A. Z. M. Manzoor Rashid

Local peoples' responses to co-management regime in protected areas: A case study from Satchari National Park, Bangladesh

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is a rather recent and widely promoted, and hence, accepted paradigm for managing protected areas in most developing countries. Protected area managers in Bangladesh face challenges because of the complex sociocultural and political dynamics that result from the high population densities and extreme poverty of people living in or near lands designated for conservation. In recent years the government of Bangladesh, with active support from international aid and conservation agencies, has tried to develop a holistic approach to protected area management involving forest communities and user groups. This study seeks to explore the initial response to such intervention in a newly declared protected area in order to gain insights about wider implications in other parts of the country. The study was conducted between January 2006 and January 2007 in four villages located in or near Satchari National Park. Results suggest considerable change took place in household forest resource collection patterns, and peoples dependency on non-forest income increased significantly during the project implementation period. The study also indicated that although changes occurred slowly, they brought improvements to the livelihoods of those relying on local forests.

Integrating livelihoods and conservation in protected areas: understanding the role and stakeholder views on prospects for non-timber forest products, a Bangladesh case study

Protected areas (PAs) represent a key global strategy in biodiversity conservation. In tropical developing countries, the management of PAs is a great challenge as many contain resources on which local communities rely. Collection and trading of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is a well-established forest-based livelihood strategy, which has been promoted as a potential means for enhanced conservation and improved rural livelihoods in recent years, even though the sustainability or ecological implications have rarely been tested. We conducted an exploratory survey to understand the role and stakeholder views on conservation prospects and perceived ecological feasibility of NTFPs and harvesting schemes in a northeastern PA of Bangladesh, namely the Satchari National Park. Households (n = 101) were interviewed from three different forest dependency categories, adopting a stratified random sampling approach and using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study identified 13 locally important NTFPs, with five being critically important to supporting local livelihoods. Our study suggests that collection, processing and trading in NTFPs constitutes the primary occupation for about 18% of local inhabitants and account for an estimated 19% of their cash annual income. The household consensus on issues relating to NTFPs and their prospective role in conservation was surprisingly high, with 48% of respondents believing that promotion of NTFPs in the PA could have positive conservation value. The majority (71%) of households also had some understanding of the ecological implications of NTFP harvesting, sustainability (53%) and possible management and monitoring regimes (100%). With little known about their real application in the field, our study suggests further investigations are required to understand the ecological compatibility of traditional NTFP harvesting patterns and management.

A journey towards shared governance: status and prospects for collaborative management in the protected areas of Bangladesh

Establishment of Protected Areas (PAs), in the face of rapid deforestation, forest degradation and climate change has been one of the key efforts in conservation of biodiversity worldwide in recent times. While Bangladesh has gained a degree of prominence in the world for its successful social forestry programs, the concept of collaborative protected area management is rather new in the country, initiated in 2004 by the Bangladesh Forest Department in five PAs with financial assistance from USAID. Based on empirical evidence from three of the pilot PAs, we examined the achievements and associated challenges and prospects for co-management. Our fieldwork revealed a number of challenges faced by co-management institutions: (1) institutions were dominated by the elite group, overshadowing the voice of the community people; (2) mutual trust and collective performance are key to good governance but had not taken root in the PAs; (3) encroachment onto forest land and subsequent conversion to agriculture remained a serious problem that discouraged forest-dependent people from participating actively in co-management initiatives; (4) legal provisions (including acts, rules and policies) were not clearly and adequately disseminated and understood at the community level; (5) there remained a degree of ambiguity regarding the roles and responsibilities of forest department (FD) and co-management committees (CMC) in field operations, and this was not enhancing transparency and accountability of the overall initiative; (6) the long-term sustainability of co-management institutions was another major concern, as the local intuitional structure was still in a nascent stage, and provisioning of resources (either internally or externally) remained somewhat uncertain. We offer recommendations for improvement.

The role of spiritual beliefs in conserving wildlife species in religious shrines of Bangladesh

The conservation of biodiversity is developing into one of the biggest challenges of the century. Rapidly declining forests and the degradation of wild habitats are a direct result of a lack of public awareness and participation in the process of conservation. However, in small land areas in undeveloped countries characterised by high population density and poor public awareness, local religious and/or spiritual beliefs favour conservation of biodiversity at both species and habitat levels. This paper attempts to explore this practice based on case studies from Bangladesh where for generations some local beliefs have been protecting important wildlife species such as the Black Soft-shell Turtle, Mugger Crocodile, Rock Pigeon and Rhesus Macaque. The paper also offers a SWOT analysis of the potential role and challenges of these religious shrines as a refuge for biodiversity.

A new estimate of carbon for Bangladesh forest ecosystems with their spatial distribution and REDD+ implications

In tropical developing countries, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is becoming an important mechanism for conserving forests and protecting biodiversity. A key prerequisite for any successful REDD+ project, however, is obtaining baseline estimates of carbon in forest ecosystems. Using available published data, we provide here a new and more reliable estimate of carbon in Bangladesh forest ecosystems, along with their geo-spatial distribution. Our study reveals great variability in carbon density in different forests and higher carbon stock in the mangrove ecosystems, followed by in hill forests and in inland Sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the country. Due to its coverage, degraded nature, and diverse stakeholder engagement, the hill forests of Bangladesh can be used to obtain maximum REDD+ benefits. Further research on carbon and biodiversity in under-represented forest ecosystems using a commonly accepted protocol is essential for the establishment of successful REDD+ projects and for the protection of the country’s degraded forests and for addressing declining levels of biodiversity.

