DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Monday, March 31, 2014

Entitlement of the marginalised

Flora and fauna of the Sundarbans revisited

Farzana Begum n
lthough it is not clear about the origin, the name Sundarban can be translated as beautiful forest in Bengla (Sundar means beautiful and ban means forests). According to ancient history, the name Sundarban is derived from the Sundari trees that are found in large numbers in the forest. The history of the area can be traced back to 200300 AD. A ruin of a city built by Chand Sadagar has been found in the Baghmara Forest block. The legal status of the forests underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the first mangrove forest in the world. The area was mapped first in Persian, by the surveyor general in 1764 following soon after proprietary rights were obtained from the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II by the British East India Company in 1757. Systematic management of this forest tract started in the 1860s after the establishment of a forest department in the Province of Bengal, in British India. The first forest management division to have jurisdiction over the Sundarbans was established in 1869. In 1875, a large portion of the mangrove forests was declared as reserved forests under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). The remaining portions of the forests were declared a reserve forest the following year and the forest was placed under the control of the forest department. A forest division, which is the basic forest management and administrative unit, was created in 1879. The first management plan was written during the period 189398. The forest dwellers have a culture of their own, having an isolated life from the main stream. There are some rituals and religious festivals observed in the Sundarbans. Annual fair on the Dubla island on the day of Raash Purnima is observed in the month of November. Hindu community devotees from different parts of the country including communities from India gather on the Dubla island to bathe and make offerings against a wish. Moreover, the collectors of forest products engaged in various professions pay homage to certain gods and deities before entering the forest whom they treat to be their protectors.

 Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973. The Sundarbans plays an important role in the economy of the Southwestern region of Bangladesh as well as in the national economy. It is the single largest source of forest produce in the country. Constituting 51% of the total reserved forest estate of Bangladesh, it contributes about 41% of total forest revenue and accounts for about 45% of all timber and fuel wood output of the country. Various non-timber forest products and plantations help generate considerable employment and income generation opportunities for at least half a million poor coastal population. The tidal lands of the Sundarbans produce nutrients and purifies water. Lastly, the Sunderbans provides a wonderful aesthetic attraction for local and foreign tourists. The forest also has immense protective and productive functions. It provides natural protection to life and properties of the coastal population in the cyclone prone Bangladesh. The area serves a vital role in a variety of ecosystem functions including trapping of sediment and land formation, protection of human lives and habitation from regular cyclones, acting as a nursery for fish and other aquatic life, oxygen production, and climate change mitigation and adaptation through carbon sequestration, storage and cycling. ment in the region would help in the conservation of this unique ecosystem. darbans is a poor area and people have no employment for most part of the year. They have to survive and they do it through stealing timber from the forest and fishing. If the government could provide some sustainable opportunities for income generation for these people they would not go to the forest, risking being attacked by tigers or being shot at or getting arrested. They also said that people living adjacent to the forest must be organised and motivated. Resource extraction from the forest serves as the primary source of income and perhaps, the

SYed Zakir Hossain

Protecting the forest

Longterm protection of the Sundarbans cannot be ensured without involving the key stakeholders including local communities, fisheries, and forest dependent communities. Therefore, with such aim the following two-tier institutional structure for sustainable forest management in protected areas based on the principles of co-management has been introduced here: 1. Protected Area Conservation Council: It is the first tier of the structure which takes area specific name such as, Chandpai Conservation Council, Sarankhola Conservation Council, Satkhira Conservation Council Khulna Conservation Council. The divisional forest officer or assistant conservator of forest serves as the Chairperson of the council and the total number of members is limited to 65. Protected Area Conservation Council has a broad-based structure, drawing people from different sectors of the community. 1. Protected Area Conservation Co-Management Committee: This is the second tier of the structure and takes area specific name. Four co-management committees (CMCs) have been functioning to manage the Sundarbans comprising Chandpai and Sarankhola forest ranges in the Sundarbans East division and Khulna, and Satkhira forest ranges in the Sundarbans West division. Each protected area conservation co-Management committee consists of 29 members, elected by the council following a structured guideline. The assistant conservator of forest serves as the chairperson to the committee. The committee has also a vice-chairperson, and a secretary. The co-management committee performs the following tasks in order to protect the Sundarbans and to preserve its resources: (a) It undertakes awareness building and motivational campaign using different communication techniques to make people aware of the negative consequences of forest depletion and involves school children, scouts, girls guides to undertake specific actions.

