M. H. Rahman
Professor
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
M. Zillur Rahman
PhD student
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Biodiversity management, Coastal people, Problems, St. Martin`s Island
Conservation and Biodiversity
Locale, population and sample of the study: The study was conducted in St. Martin's Island under Teknaf Upazila of the southeastern coastal district of Cox's Bazar. The location was selected because of the fact that during the process of the study the government was implementing a project on “Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project” (CWBMP), among other areas, in the island. The project was implemented by the Department of Environment and supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), while major financial supports came from Global Environmental Facility (FGE). The Island which is 590 ha in area was declared as an ECA (Ecologically Critical Area) in it's entirely (Anonymous, 2006). Since 2004, under the CWBMP project intervention, Bangladesh POUSH, a nongovernment organization (NGO) had been working in the island through formation of Village Conservation Group (VCG), members of which involved with different biodiversity conservation and management activities. There were 365 members in six VCGs in the island that constituted the population of the study. A number of 92 VCG members (i.e. 25 percent of the population) were randomly selected as the sample of the study.
Variables and their measurement: Coastal people's problem in conservation and management of biodiversity activities was the major focus of the study. A total of 16 problems were considered for the study after consultation with staekholders (beneficiaries, field agents, implementing authority, and officers of DAE, DoF and DLS) of the project and related experts. Problems faced by the coastal people in participating biodiversity management activities were measured through asking coastal people's opinion under the 16 selected problems using a 4-point rated scale. Each respondent was asked to indicate the extent to which he/she considered a specific problem as problematic and the scores were given as 0 for 'not at all? 1 for 'low? 2 for 'medium? and 3 for 'high?. The overall problem facing scores of a respondent was achieved by summing his/her scores in all 16 problem items and the score could range from 0 to 48, where '0? indicated that the respondent faced no problem and 48 indicated highest problem in coastal biodiversity management activities. For a clear understanding of problem faced by the participants (VCG members), a rank order was prepared by developing a Problem Facing Index (PFI). The PFI was measured by using the following formula: Problem Facing Index (PFI) = (Php × 3) + (Pmp×2) + (Plp ×1) + (Pnp × 0)
Where, Php= Number of respondents facing high problem Pmp= Number of respondents facing medium problem Plp= Number of respondents facing low problem Pnp= Number of respondent with no problem
Therefore, the range of PFI could be varied from 0 to 276, 0 indicating no problem and 276 indicating high level problem. Ten personal and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents were selected to understand the factors of their faced problem in biodiversity management activities. The selected characteristics were: age, education, family size, farm size, annual family income, social participation, extension media contact, organizational participation, experience in biodiversity management activities and knowledge on biodiversity management activities. Standard and conventional procedures were maintained for measuring the variables.
Data collection and analysis: A structured questionnaire was prepared for the study considering all the selected variables. The questionnaire was pretested among 20 VCG members and necessary corrections and modifications were made on the basis of the pretesting experience. Data were collected during 1 to 22 April, 2008 from all the 92 selected participants (VCG members) in the study area. Different descriptive statistical methods were used in describing the variables. Coefficient of correlation (r) was used for exploring the relationship between the concerned variables.
Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education Volume 26, No. 1&2, 2014: 11-17 ISSN 1011-3916
Journal