“The Violation of Right to Safe Environment by Deforestation & Its consequence”

“The Violation of Right to Safe Environment by Deforestation & Its consequence”

Definition of Deforestation

A forest is an area of land spanning more than 0.5 ha with trees higher than 5m and a canopy cover of more than 10%, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. Forest is determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. Areas under reforestation that have not yet reached but are expected to reach a canopy cover of 10% and a tree height of 5 m are included, as are areas which are temporarily unstock as a result of human intervention or natural causes, which are expected to regenerate.

Introduction

According to environmental science, 25% of a country’s land area should be covered with forests for a balanced ecology. Bangladesh, however, has only 6% that is forested.50% of the country’s forests have been destroyed in the last 20 years. This is known as deforestation. Indiscriminate felling of trees in the greater parts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Dinajpur has resulted in an alarming depletion of the forests. Some 30 years ago, the forest area in Tangail was 2,000 acres; today it is down to 1,000 acres. Similarly, the forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts have been over-exploited.

 Present Tendency of deforestation in Bangladesh

10.20% of the total land of Bangladesh is under forest coverage. Among the forest area, 46.89% is under forest plantations and remaining are natural forest and barren forestland (FAO, 2001). Out of this Forest Department manages 9.5% and 55% are under the jurisdiction of the district administration (Das and Siddiqi 1985). Like other tropical forests, the forests of Bangladesh are brimming with life. But the human activities are increasingly in conflicts with the forest existence. As a results the forests area of Bangladesh are decreasing day by day. According to Forest Department, forest area of Bangladesh is 16% of its total area but according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) (2001) Bangladesh has a total 1334000 hectors forest area i.e., 10% of its total area. Estimated annual rate of deforestation during 1981-85 was 8000 ha but during 1990- 95 annual rate of deforestation was 8800 hectors. [1]

Types of Forest

 (1) Tropical rainforests

@ Hugely dense, lush forest with canopies preventing sunlight from getting to the floor of the forest.
@ All year high temperatures and abundant rainfall.
@ Located near the equator.
@ A vital storehouses of biodiversity, sustaining millions of different animal, bird, algae and fish species.

(2) Sub-tropical forests

@ Located at the south and north of the tropical forests.
@ Trees here are adapted to resist the summer drought.

(3)Mediterranean forests

@ Located at the south of the temperate regions around the coasts of the Mediterranean, California, Chile and Western Australia.
@ The growing season is short and almost all trees are evergreen, but mixed hardwood and softwood.

(4)Temperate forests
@ Located at Eastern North America, north-eastern Asia, and western and Eastern Europe.
@ Mix of deciduous and coniferous evergreen trees.
@ Usually, the broad-leaved hardwood trees shed leaves annually.
@ There are well-defined seasons with a distinct winter and sufficient rainfall.

(5)Coniferous forests
@ Located in the cold, windy regions around the poles.
@ They come in both hardwoods and conifers.
@ The hardwoods are deciduous.
@ The conifers are evergreen and structurally adapted to withstand the long drought-like conditions of the long winters.

(6)Montana forests
@ Known as cloud forests because they receive most of their precipitation from the mist or fog that comes up from the lowlands.
@ Usually found in high-elevation tropical, subtropical and temperate zones.
@ Plants and animals in these forests are adapted to withstanding the cold, wet conditions and intense sunlight.
@ Trees are mainly conifers.

(7)Plantation forests
@ Has around 7% of global forest cover (140 million hectares).
@ Produces more sustainable timber and fibre than natural forests.
@ Plantations produce around 40% of industrial wood.
@ Plantation forests are on the increase.[2]

Causes or reason of deforestation

The increasing demand of land for agriculture, homes and industries caused by a population explosion has taken a heavy toll on the country’s forests since the early 20th century.

In 1910, the country’s population was 40 million but now it has more than tripled to 140 million. In the 1980s, the rate of destruction of forests in the country was 8,000 hectares per year. Now it has gone up to 37,700 hectares per year. The annual deforestation rate is 3.3%.

