Master plan to propose 500-900 tourists in St. Martin‍‍`s Island per day

The draft "Master Plan of Saint Martin‍‍`s Island" has proposed limiting tourism to about 500 to 900 visitors per day within designated areas in the country‍‍`s lone coral island aiming to prevent ecological degradation there. 

It also suggested restricting tourism activities to 4.1 km of beach in the General Use Zone to maintain conservation priorities.

Tourism serves as a primary attraction for the Saint Martin‍‍`s Island, especially during the peak season from September to April, when daily visitor numbers range between 3,000 and 7,000. However, the island‍‍`s limited area of 590 hectares is insufficient to accommodate such high tourist volume in a sustainable manner. 

This excessive influx has exceeded the island‍‍`s carrying capacity, resulting in development that surpasses sustainable thresholds. 

The associated environmental challenges including increased waste and sewage production, inadequate drainage systems, unregulated growth of resorts and restaurants, habitat degradation, coral extraction, persistent poverty, limited alternative employment opportunities, unplanned infrastructure, and constraints in energy and eco-friendly transportation facilities have collectively placed significant pressure on both local ecosystems and the socio-economic stability of the resident community.

The Saint Martin‍‍`s Master Plan, formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, entailed the formulation of a framework that articulates the island‍‍`s overarching vision, physical configuration, principal growth components, business rationale, delivery strategies, and guidelines for execution. 

The strategy outlined in the plan encompasses both tangible and intangible interventions, placing equal importance on socioeconomic progress and sustainable natural resource management. Following an assessment of primary community concerns and development priorities, nine sectors have been identified for the plan, which comprises 26 focused programmes across the nine sectors designed for efficient implementation by relevant agencies. 

The sectors that have been identified for the development of the programme are: Sustainable Tourism Management; Conservation of Fish Resources and Benthic Communities; Protection of Coral Resources and Associated Flora and Fauna; Conservation of Turtles and Nesting Sites; Terrestrial Flora and Fauna Development and Preservation; Waste Management; Groundwater Management; Enhancement of Internal Road Communication and Green Infrastructure; and Livelihood Improvement Initiatives. 

Implementation is organised into short-term (1-3 years), medium-term (1-5 years), and long-term (1-10 years) actions. The total estimated investment amounts to Taka 547.9 million, allocated across 12 high-priority programmes (Taka 194.5 million), 3 top-priority initiatives (Taka 115.0 million, 8 medium-level undertakings (Taka 138.4 million), and 3 low-priority actions ( Taka 100 million).

With a total allocation of Taka 547.9 million, the ministry will receive the principal share of funding. Implementation will encompass public sector projects, subject to government endorsement and ADP funding, in addition to private sector involvement in areas such as biodiversity conservation, waste management, sustainable tourism, and coral reef protection. This multi-faceted approach fosters coordinated and sustainable development of the island‍‍`s ecosystem.

The draft master plan, which was prepared to regulate unplanned tourism, protect the island‍‍`s fragile environment, and ensure sustainable management, has been uploaded on the notice board of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change‍‍`s website (www.moefcc.gov.bd) for public access.

All relevant ministries, departments, agencies, stakeholders, and commoners are requested to submit their written feedback on the draft plan by December 20 next to the email address - env2@moefcc.gov.bd.