The Press Wing of the Chief Advisor’s Office, known as FACTS, addressed circulating rumors about St. Martin’s Island on social media, emphasizing the need to counter misinformation regarding the island’s environmental threats. In a Facebook post on Saturday, November 2, FACTS identified multiple rumors and underscored that uncontrolled tourism has exposed St. Martin’s Island to at least 20 types of environmental risks.
A recent study published in Environmental Advance on April 15 highlighted the adverse impacts of tourism on St. Martin’s, such as rising temperatures, increased salinity, deforestation, pollution, rising sea levels, habitat loss for sea turtles, plastic pollution, freshwater scarcity, and erosion due to high tides.
An additional hazard emerged two months ago with an infestation of harmful whiteflies, which has reportedly killed 300 coconut trees on the island by damaging its vegetation.
Experts attribute the island’s environmental degradation to unsustainable tourism practices. National and international research indicates that 41 percent of the coral reefs on Bangladesh’s only coral island have already been destroyed. Without intervention, all coral could disappear by 2045, potentially submerging the island.
To protect St. Martin’s for future generations, the government has announced initiatives to regulate tourism and address illegal constructions. These measures aim to preserve the ecological integrity of the island, ensuring its longevity and protecting its unique biodiversity.
