Bangladesh, a coastal developing nation with a diverse sustainable biodiversity of natural resources is currently focused upon by international communities as a result of its high potential of the coastal zone (CZ) with natural gas. Sustainable Coastal Zone Management (SCZM) is key to its national development. SCZM refers to the management of coastal resources in order to provide secure and alternative livelihoods, as well as to manage all types of coastal hazards and social and cultural well-being in order to ensure long-term productivity and minimize environmental impact. This paper aims to delineate the current initiatives and status of coastal management in Bangladesh, highlighting key issues such as climate changes, sea level rise, tropical cyclones, coastal and marine pollution, coastal erosions, saltwater intrusions, and mangrove degradations as well as the future trend in Bangladesh which will facilitate sustainable development by emphasizing the social, ecological, and economic pillars of sustainability. Unsustainable coastal development practices in Bangladesh are going to damage the coastal ecosystems, particularly mangrove forests and coral reefs, which provide protection against tropical cyclones caused by global climate change and coastal erosions. The paper concludes by outlining a roadmap toward achieving SCZM in Bangladesh. The road to achieving SCZM requires collaboration, integration of scientific research, policy frameworks, community engagement, capacity building, and long-term commitment from all stakeholders involved. So, it is required to address all kinds of coastal issues and reframes all existing coastal management practices to ensure a healthy productive ecosystem to achieve SCZM as well as the sustainable development of the country.
Keywords: Coastal development; Coastal hazards; Coastal resources; Coastal zone; Environmental impact; Mangrove forests; Sea level rise; Sustainable management; Tropical cyclones.
© 2023 The Author(s).