(b) Takes appropriate actions to prevent illegal encroachment of forest land and take stern social actions against the encroachers jointly with the forest department. (c) Motivates brickfield owners and other resource user groups not to assist in illegal extraction of forest resources and generate strong public opinion against such actions so that they conform to public demand. (d) Undertakes actions to allow natural regeneration of the forest, and also undertakes plantation activities, if required, as per the advice and technical support of the forest department. (e) Undertakes activities involving community people, organised poor in particular, along the roadsides, railway tracts, khash land, and other degraded areas with the advice and support of the forest department following the benefit sharing principles of social forestry. (f ) Identifies and assigns families, if possible, from amongst organised group members, to raise nurseries as part of income generating activities. Also identifies other alternative resources that could be accessed and used for generating income and employment for the poor people of the community. (g) Works wholeheartedly and collectively to make the area safe and attractive to national and international tourists and works with the forest department to ensure proper upkeep of the areas.

Longterm protection of the Sundarbans cannot be ensured without involving the key stakeholders including local communities, fisheries, and forest dependent communities

Why it matters
The Sundarbans provides a unique ecosystem and a rich wildlife habitat. The ecological and socio-economic importance of the Sundarbans is associated with its rich biodiversity and the ecosystems valuable ecological

Constituting 51% of the total reserved forest estate of Bangladesh, it contributes about 41% of total forest revenue and accounts for about 45% of all timber and fuel wood output of the country

Working together
It is quite clear that to raise awareness and motivation campaign, co-management practices, implemented through co-management organisations such as CMCs must be tailored to strengthen protection efforts against illicit tree-felling and fishing. On February 22 of this year Bangladesh Manobadhikar O Poribesh Andolon, an NGO based on human rights and environment rights held a meeting with the Chandpai CMC. The members of CMC present at that meeting shared their views and difficulties that they are facing while performing their functions and urged the government to take some effective measures to strengthen the CMC and save the Sundarbans. All the members said that the Sun-

services and products. It is estimated that the Sundarbans is home to 425 species of wildlife, including 300 species of birds and 42 species of mammals. Although the fauna of Bangladesh have diminished in recent times and the Sundarbans has not been spared from this decline, the mangrove forest retains several good wildlife habitats and their associated fauna. Of these, tigers and dolphins are the target species for planning wildlife management and tourism development. Some of the species are protected by legislation, notably, by the Bangladesh

However, these functions are increasingly at risk from the effects associated with climate change and rise of the sea level. Mangrove eco-system is very fragile and peoples sustenance in this area depends on the maintenance and sustainable use of the eco-system. Therefore, understanding of the system and its importance and awareness building among the people around the mangrove forest is necessary. Educating people about the importance of conservation of mangrove ecosystem and its natural resources for bringing socio-economic develop-

only livelihood option. Dependence of these poor people on the forest could be significantly reduced if alternative income generating opportunities were provided to them. They also emphasised that the implementation of approved entry fees guidelines for sharing revenues with the CMCs is a priority for sustainable co-management systems to be effective. The members of CMC also suggested that temporary or permanent settlements of fishers should be allowed inside the three sanctuaries. The Committee also recommended that water pollution inside the Sundarbans due to cargo vessels and engine driven boats must be minimised by taking help from the appropriate authority. In view of the above, restoration and maintenance of essential ecological functions should be recognised by the concerned authorities immediately. The Sundarbans, as the largest mangrove system in the world will become the internationally recognised example if the Wildlife (Preservation) Act of 1974, the Forest Policy of 1994 and the amendment of Forest Act of 2000 and the Social Forestry Rules of 2004 and 2010 could be implementedproperly. l Farzana Begum is a barrister, an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and the executive director of Bangladesh Manobadhikar O Poribesh Andolon.