A massive expansion of commercial shrimp culture recently appeared to be the latest threat to the forests in the southern coastal areas, especially in Satkhira and Cox’s Bazaar.[3]

 Human pressure

Forest land is being cleared and hills are being destroyed through cutting and levelling in Chittagong and CHT areas. The cleared up land is either used for real estate development or for mining purposes from earth and/or stones are mined. This is an irreversible form of damage that must be prevented immediately. 

     Encroachment

 Forest lands adjoining human settlements all over the country are subject to encroachments agriculture. This encroachment is more prominent in the Bhawal and Modhupur forests. The Forest Department has estimated that an area of about 76,000 ha of forest lands are under encroachment. Many of such encroachments have subsequently been settled with the encroachers by the land administration authorities without the knowledge of the Forest Department. Actual area of such land is not known, but several disputes are pending in the courts. Because of uncertainty on the ownership of the land, the encroachers only exploit the land without nourishing it for sustained output. 

Jhum cultivation

 Shifting cultivation is still one of the most urgent issues in the forestry sector. Past efforts in containing shifting cultivation have yielded encouraging results. These were through rehabilitation of shifting cultivators in settled villages by awarding land for permanent cultivation, planting of trees as cash crop, and by providing community services in the settled villages. But such small-scale efforts cannot solve the problem as a whole.[4]

 Deposition of course sand

The soils eroded from the hills are usually deposited in the downstream areas. Burial of agricultural croplands by sandy over washes of the hills, breach of embankments etc. is a 41 common phenomenon in areas adjoining to the active river channels and hill stream in Bangladesh. This is also seen in the floodplain of the rivers Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Tista and Meghna.

 Salinity intrusion

Lands with saline soil abound in the Meghna estuary flood plain and the southern part of the Ganges tidal flood plain. An FAO study in 1988 estimated about 0.82 million ha affected by salinity. It has been reported that upstream withdrawal of Ganges water in Farakka beyond the border of Bangladesh has reduced freshwater discharge causing intrusion of salinity deep into the mainland.

 Monoculture

Practicing monoculture for a long time causes depletion of nutrients in soil and cause land degradation. Cultivation of the same crop in the same piece of land continuously results in soil infertility. Rotation of crops is a good natural process to retain nutrients in the soil.

 Land use conflicts

Demand land is increasing day by day for housing the increasing population, construction of government complexes in Thanas, industries, brick fields, roads and highways, flood protection embankments, defence installations, and educational institutions. Often good agricultural land and forest lands are taken up for such non-agricultural and non-forest purposes. About 3000 ha out of about 7500 ha of mangrove forest of Chakharia Sunderban reserve in Cox's Bazar district have been allotted to a large number of shrimp farmers. [5]

  

Industrialization

 Much of the degradation is reportedly caused by industrialization in the Sal forest areas. Vast land area has taken by industries. Land area is decreasing due to industrialization as it requires vast area of land. Forest land is being cleared for industrial use. Local people are selling their land to outsiders who are taking over.

 Irrational Profit-making

Irrational profit making has caused deforestation and forest degradation in Bangladesh Through encouraging the illegal logging, introducing cash crop, exotic varieties which were unfriendly to the forest ecology and brokerage system.

 Illegal logging

Illegal logging is responsible for deforestation to a significant extent in Sal forest areas. In Hill forest areas, Dr. M. Al-Amin, Professor and Director, Institute of Forestry andEnvironmental Science, University of Chittagong said that there are certain groups doing Business of timber in certain forests.[6]

 Cash crop

Plantation of cash crops like rubber, banana, arum etc. is held responsible for deforestation in Sal forest areas to a large extent. Plantation is also destroying natural forest in these areas through govt.’s Social Forestry Programme where usually fast growing alien species which give a quick harvest and good profit in a short term investment are planned clearing off Sal forest. Thus macroeconomic policy destroys forest.

