Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Forests and Forest Management Practices in Bangladesh: the Question of Sustainability

S. R. Biswas
IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Bangladesh Country Office, House 11, Road 138, Gulshan-1, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh

J. K. Choudhury
IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Bangladesh Country Office, House 11, Road 138, Gulshan-1, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

As a relatively new country, the forests of Bangladesh have only been managed for 34 years under current management authority. During this period, forest management practices have been changed and revised from time to time in accordance with Government policy and legal regimes. The status of forest ecosystems has also changed. This paper reviews and analyzes the past 34 years of forest management practices in Bangladesh and identifies the effects of management practices on the forest ecosystem. The paper also discusses sustainability issues in addition to constraints and opportunities of the forests and forest management practices in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Sustainable forest management, Community forestry, Forest policy, Conservation, Bangladesh

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Tree

Objectives:

To assess the sustainability issues of forest management in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Bangladesh is a densely populated country, lying between 88° 34’ and 26° 38’ North and between 88° 10’ and 92° 41’ East, with an area of 147,570 square kilometers. It occupies a unique geographical location, spanning a relatively short stretch of land between the Himalayan chain and the Indian Ocean, and it is virtually the only drainage outlet for the river basin complex consisting of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers and their network of tributaries (GoB 1992). Protected areas of Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, protected areas include wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and game reserves. The Government has declared seven wildlife sanctuaries, four national parks and one game reserve in forest areas through a notification in the official gazette. Some additional areas are being considered for protection. The Forest Department has also established an Eco-Park over an area of 815 ha of reserved forests. General aspects of management: Forests and their sustainable management are a major concern of the Bangladesh Government. For nearly one hundred years, the British colonial system shaped Bangladesh’s forest management, as in India and Pakistan. During the colonial period, forests were managed following a management plan with the prime objective of meeting the needs for wood in various forms (e.g., sleepers and fuel for the railways, wood for construction and such other uses) on a sustained yield basis. During the Pakistan period (1948-1971), while meeting the demands of wood of the country by harvesting the natural forests, attempts were initiated to convert the existing less commercially valuable natural forest to more valuable forest plantations. Forests were managed following a management plan. These management plans, termed working plans, were written for a given area, and were valid for a period of 10 years (e.g. Ahmed 1961, Choudhury 1960, Curtis 1931). Silvicultural aspects: The silvicultural systems practiced in the forests of Bangladesh varied according to forest type and management objectives. Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, felling has been banned in all forest areas. However, before that, three silvicultural systems dominated, namely the selection system, the coppice system and clear-felling followed by artificial regeneration (Pant 1982). In the tropical moist evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, the main silvicultural system was clear-felling followed by artificial regeneration, as developed during the British colonial period. Development projects and programmes in the forestry sector In the Bangladeshi forestry sector, two broad types of development projects and programmes are ongoing. These are externally (donor) assisted projects/programme and development programmes initiated by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Ten donor-assisted forestry sector development programmes are on-going and eleven have been completed. The contribution of the forestry sector to the national economy is very significant. The contributions are in the form of timber, electric poles, posts, cross arms, anchor logs, railway sleepers, fuelwood and employment. The initial contribution was high (1992) but the Government’s ban on felling has had the effect of reducing the contribution made by forestry to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP). In 1997-98, some mature plantations were felled to generate exports, but this was unsuccessful.

Source of Information: International Forestry Review, 9(2):627-640.

Article Link (Online Journal): URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1505/ifor.9.2.627

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

In the year 2006 most of the national policy documents such as the National Action Programme for Combating Desertification (NAP) National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), National Programme of Action for Protecting Coastal and Marine areas from Land and Land-Based Activities (NPA) emphasized the reclamation and restoration of the forest areas with native species. However, hardly any research has been conducted on ecosystem restoration in the forest areas of Bangladesh. It is expected that management authority should initiate degraded forest restoration in a pilot-scale with scientific research instead of initiating a massive scale forest restoration programme without any research.

Knowledge Management: Journal