CONSERVATION OF FORESTS Dr Mahfuzul Haque

Issues for discussion Types of Forests Forestry Plans and Policies National Forestry Policy 1994 Protected Areas Ecologically Critical Areas Nishorgo Project How to better manage the forests?

Types of Forests State Forest Land (2.2 million hectares): Reserved Forests: Under the Forest Act 1927 managed by the Forest Department (1.3 million hectares) Unclassified State Forests (USF): Administered by the Ministry of Land through local administration and not under the Forest Act 1927 (0.9 million hectares) Private Forest land (0.4 million hectares): village forests; tea estates; rubber plantation

Reserved Forests Reserve forests managed by the Forest Department are of following 3 types: Tropical evergreen or semi-evergreen rain forests: eastern districts of Chittagong; Cox’s bazar; Sylhet; and CHT Moist or dry deciduous forests (Sal ban in Madhupur Tidal mangrove forests: the Sundarbans; chittagong and Noakhali coastal belt

Types of Reserved Forests

CHT Forests CHT Forests are tropical evergreen or semi-evergreen rain forests. They are of 3 types: Reserved Forests (24%) Protected Forests (1%) Unclassified State Forests (75%) Deforestation, rubber and tobacco plantation and jhuming are the issues of concern of the area

Mangrove Forests Categorized as the “Reserved Forests,” the Sundarbans encompass an area of 6,017 sq kms and two-thirds of the Sundarbans forests are in Bangladesh There are also some patches in the coastal areas of Chittagong and Noakhali Top-dyeing, natural disaster, illegal felling of trees, poaching and loss of biodiversity are the issues of concern

Madhupur Forests Moist or dry deciduous forest known as “Sal” forests in Madhupur and north-eastern region of Dinajpur Issues of concern are encroachment; illegal felling of trees; land use change; banana; pineapple; and papaya plantation in the forest land; loss of biodiversity and wildlife etc. Sal forests are gradually shrinking

Plans and Policies National Forestry Policy 1994 Forestry Master Plan (1995-2015): the 20-year plan forges a long-term strategy to guide forest-based development in the country systematically Forest Department is mandated to implement the policy and the Master Plan

Forestry Policy 1994 Pre-conditions Basic human needs to be fulfilled through timber, firewood, fodder and medicinal herbs Equitably sharing of benefits of forest products among people, whose livelihood is dependent on the forests Continued socio-economic growth to be ensured through peoples’ participation in the afforestation program Continued long term political commitment is necessary for a sustainable forest management

Forestry Policy 1994 Objectives to meet basic needs of the present and the future generations to bring 20% of the area of the country under forest cover to create employment opportunities in the forestry sector for poverty alleviation to conserve biodiversity in the depleted forest areas to fulfill all international commitments related to forests conservation

Forestry Policy 1994 Objectives to stop forests encroachment, illegal tree felling and hunting with the help of local community to ensure participatory management of forests involving the local community to promote social forestry and to share the revenue with the local community to maintain an ecological balance

Forestry Policy 1994 Emphasis Bring 20% forest cover by 2015 Afforestation of newly accreted charlands; denuded Unclassified State Forests (USF) Tree plantation in fallow and hinterland involving local UP and the local government Priority protection of national parks; wildlife sanctuaries; and the game reserves Afforestation of the USF in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)

Forest legislation The Forest Act, 1927 (amended in 1990, 2000) Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973 puts a ban on hunting, killing or capturing of “game animal”; damage or destroy any vegetation in a wildlife sanctuary, cause any fire or pollute the rivers and canals passing through the sanctuary etc. Rules to Regulate Hunting, Shooting and Fishing within the Controlled and Vested Forests, 1959 Brick Burning (Control) Act, 1989

Wildlife Preservation Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1973 recognized 18 Protected Areas (PAs) for in situ conservation under the following three categories: Wildlife Sanctuary National Park Game Reserve

Legal provisions In a Wildlife Sanctuary, no person can enter or reside without permission. Cannot cultivate, damage or destroy, hunt, kill or capture, introduce exotic species or domestic animal, cause fire or pollute the water In a National Park, no person can hunt, kill, capture wild life, cause fire or pollute the waters. People may access for recreation, education and research purposes Game Reserve is for protection of wildlife where capturing of wild animals is illegal

Wildlife Sanctuary Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary Pablakhali Wildlife Sanctuary Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary

National Park Modhupur National Park Bhawal National Park Himchhari National Park Lawachhara National Park Ramsagar National Park Kaptai National Park Nijhoom Dwip National Park Medha Kachopia National Park Satchhari national park

Game Reserves Teknaf Game Reserve

Ecologically Critical Areas (under Environment Conservation Act 1995) Strip of 10 km outside the Sundarbans Reserved Forests Sea front of Cox’s bazar and Teknaf St Martin’s Island Sonadia Island (Cox’s bazar) Tangua Haor (Sunamganj) Hakaluki Haor (Moulavi bazar) Marjat Baor (Jhenaidaha) Gulshan Lake (Dhaka)

Nishorgo Project Five pilot projects of Nishorgo under US assistance: Remakalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Habiganj Satchhari National Park, Habiganj Lawachhara National Park, Moulavi bazar Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong Teknaf Game Reserve, Cox’s Bazar

How to conserve the forests? The Forest Act, 1927 (amended in 1990, 2000) empowers the government to declare any area as “Reserved Forest” for in situ conservation. This Act and Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973 treat everybody entering the forests as “encroachers”. Can forests be protected from the “encroachers”?

How to conserve the forests? Merely, declaration of depleted areas as “Protected Area (PA)” is not enough. We are to have a management plan and enforcement mechanism Nishorgo Program for PA Management treated the forest dwellers as “stakeholders” and “co-managers” and not “encroachers”

Debate Continues… Protection of the forest and its resources by the FD Traditional Management Protection of the forest and its resources by the FD After felling, revenues go to the government Illegal felling of trees and poaching of wildlife continues Cases are filed by FD against tree felling by the local community Participatory Management Manages the forests in a participatory way through consultation After felling of trees, the stakeholders get due share of the sale proceeds Protection is ensured till forests harvest

Probable Questions Discuss types of forests in Bangladesh. What are their issues of concerns? What are the main objectives of the National Forestry Policy 1994? Discuss For conservation of the forests and wildlife, the Government of Bangladesh has declared some areas as “Protected Areas”. What are they? What are the challenges of conservation of forests? Discuss

Reference Materials National Forestry Policy 1994 Forestry Master Plan (1995-2015)

THANK YOU