Dhaka: The draft "Master Plan of Saint Martin's Island" has proposed restricting tourism to approximately 500 to 900 visitors per day within designated areas on the island. This measure aims to prevent ecological degradation on the country's sole coral island.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the plan also suggests limiting tourism activities to 4.1 km of beach in the General Use Zone to maintain conservation priorities. The island, a major tourist destination, sees visitor numbers ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 daily during the peak season from September to April. However, its limited area of 590 hectares cannot sustainably support such high tourist volumes.
The excessive influx of tourists has exceeded the island's carrying capacity, leading to development surpassing sustainable thresholds. This has resulted in several environmental challenges, including increased waste and sewage production, inadequate drainage systems, unregulated growth of resorts and restaurants, habitat degradation, and coral extraction. Additionally, issues such as persistent poverty, limited employment opportunities, unplanned infrastructure, and constraints in energy and eco-friendly transportation facilities have placed significant pressure on local ecosystems and the socio-economic stability of the resident community.
The Saint Martin's Master Plan, developed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, outlines a framework articulating the island's overarching vision, physical configuration, principal growth components, business rationale, delivery strategies, and guidelines for execution. The strategy includes both tangible and intangible interventions, focusing equally on socioeconomic progress and sustainable natural resource management.
After assessing primary community concerns and development priorities, nine sectors have been identified for the plan. It comprises 26 focused programmes across these sectors, designed for efficient implementation by relevant agencies. The identified sectors for development include 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 structured 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).
The ministry will receive the principal share of the Taka 547.9 million allocation. Implementation will include public sector projects, pending government endorsement and ADP funding, and private sector involvement in areas like biodiversity conservation, waste management, sustainable tourism, and coral reef protection. This multi-faceted approach aims to foster coordinated and sustainable development of the island's ecosystem.
The draft master plan, prepared to regulate unplanned tourism, protect the island's fragile environment, and ensure sustainable management, is available for public viewing on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's website (www.moefcc.gov.bd).