Bangladesh is a land of wetlands. Basically, most of them are freshwater wetlands and have great influence on the primary economic activities such as agriculture and fisheries of the country. Due to its important role in the harmonizing ecosystem, wetlands demand much attention as a significant part of our environment. Matasagar and Sukhsagar are very important historical wetlands of Bangladesh. But those are endangered today due to lack of public awareness of the dangers of their activities to the environment and unbridled profit making activities of the commercial users of the wetlands. Comparisons of maps and Google images from 1933 to present have shown that the forest areas of the wetlands have been progressively destroyed, and these have greatly affected the biodiversity of these areas mentioned. GIS (Geographic Information System) and remote sensing techniques are used to identify the changes in the aerial extent of those wetlands. This study also tried to explore present environmental conditions by in-situ observation. This is high time; some serious steps should be taken to ensure the conservation and preservation of these areas mentioned.
References
[1]
(2016) Department of Environmental Protection State of Florida Glossary. State of Florida.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/about/glossary.htm
[2]
An Introduction to the Convention on Wetlands (Previously The Ramsar Convention Manual). Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland. Ramsar Convention Hand Book 1, 5th Edition, 9.
[3]
Akonda, A.W. (1989) Wetlands of Bangladesh. In: Scott, D.A., Ed., A Directory of Asian Wetlands, IUCN, Switzerland, 684 p.
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/1989-Scott-001.pdf
[4]
Nishat, A. (1993) Freshwater Wetlands in Bangladesh: Status and Issues. Freshwater Wetlands in Bangladesh-Issues and Approaches for Management. IUCN, 9-22.
[5]
Turner, R.K., Van Den Bergh, J.C., Soderqvist, T., Barendregt, A., Van Der Straaten, J., Maltby, E. and Van Ierland, E.C. (2000) Ecological-Economic Analysis of Wetlands: Scientific Integration for Management and Policy. Ecological Economics, 35, 7-23.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(00)00164-6
[6]
Fischer, W.A., Hemphill, W.R. and Kover, A. (1976) Progress in Remote Sensing (1972-1976). Photogrammetria, 32, 33-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-8663(76)90013-2
[7]
Xiao, J., Shen, Y., Ge, J., Tateishi, R., Tang, C., Liang, Y. and Huang, Z.(2006) Evaluating Urban Expansion and Land Use Change in Shijiazhuang, China, by Using GIS and Remote Sensing. Landscape and Urban Planning, 75, 69-80.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2004.12.005
[8]
Muller, D. and Zeller, M. (2002) Land Use Dynamics in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: A Spatial Model Combining Village Survey Data with Satellite Imagery Interpretation. Agricultural Economics, 27, 333-354. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2002.tb00124.x
[9]
Wilson, E.H., Hurd, J.D., Civco, D.L., Prisloe, M.P. and Arnold, C. (2003) Development of a Geospatial Model to Quantify, Describe and Map Urban Growth. Remote Sensing of Environment, 86, 275-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(03)00074-9
[10]
Kenneth, E. (2015) Geographic Information Systems as an Integrating Technology: Context, Concepts, and Definitions. Foote and Margaret Lynch, The Geographer’s Craft Project, Department of Geography, The University of Colorado at Boulder.
[11]
Gardner, R.C., Barchiesi, S., Beltrame, C., Finlayson, C.M., Galewski, T., Harrison, I., Paganini, M., Perennou, C., Pritchard, D.E., Rosenqvist, A. and Walpole, M. (2015) State of the World’s Wetlands and Their Services to People: A Compilation of Recent Analyses. Ramsar Briefing Note No. 7. Gland, Switzerland: Ramsar Convention Secretariat.