 Influence of brokers:

In Sal forest areas there are people who are brokers. They influence others to cut down trees, matured or not, for their own business. [7]

 Militarization

Militarization has also responsible to cause deforestation and forest degradation in Bangladesh through heartening the military establishment in hill forest areas. Bengali expansionism is another countenance of militarization in hill forest areas. This phenomenon is present in Chittagong hill forest areas. The militarization in the hill tracts is also responsible for the deforestation of those areas. Participants from FGDs and interviews reported that, huge amount of forest had been cleared by the military for making of their camp, training centre and infrastructural development. It is found from the field that, firing range which is built by the military is another reason for deforestation.

 Bengali expansionism

Bengali expansionism is another cause of deforestation in the study areas. This problem is more acute for the Chittagong hill forest areas. It is notified that in many cases, Bengali settlers are responsible for the deforestation and forest degradation. They do not know how to cultivate crop in the hill areas and they follow the same technique of cultivation which they are used to do in the plain lands. As a result, soil of the hills become slack and this is how tress cannot grow properly in those areas. Not only that, some informed that, as the Bengali settlers do not know how to “jhum”, so most of the times they burn many important trees. [8]

 Consumerism

Consumerism is also accountable for the deforestation in Bangladesh. Demand for timber is another cause for deforestation. This demand leads to the illegal logging and cutting down of immature trees in the forest areas. Consumerism is found to be responsible for deforestation in both Sal and Hill forest Areas. Demand for timber has reportedly been increased especially for furniture making and ornamentation of households. Heavy and decorative wooden furniture and doors and windows of houses are symbol of status and class. Essentially this is a part of the global capitalism where the demand for consumer goods is ever increasing.

 Forest Management

Forest management has caused deforestation through encouraging corruption of local elites, members of political parties and police department, non-recognition of land right of corruption of administration and state, corruption, non-co-operation and irresponsibility of FD officials, by not dismissing the false cases quickly, inappropriate forest policy and by sustaining discriminatory social system. The first national forest policy of Bangladesh was redefined in 1979. Powerful people exploited this clause in the name of social forestry. This is an example of fickle forest policy.

 Insufficient law

Forest laws are still not updated. It is evident from the field that, many participants think that forest laws are obsolete. They also informed that, the proper land demarcation is absent in the study areas. That is why, they become confused which forest is state forest and which is not. They have vague perception about the forest areas. As a result, sometimes, some people cut down trees and then victimize by the forest department, because if the forest department has any intention to charge false case against local people they may say that, the trees which have been cut down, were from the state forest areas.[9]

 Discriminatory social system

An eminent politician of Rangamati says that discrimination causes deforestation in Hill forest areas. There are discriminations economically, politically, socially and culturally on the basis of ethnicity in Hill forest areas that are fundamentally inhabited by various indigenous communities. He maintains that such bigoted attitude towards the indigenous communities and the strategy of the State to dominate them politically originated the destruction of forests in Chittagong Hill Tract with the construction of the dam on across the river Karnafuli in 1956 as part of the development plans of the then government. More than 250 sq mile land area went under water with all its forest resources in Madhupur.

 Over population, Poverty and Unemployment

Growing population, poverty and unemployment are also accountable for the quick depletion of forest resources in the three forest areas of Bangladesh.

According to the population census in 2001, there are about 6.85 million households in the coastal zone which represent about 28 per cent of total population of Bangladesh. Mangrove area is believed to more productive area of coastal region and for this reason density of population is high here.

Poverty and unemployment are considered as underlying causes of deforestation in all the three forest areas under the study. It is argued that poor people living adjacent to forest areas fall back on forest resources for their livelihood.[10]

 Lack of Alternative Livelihood Approach

Due to lack of alternative livelihood possibility, coastal people are dependent on mangrove forest produce. According to them the land is not that much suitable for paddy cultivation and for this reason they are not getting required amount of food grains from their cultivable land. Most of the people do not have agricultural land of their own also.

