As part of dRi’s Knowledge Sharing Session, we were pleased to welcome A B M SarowarAlam, Wildlife Biologist and Conservation Practitioner, and Programme Manager, Species and Habitats, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, as well as the National Red List Coordinator for Bangladesh, for an engaging journey through nearly two decades of working with Bangladesh’s natural heritage.
Drawing from his experiences in some of the country’s most challenging and remote landscapes, Mr. Alam took us across the Sundarbans, haors, forests, wetlands, rivers, hills, coastal ecosystems and marine environments, sharing stories from the field and insights into the diverse wildlife that inhabits them.He began by reflecting on how his journey started and took us through years of bird surveys and bird ringing, working with rare and threatened bird species, and studying migratory birds to better understand their migration and survival. Through satellite tracking of migratory ducks, he shared fascinating stories of individual birds and the journeys they undertake across borders and ecosystems.
The session also brought stories of some of Bangladesh’s most remarkable species and wildlife initiativesfrom the Pallas’s Fish Eagle and vultures at the feeding station in Rema-Kalenga, to expeditions in the Swatch of No Ground Marine Protected Area, tracking marine turtles, tagging crocodiles, and exploring the forests of Kasalong through camera trapping and field expeditions.He also shared experiences from tiger and other wild cat monitoring, elephant tracking, and efforts to understand and reduce human-elephant conflict.Beyond species and landscapes, the session offered a glimpse into what it really means to work in hard-to-reach areas: the challenges of fieldwork, the patience required to observe wildlife, and how technology, research and long-term field experience can help us understand the lives of animals and the ecosystems they depend on.
At dRi, we believe knowledge becomes more meaningful when it is shared through experience, evidence and stories. We are grateful to Mr. A B M SarowarAlam for taking us on this fascinating journey through Wild Bangladesh and giving us a closer look at the work, discoveries and stories behind wildlife research.
