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Ecological Restoration And Sustainable Management Of Natural Forests In The Village Krykhongpara, Mouza Hlafaikhong, Bandarban District, Chittagong Hill Tracts

INTRODUCTION
The Chittagong Hill Tracts is one of the richest biodiversity-endowed areas in Bangladesh. Different groups of ethnic people reside here and they are mostly dependent on the local resources. Their culture, livelihood and lifestyle are wholly related to the biodiversity of their own area. Unfortunately, unsustainable use of these resources has resulted in the loss of biodiversity, degradation of the overall environment and moth-eaten hill ecosystems as a whole. Therefore, socially acceptable, economically viable and biodiversity friendly development programmes were of dire need to the ethnic people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts area, so as to enable the resident communities conserve both the biological and cultural diversities of the region and thereby live in harmony with nature.

IUCN Bangladesh Country Office (IUCNB) had initiated a pilot programme for conservation of the hill ecosystem in the ethnic Marma inhabited village Krykhong para under mouza Hlafaikhong of Bandarban district with the objectives of involving the local people living in and around the forests in conservation. With the financial support from the Netherlands Committee of IUCN (NC-IUCN) and technical support of IUCN Bangladesh, Krykhong Para Village Development Committee (KPVDC) started the project with emphasis on introduction of alternative income generating activities, awareness raising, institutional development and plantation programme. Initially, the project activities were started in one village and subsequently, its amazing success and enhanced zeal demonstrated by the communities made it possible to expand the project coverage in three more villages of Bandarbhan neighbouring Khansamapara, Hebronpara and Milonpara.


GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the project is to develop a socially acceptable, economically viable and a biodiversity friendly model of a cultural landscape in which the tribal people of the CHTs can live in harmony with nature. The specific objectives are:

  1. Enhancement of awareness of the ethnic people and strengthening their capacity through local institutions for integrated management of natural resources for enhancing quality of life;
  2. Ecological restoration and sustainable management of village forest landscapes for the well being of the local people and conservation of bio-diversity.
  3. Uplift of the socio-economic condition of the local people by enhancing their agricultural proclivity and diversifying sources of livelihoods, e.g. non-timber forest products and ethnic arts and crafts.

APPROACH

The project is being implemented through a participatory approach that integrates restoration and sustainable management of natural forest and human needs to strengthen the fundamental connection between economic prosperity and environmental well being in the hilly areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.


MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT
  1. Awareness raising
  2. Capacity development of local institutions
  3. Sustainable land use practices
  4. Regeneration and sustainable management of forest
  5. Improvement of farming systems
  6. Community environmental fund

Some output obtained so far:

  1. Near about 40 acres of degraded forest have been planted with native species;
  2. In four specific village ‘village development and conservation plan’ have been prepared and implementation is going on
  3. ‘Eco-restoration nursery’ model for the hilly areas has been finalized;
  4. Integrated farming (duck and fish) are in place
  5. ‘Community based approaches for the restoration of degraded hill forest’ has been drafted

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

Following are the expected outputs of the project that would result in achieving the project goal and objectives.
  1. Awareness of the local people of the benefits of living in harmony with nature enhanced
  2. Capacity of the local institutions built for conservation and sustainable development on a self-help basis
  3. An ecologically and biodiversity friendly land use plan developed by the communities and approved by the authorities for collaborative implementation.
  4. Village forests regenerated ecologically and under sustainable management by the local people
  5. The agro-forestry systems improved and diversified to ensure the economic well being of the local people
  6. Access to community environmental fund for development of agro-forestry enhanced and local arts and crafts flourished

For further information, please contact:

Country Representative
IUCN – The World Conservation Union
Bangladesh Country Office House # 11, Road # 138
Gulshan 1, Dhaka 1212
Bangladesh
Tel: 880-2- 9890395, 9890423
Fax: 880 –2 - 9892854
E- mail: nishat@iucnbd.org
Web : www.iucnbd.org