So, for livelihood, they are mostly depending on the Sundarbans. As the Sundarbans is declared as reserved forest and no one is allowed to go inside the forest for extraction, however, for their livelihood they have to take out forest resource illegally.

 Tobacco cultivation

Tobacco cultivation is damaging the ecology of the area, with loss of indigenous trees soil fertility. Many of the farmers of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts of Bangladesh have been losing their interests in cultivating indigenous crops like paddy, banana, maize, sesame, cotton, potato, pumpkin etc. as they became defaulters of loans provided by tobacco companies, they said.

  

Monoculture of Rubber Plantation 

A good instance of commercial forestry practices is rubber plantation. Rubber plantation began in the Chittagong Flill Tracts on an experimental basis in 1959. In 1969 the Rubber Development Project started on a commercial basis. The government initially wanted to take over 40,000 acres of land for rubber plantation. But by 1988, 25,000 acres could be brought under rubber plantation. The Second Development Project for Rubber Plantation began in the Madhupur forest area in 1987. Former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad inaugurated this project in 1986.

        

     Fuel wood Plantation 

The on-going ADB-funded Thana Afforestation and Nursery Development Project (the five-year project period expired in 1995), especially its component of commercial fuel wood plantation [woodlot], has triggered a debate over plantation with exotic species.
The largest amount of money of the US$48 million dollar project — US$11.6 million — has been allocated for fuel wood plantation in the sal forest areas, the five year project started in 1989. A total of 16,000 acres of degraded and encroached government sal forest areas in Gazipur, Tangail, Sherpur, Comilla, Mymenshigh, greater Dinajpur, and Rajshahi districts were to be brought under woodlot plantation.

     Road Building

Through forests fragments the landscape, endangers wildlife habitat and provides access points for illegal loggers and other business operations that encroach into the forest.

 Hydroelectric dams

 Flood upstream forests, leading to widespread forest loss, habitat degradation and displacement of forest communities and wildlife.[11]

Consequence of deforestation

Forests are complex ecosystems that are important to the carbon and water cycles that sustain life on earth. When they are degraded, it can set off a devastating chain of events both locally and around the world.

Soil erosion

In the immediate area: this has secondary effects as the soil ultimately washes down to rivers and causes floods.

Reduction of rainfall

 This results from the lack of evaporation from leaves, as none remain, and from the reduction in the absorptive capacity of the ground. This causes droughts.

Climatic changes

Perhaps the most devastating effect of deforestation, this has its effects all over the world. It is a major reason for global warming Plants absorb Carbon Dioxide CO2 (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere and uses it to produce food (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees). In return, it gives off Oxygen. Destroying the forests mean CO2 will remain in the atmosphere and in addition, destroyed vegetation will give off more CO2 stored in them as they decompose. This will alter the climate of that region. Cool climates may get a lot hotter and hot places may get a lot cooler

Nature

Forests are home to many exotic species of plants and animals. These species lose their habitat, and this is a great loss to the ecology and the scientific community.

Loss of Species

 Seventy per cent of the world’s plants and animals live in forests and are losing their habitats to deforestation. Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction. This is not only a biodiversity tragedy but also has negative consequences for medicinal research and local populations who rely on the animals and plants in the forests for hunting and medicine.

Carbon Emissions

Healthy forests help absorb greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions that are caused by human civilization and contribute to global climate change. Without trees, more carbon and greenhouse gasses enter the atmosphere. To make matters worse, trees actually become carbon sources when they are cut, burned, or otherwise removed. “Tropical forests hold more than 210 gigatons of carbon, and deforestation represents around 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the WWF.

Soil Erosion

 Without tree roots to anchor the soil and with increased exposure to sun, the soil can dry out, leading to problems like increased flooding and inability to farm. The states that scientists estimate that a third of the world’s arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960. Cash crops planted after clear cutting or burning — like soy, coffee, and palm oil — can actually exacerbate soil erosion because their roots cannot hold onto the soil the way trees’ can.

