I welcome everybody to my blog. No matter whether you are a student, academic, researcher, community worker or practitioner or whatever position you may hold, you are most welcome to share your ideas, experiences and thought on forestry as well as natural resource management whether it is in Chittagong Hill Tratcs of Bangladesh or any other parts of the world.
Bangladesh is a country, where the rate of deforestation is very high. According to some estimates such as Gain (2002) the forest cover in the country has shrunk to 6%. In spite of rapid deforestation, indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, have been able managing village forests commonly known as village common forests (VCFs) in and around their villages. Without government support, under the traditional leadership of mouza Headmen and Karbaries (village heads) indigenous communities have been managing VCFs since long time. However, with the increasing population pressure and privatisation of forests land, indigenous communities are losing control over forests.
In this backdrop, for the convenience of discussion, and getting your views on VCFs, I am placing here three questions:
1. What are the major five problems for managing VCFs in the CHT?
2. Who and how can help solving those problems?
3. What could be done to address those problems?
I look forward to your active participation.
With kind regards
Ashok
lack of regulation
ReplyDeletelack of incentives
lack of participation
lack of interest of the government
the unjust policies towards the tribal people of CHT.
it is they them selve who can solve the problem. local self government is the only panacea.Allow them to govern themselve. any outside intervention will demolish them. the present situation is the witness to my words. Bangladesh government is intervening them in day to day life of these people due to which poverty, chaos, social intolerance and attrocities are rising over the heads.
mobilize the people to compel the government to allow them to govern themselve. If not allow the government to come up with many environment protection acts and poverty alleviation programs according the the world bank standards. otherwise the great danger is on the way
Thank you very much for your nice comments and feedback. Yes, people should be given the stake to protect their own resources, but the government's hands are still more strong. The government is more obsessed with the World Bank or ADB ideas of poverty alleviation, and their ideas are about money, money and money. They think the poverty alleviation in terms of money - money will give the poor food and other basic needs. One case example, rubber plantation in CHT in 1970a supported by ADB, but rubber could provide neither money nor food for planter families. Yes, you are right - the danger is there. The government now proposes 'social forestry' instead of strengthening the existing VCFs or other best practices in forest management.
ReplyDeleteBased on your question. Find my answers below:
ReplyDelete- growth of population from outside and lack of knowledge abut VCF (outsiders). Not only this they need to aware about VCF and it's important.
-again government officials need to orient on CHT cultures and practices and it's importance and links to save our mother earth.
-now a days climate change and it's effect is a bigger issue. VCF could be one good solution and role model to save forest and community. To make it popular we need to document and publish it in front of policy makers to advocate its importance.
-indigenous customary land rights should be protected by government. UN could make pressure to recognize indigenous land rights issues as part of special policy at Chittagong Hill Tracts
-VCF could pottrait and help land shortage problem as Bangladesh is a country of huge population.
-all the reserve forest could be community forest and managed by the community for the sake of make earth green. For this government and policy makers could discuss with the community and change the forest policy act accordingly.
Here I tried to focus based on your three question's. I hope this is enough for today. I will write more later if I could manage my time. Thanks.
There are some work going on in the country on forest management through community participation (www.nishorgo.org). In Himachal Prodesh of India lot of similar work took place with the support of DfID and GTZ, some case studies were included in my development studies course. I have some documents but most of those are in papers, but I am sure there are some in websites.
ReplyDeleteMy response is not directly addressing your issues. But I'll come back to you later on the matters.
Thank you,
@ Sleeping Beauty,
ReplyDeletethank you very much for your valuable comments. Of your points, especially the climate change issue is not only local issue, but also global issue. I agree with you that village common forests can reduce the climate-induced negative impacts on the local communities. I look forward to your more insights into the issue in the days to come.
@Mahtabul Hakim
Thank you very much for your kind information. I look forward to your valuable inputs from other countries. I hope, that will enrich our understanding about the relevant issues on forest management.
With kind regards
Ashok
i would like to add on your comments
ReplyDeleterubber plantation in fact can give food to the people of cht. the land, climate and water requirement of rubber in cht is suitable enough to make cht a haven of rubber. Thereby supporting many industries and hence employment. Again industries should be in the hand of local people. it cannot be owned by outsiders. The only thing is that bring out some socially just policies which can be advocated for the protection of Cht people. the failure of rubber plantation in CHT in 1970a supported by ADB has many reasons.few of such reasons are the government unprotecting attitude towards the people of cht, islamisation of all bangladesh but the people of cht are against it as they are staunch theraveda buddhist majority. http://www.adb.org/Documents/PERs/RE28.pdf report says some of the measure the governmnet should stick to protect the rubber plantation.
it is not only the rubber plantation. what happen to the depleted varieties of Jhum vegetables in the community market. people were self sufficient with only with the jum vegetable in 60's some 50 years back from now. But what happen to them now? Now they have been depleted and our present generation rarely know the terms like 'Hatool Dingi Aaga Saag', 'Bedagi', 'Tettol Gulo', 'Tiide Huju', 'Bawrana Saag' aka 'Eureng Saag', 'Taara', 'Senge Gulo', 'Hoyeng Alu', 'Paan Alu' and the list is endless. the government of bdesh intervened to the life of cht and hence those things are perished. does the government ever realised it? i dont think it had. empower the people of cht through local self government. learn some of the lessons from the government of India. govt of india is managing water in the state of rajasthan in an effient way helping the people to realise that it is resource which can help them to earn their livelihood. Hence Bangladesh government should understand the problem in cht in minute detail. it should be top down apprach, rather a bottom to top approach.
my last sentence is " it should not be top down approach rather a bottom to top approach"
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your comments. It's also my pleasure to add a few comments about rubber plantation in CHT.
