumati Floodplain/
BCAS/SEMP-2.2.1/ B-2.

11
 • Environmental Awareness and Monitoring at Grass-roots Level
Project/SEMP/ADAB.

• State of Environment Data Collection and Reporting/UNEP.

• Management of Aquatic-Ecosystem through Community Husbandry (MACH-

Project)/ USAID.

• Preparation of GIS database for DIC on three words through Geodesic.

• Fourth Fisheries Project-Shrimp Component/ DFID/ULG.

• Solar Energy Project with REB.

• Wetlands Resource Management Training Centre.

• Environmental Education for the Primary School Students with Netherlands

Embassy.

Vision

BCAS envisions to promote people-centred sustainable development by applying and

advancing scientific, technical and local knowledge through research, by developing models,
demonstration, policy advocacy and project implementation. To achieve the goal, BCAS gives
great importance to integration of environment and development, promoting people’s
participation and good governance, encouraging rapid economic growth, and facilitating public-
private partnership for poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods. BCAS is committed to
develop southern perspectives, ensure north-south dialogue and environmental justice and
access to resources and knowledge for the poor.

Mission

12
 BCAS believes that exchange of knowledge and people’s wisdom are the most cost effective
agents to bring about changes for sustainable development. Maximizing knowledge among
different actors and stakeholders, generation of innovative ideas and approaches adaptive to
socio-cultural, economic, and bio-physical systems and, initiation of community actions through
participatory research and effective policy advocacy can promote people-centred sustainable
development for local, national, regional and international communities. Following are the key
missions of the institute:

• to develop ideas and models aiming at resource management, environment and

development as an approach towards sustainable development;

• to ensure people’s and community participation in planning, implementation and

management of resources to enhance resilience of natural and human system;

• to direct and formulate policy and programmes through gathering and updating
information and knowledge by empirical researches and actions;

• to undertake collaborative research with scientists in both national and international

organizations to share knowledge, innovation and experience;

• to motivate and facilitate private sectors in cleaner production, pollution management,

sustainable trade for improving inner and outer environmental conditions;

• to strengthen and build capacity of civil society, private and public sectors in the areas of
natural resource management, environment, trade, human resource development and
sustainable development through enhancing knowledge and access to resources;

• to provide advise to various agencies and departments of the Government of

Bangladesh, development partners and international institutions on NRM, SD, energy,
Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), environment and poverty;

• to upgrade public awareness and influence policy decisions through information

dissemination, policy dialogue, lobbying, networking,training, workshop, seminar and symposium
etc.;

• to bring out publications including books, newsletters and monographs and to

disseminate the results and findings of various research and initiatives;

• to undertake inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research activities using a series of

methodologies.

13
Other Events:

• Training on climate change

All the Champions attended training on climate change from 10 - 16 November in Dhaka,
where they met 15 climate champions from Bangladesh. The training was delivered by
Bangladesh Centre of Advanced studies (BCAS). They also visited areas where the
community is affected by climate change.

• Road to Copenhagen

Kanchan Shrestha and Amita Thapa from Kathmandu Nepal represented Nepal and other
International Climate Champions to Copenhagen to make their voice heard as world
leaders gather for the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference in a bid to reach an
international agreement on reducing global gas emissions.

Their were other two hundred Climate Champions from more than forty countries
worldwide to attend the widely anticipated international summit (COP15) in Denmark
between 7 – 18 December, 2009, as part of the British Council’s Climate Champions
programmed.

• Training on film making

Two film makers from Bangladesh came to Nepal on last week of March to provide
Digital Film making training to the selected Champions. This training will give an
opportunity to capture real time videos of their respective communities and bring back
useful footages that reflect the adverse effects of climate change in Nepal which in turn
will give us the necessary footages for our Film on Climate Change due to start on
March.