Life Quality

Soil erosion can also lead to silt entering the lakes, streams, and other water sources. This can decrease local water quality, contributing to poor health in the local population.

Loss of Biodiversity

Many wonderful species of plants and animals have been lost, and many others remain endangered. More than 80% of the world's species remain in the Tropical Rainforest. It is estimated that about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day as a result of destruction of their habitats, and that is a tragedy.

All of these factors can have adverse effects on local economies. Increased flooding, lack of quality water, and inability to produce their own food causes many locals migrate to cities that lack infrastructure for them. Or, they work on plantations, worsening the deforestation problem and at times being subjected to inhumane working conditions.[12]

Greenhouse Effect

 The world is about to enter a period of rapid warming. Should the greenhouse effect become a reality, the low lying coastal areas will be affected by a rising sea level of even greater magnitude (Milliman et al. 1989; Gable and Aubery, 1990). Bangladesh will be severely impacted by such an increase in sea level (Broadus et al., 1986; Khalequzzaman, 1989; Ali and Huq, 1989; Brammer 1989; Hossain 1989). Besides many other adverse environmental, economic, and climatic consequences (Huq and Ali, in press), the base level of all rivers will change following any change in the sea level. The effect on flooding of a higher base level resulting from a rising sea level has already been discussed earlier in this section. The greenhouse effect will also increase the amount of rainfall and storminess.[13]
Amount of Damage

There has been an overall depletion in forest resources in all the major forests in the last three decades. According to the Forestry Master Plan of 1993, 50% of the country’s forests have been destroyed in the last 20 years.

In the 1980s, the rate of destruction of forests in the country was 8,000 hectares per year. Now it has gone up to 37,700 hectares per year. The annual deforestation rate is 3.3% and 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day as a result of destruction of their habitats.

The rate of forest depletion has become a major problem in Bangladesh with an estimated annual deforestation of 8000 acres. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts 750,000 acres have been completely deforested in the past several years, according to a Canadian consulting firm in the last 30 years 24,000 acres of forest in Dinajpur district have almost completely disappeared.

Bangladesh has a total land surface of 12.31 million hectares, of which presently 7.85 million hectares are under agriculture (BARC 2001). On average we are losing nearly 82,000 ha of land each year. [14]

Importance of Forests

@ Habitat and Ecosystems
Forests serve as a home (habitat) to millions of animals. Think of the many types of reptiles (snakes and lizards) wild animals, butterflies and insects, birds and tree-top animals as well as all those that live in the forest streams and rivers.  Animals form part of the food chain in the forests. All these different animals and plants are called biodiversity, and the interaction with one another and with their physical environment is what we call ecosystem.

@ Economic benefits
Forests are of immense economic importance to us. For example, plantation forests provide humans with timber and wood, which is exported and used in all parts of the world. They also provide tourism income to inhabitants (people living in or close to forests) when people visit to see the best of nature.

@ Climate Control
Climate control and atmosphere purification is key for human existence. Trees and soils help regulate atmospheric temperatures through a process called evapotranspiration. This helps to stabilize the climate. Additionally, they enrich the atmosphere by absorbing bad gases (example CO2 and other greenhouse gases) and producing oxygen. [15]

Who Destroy Forests? 

Jum (slash-and-burn) cultivation, traditionally practiced by the forest communities has been blamed to be a major cause of massive deforestation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) as well as in the sal forest areas. One best known and the biggest patch of sal forest is the Madhupur Tract which is also the third largest forest of the country. An international team of experts who conducted extensive soil survey in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the 1960s assessed that jum cultivation is extremely harmful to the forest and soil condition. A correct interpretation about/'ummmgbased on long-time research is hard to be found especially when the rate of forest depletion has become a major problem in Bangladesh with an estimated annual deforestation of 8000 acres. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts 750,000 acres have been completely deforested in the past several years, according to a Canadian consulting fir. In the last 30 years 24,000 acres of forest in Dinajpur district have almost completely disappearedThe Chakma Chief Raja Devasish Roy makes his observation on this point.[16]