Forest protected area governance in Bangladesh: a focus on the legal and policy framework

In the context of renewed interest in collaboration in natural resource management, the collaborative governance approach has lately been introduced to the forest Protected Areas (PAs) in Bangladesh. The adoption of this co-management approach is seen as an attempt to influence the governance process towards a transformation from the conventional custodian system to a more participatory management regime. Recognition of rights and responsibilities, effective participation, and equitable distribution of benefits amongst the key stakeholders working under a facilitative policy and legal framework are believed to address the broader goals of sustainable development. Notwithstanding the resurgence of interest in governance of forest PAs through the co-management approach, academic research on the subject remains limited. This article attempts to review selected key information and milestones on the forest PAs governance with special reference to the major policies and legal documents. With a brief introductory section, this article focuses on the genesis and selected major features of the Forest PAs in the country. The discussion then dwells on the policy and legal framework and provides a critique on its relevance for promoting community participation. The existing institutional arrangements for community engagement in protected area governance are also analyzed in light of the national and international commitment and policy obligations on the part of the country. The salient observations and key findings of the study include the following: (1) despite its limitations, co-management as concept and practice has gradually taken roots in Bangladesh; (2) the degree and level of active community participation remain low and limited, and there is also clear weakness in conscientizing and orientating the local community on the key legal and policy issues related to PA governance in the country; and (3) policy makers, practitioners, and other local stakeholders related to PA governance need to be oriented on international commitment and national development strategies. The study calls for systematic focus on regular research on the performance of co-management in the country, and efforts towards improving the implementation mechanisms in the field.

Effects of height on physical properties of wood of jhau (Camarina equisetifolia)

Summary Moisture content, and tangential, radial and longitudinal shrinkage, and basic density were assessed in samples of wood from near the centre of the cross-section at three different heights in 25-y-old jhau (Casuarina equisetifolia). The mean initial moisture content was 41% in the butt log, 40% in the centre log and 48% in the crown log. Mean tangential shrinkage was 10% in the butt, 9% in the centre and 11% in the crown. The corresponding measurements for radial shrinkage were 6%, 5% and 5%, and for longitudinal shrinkage 0.4%, 0.3% and 0.5%. There were no statistically significant differences in either moisture content or radial and longitudinal shrinkage with increasing height above ground, but differences in tangential shrinkage were significant at P< 0.05. The overall mean basic density was about 800 kg m−3, and this property varied a little with height in the tree.

Commercial cultivation by farmers of medicinal plants in northern Bangladesh

Medicinal plants (MPs) are an important component of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which are traditionally used in healthcare and source of livelihood all over the world. In an over-populated country like Bangladesh, the pressure on natural forests is immense; thus the cultivation of MPs can significantly contribute towards improving the livelihood of poor people, reducing the pressure on natural forests and enhancing biological diversity. Notwithstanding the growing recognition of its importance and economic and ecological potential, there has been little research on MPs, especially the cultivation, management and marketing aspects, in Bangladesh. Based on extensive fieldwork in a northern district of Bangladesh, this study explores various aspects of the cultivation, management and marketing of MPs. How collective efforts have brought economic and social benefits to communities was also examined in this study. It assesses the major processes and elements of management, identifies key problems and challenges and indicates ways of maximizing the potential of this important sector. The issues covered in this research include: farmers ’ perceptions and experiences; existing research and policy-making processes related to the MP sector; constraining factors (such as lack of processing technology, inadequate transportation, logistics, financial and storage infrastructure, lack of institutional capacity); markets, finance and networking; land use; pattern of livelihood and value chain issue.

Socio-Economic Significance of Reed Forests in a Rural Community: A Case Study from the Greater Sylhet Region of Bangladesh

The reed forests that are the subject of this study are scattered over five thanas of the Sunamganj and Sylhet Districts of the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. Their total area is 23,590 ha and they have great ecological, economic, commercial and socio-economic importance due to the diversified resources they supply. However, the forests are commonly encroached on by local people who are perceived to be seriously depleting the resource. This paper deals with the socio-economic status of the people residing near these reed forests, and examines their dependency on the resources provided by the reed forests. A socio-economic survey, participatory rural appraisal and interviews were used to obtain baseline data of the reed forest resource and the local communities. The study reveals that the communities in the study region have higher income than other areas of Bangladesh. Most survey respondents have other occupations in addition to farming. The literacy rate is 28.8%. Among the illiterate, 68% engage in collecting reeds. Although the Forest Department has a management plan for sustainable use of the reed forests, encroachers receive backing from political leaders and local elites, so their eviction is difficult. In order to achieve long-term productivity and sustainability from the reed forests, this study recommends a strategy of developing an integrated joint management plan between the Forest Department and the local people.

Selected dynamics of collaborative protected area management in the global North and South : experiences from Australia and Nepal

Collaborative protected area management has of late gained growing recognition and attention in both developing and developed nations as an avenue of sustainable development that ensures biodiversity conservation as well as community development. This article sheds lights on selected dynamics of the collaborative approach to PA management in Australia and Nepal, representing North and South nations respectively with a view to eliciting experiences and lessons that may have wider relevance for developing and planning sustainable co-management systems for effective PA management. The focus of the review has been on the history and operational features, existing legal and policy framework, and the status of the community participation in the governance of PAs of these two countries. Both these countries are amongst the pioneer nations that made systematic attempts to involve local communities in forest and protected area management. Although the scope and experiences of collaborative protected area management in these countries vary significantly due to their distinct socio-economic and political contexts, they both exhibit many common features that may provide valuable clues while devising management prescriptions of PAs in other parts of the world. Some such factors that may facilitate constructing a shared vision of governing protected areas through collaborative efforts include the following: proactive community engagement, promoting private-public partnership governance approaches; valuing local and social culture, and devising a meaningful dialogue and communication channel between amongst the key stakeholders.