14
 • Seminar on Water and Climate Change
Living in a safe environment must be considered as a fundamental right of people and
should be incorporated in the constitution of Bangladesh in addition to the existing
fundamental rights,‰ said Mr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP and chairman of the
Parliamentary Committee on Environment while addressing a seminar on Water and
Climate Change in celebration of the World Environment Day on 5th June 2009 at the
Osmani Memorial Hall, Dhaka.
• The Key Outcomes of the Training
• Participants got better understanding about impacts of climate change on water
resources which would provide them necessary knowledge to teach their students;
• Participants gained practical knowledge about climate change impacts through field
visit and exchange with local community; and
• The main outcome of the training was development of teaching modules.
- Mehrab Chowdhury
Bangladesh Environmental Newsletter Vol. 19 No. 1 December 2009 7
• Workshops & Seminars of the Devastating Cyclone Aila hit Bangladesh:
The flood water and many People were missing throughout the country. The areas and
districts were affected by the cyclone Aila in West Bengal of India includes East
Midnapur, Howra, Hoogly, Burdwan, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata. In the West
Bengal state more than 100000 people were left homeless and 100 embankments were
breached by the storm and vast areas of inland were flooded causing huge damage to
assets and resources including damage of standing crops on 50000 hectares of
agricultural land.
• Environmental and Health Situation
The health official in Bangladesh confirmed a deadly out break of diarrohea with 7000
people being infected. Another out break of water born disease like dysentery and skin
disease had infected thousands of people and an estimated 20 million people were at risk
of post disaster diseases due to Aila. The Sunderbans was inundated with 20ft. of water
for which it is assumed that dozens of the tigers were feared to had drowned in AilaÊs
storm surge along with thousands of deer and crocodiles. The affected people in the
regions faced the main problems of hunger, poverty and scarcity of food and safe

15
drinking water. All fresh water sources including ponds and tube wells were badly
affected

Limitation:

• A small team of three leading members supports the Executive Director for rapid
response.

• In different perspectives and assists in making quick decisions.

• Inter-group, crosscutting services groups input is required or multiple disciplines or

complex projects arise.

• Enable greater participation and ownership and yet responses and decisions can be
rapid.

• Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves

• Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring

• Sometimes irrelevant publication or studies

• Lack of market development

• Lack of standardized technology

• Lack of authorized people

• Lack environmental resources

Recommendation:

• A vision for the future.

16
• The future economy: creating growth and jobs.

• Investing in people.

• The urbanized future: strategy and infrastructure.

• The sustainable development challenge: environmental and natural resources

management.

• Managing water resources.

• Building infrastructure for rapid growth.

• Financing the future

• Properly relalizing the people

• To overcome the social barierrs

• Anything monitoring and performance justify the work.

• More than a hundred publications published from BCAS.

• Increaes the standized technology

• Action resarch to develop methodology, and capture learning

• Awareness raising and capacity building

CONCLUSION
For natural resource protection and sustainable development policy to succeed it is very
important that NGOs, research institutes, the private sector and government agencies
work together. As market forces and globalization become more prominent, the role of
the private sector is likely to assume ever-greater importance. Hence, NGOs will have to
learn to work with them along with the government and communities. Use of knowledge
and communication tools such as internet and websites has expanded rapidly and this
trend is set to continue. Already a number of campaigns have been driven by the internet.

17
International NGOs have much experience and knowledge in advocacy on sustainable
development, natural resources management, livelihood, people’s participation etc.
Any new campaign should build on their existing knowledge, maximize networking and
adopt previous experience and output.
The way ahead for the participatory approaches to natural resource management, social
mobilization and sustainable development involving communities is to formalize the
rights and partnership and to promote best practices of successful projects and
programmed. The strengthening of resource or area based networks of NGOs will also
complement sustainable development and resource management efforts. The synergy
between an emerging local government, people’s knowledge, private sector and the
dedication that NGOs offer is the best hope for improved resource management and
sustainable development in the future. For advocacy campaigns to succeed people’s
participation combined with accurate analysis, the right cause in terms of the importance
to society and a well-constructed communication strategy are key elements of a
successful campaign. A few centers of excellence and knowledge based
NGOs have emerged in Bangladesh with significant sustainable development policy
analysis experience and are well connected to international institutes. These could be
used to continue to influence policy processes and to develop integrated resource
management plans for sustainable development. Advocacy campaigns take place with
varying degrees of success. However, there have been very few evaluations undertaken to
try to pull together the lessons learnt. This report attempts to begin this process based on
experience of actual activism and deep involvement in sectors of sustainable
development, natural resource management, environmental justice and social
mobilization.

18