Actual Violator

 Broker

 Local elites Class

 Member of political parties

 Administration and state

 Forest Department officials

 Social systems

 police department

 Inappropriate government policies

 Forest policy

 Insufficient Law

 Illegal owner

 Jum cultivator

 Brickfields owner

 Local Saw mills owner[17]

Use What Purpose

 Timber/ Teak wood

 Art of Local Timber Traders

 Household Consumption

 Bamboo

 Cane

 Sun grass

 Plants / Herbs

 Local Hotels

 Restaurants

 Tea Stalls

 Planks sold in Local Market[18]

               

Relevant Acts

    Sylhet Forest Transit Rules, 1951;

    Dinajpur and Rangpur Forest Transit Rules, 1954

    Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Comilla Forest Transit Rules, 1959

    Control of Transit of timbers and other forest produce for transit in the

          Sundarbans, 1959

    Dacca Forest Transit Rules, 1959

    Mymensingh Forest Transit Rules, 1959

    East Pakistan General Forest Transit Rules, 1960

    Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest Transit Rules, 1974

     Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Act 1973, (Amendment) 1974 and 1998

   The Bangladesh Private Forest Act (PFA), 1959

    Brick Burning (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1992

    Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995

    Hill Cutting Ordinance 1986

    Cattle Trespass Act, 1871

   Brick Burning Act 1989

   Forest Policy of Bangladesh[19]

Specific Provision of Deforestation

Forest Act of Bangladesh

During the Mughal period (1203-1538), forests were leased out by the local kings.

Systematic management of forests started in the 1860s after the establishment of a

Forest Department in the Province of Bengal. To regulate activities within forests, rules

and regulations have been formulated, amended, modified and improved upon over the

years. For assuming control of private forests and wastelands by the government in the interest of conservation, the Bengal Private Forest Act, 1945 was passed; but partition of India in 1947 intervened and the Act could not be put into effect.

Forest Act (Amendment), 1989

The Forest Act of 1927 as amended in 1989 has its roots in Indian Forest Act, 1878. The

Forest Act grants the government several basic powers, largely for conservation and protection of government forests, and limited powers for private forests.  Forest department is the main agency to implement the provisions of the Forest Act. The Act, however, does not specify any sort of institutional structure for the forest or other land holding agencies. It also does not set out any specific policy direction for managing the forests.

The Bangladesh Private Forest Act (PFA), 1959

The Private Forest Act of 1959 allows the Government to take over management of improperly managed private forest lands, any private lands that can be afforested, and any land lying fallow for more than three years. These government managed lands under this act are called "vested forests". The Forest Department manages approximately 8,500 hectares in the country as "vested forests".

Brick Burning (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1992

Brick making is a major domestic industry in Bangladesh and it uses considerable amount of fuel wood. The Brick Burning (Control) Act, 1989 as amended in 1992 outlaws the use of wood fuels in brick making. It provides for fines, imprisonment, and loss of license to make bricks for breaking its legal provisions. However, fuel wood is being commonly used as fuel for brick making.

Agenda 21

Bangladesh is also implementing “Agenda 21”, which is a non-binding international statement of goals and principles. It desires countries to take up all activities that are dear to Bangladesh like alleviation of poverty, improved land use, conservation of biodiversity, public participation, empowerment of women, respect of indigenous cultures, working with NGOs, and development of human resources etc.[20]

Relevant Provisions in the Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972

                                                                                                                                            

Part II of the Constitution lays down Fundamental Principles of State Policy and some of the articles provided the guidance for forest resource management. Article 13 of this part recognizes the validity of State, Cooperative and Private ownership. Article 15 declares that the State has a responsibility to promote economic growth and to assure provision of food, clothing, shelter, work and recreation to citizens. Article 16 puts special emphasis on the development of rural communities5. Article 31 of Part III of the Constitution Recognises the right to life, and notes that this includes the right to a healthy and stable environment. Furthermore, an amendment in 2011 led to the addition of Article 18A, which states that, ‘the state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and preserve and safeguard the natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands, forest and wild life for the present and future citizens.’[21]

Other Relevant Laws

National Environment Policy (NEP) (1992): The National Environmental Policy was formulated with the intent of enhancing protection and sustainable management of the environment. The objectives of the Policy include maintaining the ecological balance while simultaneously supporting national development and actively engaging in international environmental initiatives.

