Data are the lifeblood of decision making, and quality data are essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: To manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. To ensure that the Government of Bangladesh can rely on the indicators generated for SDG 15, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with technical support from FAO, organized a two-day national training workshop to improve data integrity.

The workshop brought together 85 national professionals from agencies involved with providing data and statistics for monitoring SDG 15 indicators. Participants identified performance gaps and devised solutions to better generate, reference, share, archive, and report the SDG 15 indicators, as well as indicators for other SDGs.

One of the major challenges identified in the workshop for achieving SDG 15 is the unavailability of baseline data. For example, in his presentation, Mr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Joint Director, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics mentioned that only 8 out of 14 indicators for SDG 15 had baseline data. Other challenges that were identified include lack of guidance to generate new data, outdated data, limited tools and methods for data disaggregation, lack of coordination in data sharing among agencies, and lack of knowledge about international metadata standards. Proposed solutions included measures to improve interagency coordination, technical training for surveys and metadata, and developing guidelines for preparing SDG data.

Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Principal Coordinator, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office said that “Bangladesh is moving towards achieving SDG in a structured way and the only country who has developed Delta Plan 2100”. He also mentioned that everyone should understand their own responsibility not only at institutional level but also from root level so that we all can contribute.

Dr. Shamsul Alam, Member (Senior Secretary), General Economics Division, Bangladesh  Planning Commission reminded that GED is the only focal point in Bangladesh to generate, analyze and report data on SDG indicators, but that extensive work needs to be undertaken on the statistical standards and methodologies before we  have the necessary data. Mr. Mohammed Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Department said: “Sustainable development ensures intergenerational equity. Development must be ecofriendly and consumption must be less than sustainable yield without hampering the environment”

Abul Kalam Azad, Principal Coordinator, SDG Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, was the chief guest. S.M. Munjurul Hannan Khan, Additional Secretary (Development), MoEFCC, chaired the workshop. A K M Rafique Ahammed, Director General, Department of Environment, and Shamsul Alam, Member (Senior Secretary), General Economics Division, were special guests along with FAO Representative in Bangladesh, Robert D Simpson.