With reference to Arua and Gopinathpur Beels (wet lands) located in Manikganj District, Bangladesh.

This publication contains keynote papers, full papers and abstracts presented during the sessions of the day-long programme organized by the IUCN Bangladesh Country Office on 22 December 2014 as part of the IUCN Red List's 50th anniversary campaign. The programme included two technical sessions which highlighted research papers carried out by individuals and institutions in a contribution to enrich the knowledge of wildlife in Bangladesh in a wider context. This volume is the first of its kind, a compilation of the wide range of research done in Bangladesh on wildlife diversity, conservation biology and policy.

This publication includes papers that were part of thirty-five oral and nine poster presentations on various themes presented by eminent researchers/ practitioners at the international symposium on “River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System” facilitated and supported by IUCN.

The growth in the human population has forced mankind to convert forested land into other land uses such as agricultural land, residential, urban, road construction and mining activities. The degradation of forest due to anthropogenic activities is significantly reducing forests in the world. These practices result in significant impacts on the forest structure, species composition and ecology, which will consequently reduce forest productivity and ecosystem functions. Due to deforestation, half of the earth's vegetation surface has reduced to one-third, resulting in large degraded areas. The significant reduction of the forest areas requires appropriate planning for sustainable management of the forests. This book reviews the extent and consequences of deforestation around the world. It highlights case studies of the causes of deforestation in Malaysia, Korea, India, Bangladesh, Columbia, Brazil and Mali. It is hoped that the book will provide insights on the importance of effective forest planning and management for the sustainable development of forest resources.