National Environment Management Action Plan (1992): The Action Plan aims to promote better management of scarce resources and reverse trends of environmental degradation by building upon the general principles stated in the 1992 National Environment Policy and proposing concrete actions and interventions in a number of priority areas.

The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (1995): Legislates the conservation of environmental systems, improvement of environmental standards and control and mitigation and provides a framework for its implementation. It also calls for the protection of ‘Ecologically Critical Areas.

The Environment Conservation Rules (1997): The Environment Conservation Rules provide guidelines on declaring an area as ecologically critical, on vehicles emitting smoke injurious to health and otherwise harmful pollution or degradation of the environment.

The Bangladesh Water and Power Development Boards Order, (1972): empowers the Water Board to frame scheme for watershed management. It can direct the owner of any private land to undertake ant erosion operations including conservation of forests and re-afforestation. [22]

SOME PROJECT OF THE FOREST DEPARTMEN

            Community Forestry Project--1981-1988

           Upazila Afforestation and Nursery Development Project: 1989-1996

          Coastal Greenbelt Project: 1995-2002

         The Forestry Sector Project: 1998-2004

        Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Project: 1999-2006[23]

Example of punishment

From the above discussion it becomes apparent that there had been defined policies for forestry practice in Bangladesh since 1865. But only few of these are satisfactory to the needs of time and the legislation enacted for pursuing the policies are rather punitive in nature than encouraging to private sector involvement in forestry activities. Moreover, the prevailing law and order in Bangladesh makes FD unable to implement the existing legislation and in providing protection the national forests. For example, as per several of FD field staff and timber merchants of Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati and Khagrachari who preferred to remain anonymous reported that it costs nearly Tk. 70,000 in the form of extortion for moving a seven tonne truck from these stations to Dhaka. The parties involved in extorting the money are 27 where FD’s share is less than 20 per cent. It, therefore, becomes clear that none of the single agencies including FD can totally stop pilferage of forest resources in Bangladesh. [24]

Recommendation

Reforestation &afforestation programmes (planting trees on areas formerly used for other purposes) have taken place throughout the country to maintain an ecological balance – for example, strip plantations alongside railways, roads and embankments and coastal afforestation programmes.

Biodiversity conservation

In the Sundarbans reserved forests is the biggest on-going project, its objective being to promote and implement biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management. This can only happen through massive afforestation of all available land along roads, railways, canal banks and in the depleted Sal forests. The Department of Forest alone cannot achieve these goals, but it needs the active support of the local people and the private sector, who have vested interests in the forests. People should be taught how they can live in harmony with the forest without destroying it.

Management of Mangrove Forests

The Sundarban forests were declared as a Reserved Forest in 1879, and are managed under a selection system. Early management consisted of a selection system with fixed Exploitable girth limit for the main species and a felling cycle of 40 years. Subsequent Working plans reduced the felling cycle to 20 years. The forest management intensity was increased after construction Khulna Newsprint Mills Ltd (KNM) in 1959, and other Khulna-based forest industries.  Ecological changes taking place in the Sundarbans are evident, apparently from extensive changes in river flow and increased salt content. Besides Golpatta palm leaves exploitation takes place on the basis of collection permits. Scarcity of information and inability to enforce regulations are the two main problems in sustainable management of Sunderbans.

Management of Private or Village Forest

There is no forest management planning for the village forest, which are mostly Home stead forests and extend over 270,000 ha in about 10 million households covering Over 85,650 villages. The private forests annually supply about 5 million M3 of wood (about one million m3 of logs and about four million m3 of fuel wood) and 0.53 million Air Dry MT of bamboo. The homestead forests are the most important source of wood, bamboo and other non-wood forest products in the villages.

People's Participationin Forest Management 

Branding the forest people [especially by the Forest Department which has been executing the on-going forestry project] as illegal occupants of forest lands complicates the process of people's participation in the forest management and forestry activities. Bangladesh forest laws provide that those who have lived on forest land for over 60 years have acquired rights over the forest lands they have lived on. Besides, denial of the traditional rights cannot be justified. The authorities [multilateral development banks or agencies who provide funds and the government which sponsors and implements the forestry projects] require to pay great attention to the necessity of preserving the forest communities and involving them in forest management.

Caution in Commercial Plantation 

The problems and complexities created through commercial plantation [of monoculture] are agonizing, particularly for the forest people who depend on forest resources. Forest  communities in the sal forest areas have hardly been consulted while planting exotic species such as Eucalyptus took place to create fuel wood reserves. The consequences of commercial monoculture has previously been discussed. The authorities need to be more cautious about afforesting the degraded and denuded forest land with exotic species.

Protecting Remains of Natural Forest and Bio-diversity 

Massive destruction of biological diversity has taken place in many places, especially in the sal forests, because of severe deforestation. Social or participatory forestry in West Bengal is cited to be very successful. The West Bengal state government has been successful in introducing participatory forest management system in 37% of government forest land as of 1989. Under this management system the concerned government authorities and the local people commit to jointly creating forest reserves. In 1992 Rio Earth Summit the Bangladesh government, by signing the Convention on Biological Diversity, made a commitment to protect the local forest and wildlife species and not to undertake plantation activities with exotic varieties harmful to the natural forests.

Training 

The field level staffs of the forest department who are implementing the TANDP project were found not informed of the details of the project which is imperative for cultivating good relationship with the local people. The local forest communities are also ignorant about the details of the project. Both parties should be drawn closer through training and information dissemination.
  

Socio-economic Survey 

A socio-economic survey should be conducted before each forestry project goes into operational phase and the findings should reach among others the local people who are to be impacted by the project. This may reduce misunderstanding among the local people and the lower level staff of the executing agency. [25]

Reference

1. Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO, 1999)

2. International Forest Article & BD, 2002

3. Bangladesh Forest Development Corporations

4. Article By (Chowdhury, 2006),BD

5. (Siddiqi, 2001).

6. Dr. M. Al-Amin, Professor and Director, Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Chittagong,

7. Ibid

8. Ibid

9. (Farooque, 1997), Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Bangladesh

 10. Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Bangladesh , World Rainforest Movement,

11. Dr. M. Al-Amin, Professor and Director, Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Chittagong, 1986

12WWF,The Current Stateof Biodiversity

                                                                                                                                                                13. World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), Correspondent, Today's Magazine NC, USA
14 FAO, World Rainforest Movement, Penang.

15. Wilson, E.O., in Biodiversity, 1988, National Academy Press

16. (Colombo G. The Secret War in Bangladesh - in the Adivasis of Bangladesh by Father Ro. 17 .Forest and Forest People of Bangladesh by Philip Gain From "Bangladesh - Land Forest and Forest People" - SEHD
18. Prepared by: Dr. Khawja Shamsul Hudi

19. Bangladesh code, Banglapedia 

20. (Banglapedia, 2008)

21. Ibid

22. The National Steering Committee for Climate Change (NSCCC)

Bangladesh REDD+Readiness Roadmap UN-REDD PROGRAMME

23. Prepared by: Dr. Khawja Shamsul Huda, International Resources Group

24. Bangladesh Forest Department, 2010

25. FAO & Forest and Forest People of Bangladesh by Philip Gain From Bangladesh - Land Forest and Forest People

 Prepared and posted by: Mohammad Riaj Uddin