ReplyDelete1) You seemed to be hopeful for rubber plantation, and emphasised "again industries should be in the hand of local people". Yes, this was and still is a big challenge for rubber plantation to make it successful. The initial project plan undertaken by the CHT Development Board (CHTDB) had a mechanism to establish a Central Management Unit (CMU), through which the planters would get voice in the decision-making process. After the expiry of the project, this CMU was supposed to take over the charge of the management, and would take long term planning for the development of rubber plantation and industry. In a word, in the post-project period, CMU would be the main body for rubber development. In practice, CHTDB officials dominate it, and planters have 'token' representation.
2)Let alone the environmental debates, the rubber plantation has economic potential, but CHTDB could not realize that potential. I strongly believe, under the absolute control of CHTBD, rubber planters could no longer be benefited from rubber plantation. A few years back, I talked to a few rubber planters in Bhaibonchara and Perachara. That time, as they told me, they received only some Tk. 7000.00 and Tk. 4500.00 respectively. However, the amount was dependent on collection of rubber latex.
3) Now the rubber plantation has turned to be a 'salary' provider to some CHTDB officials. As far as I know, some officials of CHTDB receive salary from the sale of rubber latex; because the project already had been over. How does this money go to CHTDB? As per the agreement (although I did not see any written agreement with the planters), the benefits (they called lovyangsho) would be distributed by 60% and 40% between beneficiary planters and CHTDB. It was not clear to me - how this lovyangsho was calculated by CHTDB. If you have any opportunity, please investigate it in details.
4) In terms of marketing rubber latex, CHTDB holds the monopoly authority. Planters cannot sell it out. CHTDB collects all rubber and turns it into RSS sheet. At a certain time, it sells out the rubber through bids. Again there is manipulation in the bidding process. Price is determined through under-table negotiation between the traders and CHTDB officials. For example, one planter told me - the price was set at Tk. 70.00 -Tk.80.00 (according to grades) by CHTDB, while this price was around Tk. 140.00 - 150.00 in Chittagong. Imagine, how much the planters are being cheated.
There are many issues on rubber plantation. Anyway, thanks a lot for sharing your views with me on this blog. I look forward to your participation again.
With kind regards
Ashok
Thanks Ashok da for informative blog. This is one of the big issue in CHTs conserving environment and Village common forests (VCFs). you already known that Taungya a local NGO based in Rangamati working VCF in different Upazilas in 2003. after successful Taungya got another project in 2008 relating VCF in two hill districts (Rangamati and Bandarban). entitled of these project was-consolidated community rights over natural resources for conservation of environment and sustainable development. i was working of this project for one year. The main problems for protecting and conserving of VCF were--
ReplyDelete1. No legal rights of VCF (1927 and 1994 forest law)
2. VCF disputes between community
3. Duty bearers were ignored about VCF
4. land disputes between Bangladesh Forest department and VCF dwellers
5. lack of awareness for conserving VCF
With regards
Nikhil
in your comment you said that the rubber industries in cht are in the hand of local. yes I do agree with you but we should try to explore the reason behind the failure in spite of being this lucrative industries in their hand. We should explore the reason behind "CHTDB officials dominate it, and planters have 'token' representation". this certainly explains some deep reasons. In my previous comment i emphasize the role of governmental policy which are very harsh toward the people of cht. do we ever realised that a rubber which is 150 km away from Chittagong is being sold at a price lower that 1/4th of its original price? anyway please try to explore the reason behind the failure of rubber plantation inspite of giving the industries in their hand. I hope ultimately you will reach to the unjust policies of the government of bdesh
ReplyDelete@Nikhil
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your participation. I guess, you have more field experience about VCFs. You can share your experience and village people's stories on this blog.
Is Taungya project still going on? Who is responsible for the project? Could you ask him/her to participate in this blog discussion.
Can you ask other friends or interested people to participate here? If someone does not feel confident in English, s/he can write in Bangla. For doing so, someone needs to type on Word file and paste it on the blog. I hope, it will work.
Thanks again for your participation.
With best
Ashok
Dear Ashok I am preparaing to add more points here. Later I will add it in here.
ReplyDeleteDidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. I am looking forward to your points.
With kind regards
Ashok
Here I tried to add some points on importance of VCF, based on my discussion with different villagers old person’s of different areas of CHT.
ReplyDelete• Collective community effort. There was inbuilt collective system while managing VCF. Everyone is for the sake of everyone.
• Diverse tree plantation. Inside the VCF bigger trees never cut. It was always green. Different types of medicinal plant, herbs fruits and bamboos grew inside the VCF. Community depends on day to day activity with VCF.
• Model of harmony and peace. As it was collective action, so there was no individualism. So whatever done inside the VCF it goes to for whole villagers
• All element of water shade management. As VCF was managed by women from the very beginning. Women of villages take care of that forest. According to the Karbari (forgot his name) of Doghor (Baghaichori area) it also keep the hills and valley green. So at old times our village was source of Chara (brook) and waterfalls. According to him VCF was the source of water shade management. Inside the VCF some bigger trees grew very well. They were the source of water shade management. But that tree is hardly seen inside Thanchi.
• Important model of bio-diversity. VCF was model of diverse plant and tree. Different Kind of birds, insects, animal and species depend on the environment, trees and plant of VCF.
So for the sake of global environment and reduce of global warming VCF could be an important role model for all of us. For the sake of VCF its patent rights goes to indigenous women. Because, indigenous women knew how to manage VCF. They are always acting as protector of mother earth. To create a VCF there is no need to train people, they knew how to protect VCF. Cause it was source of their life and death.
Dear Tandra Di
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your valuable inputs on VCFs in CHT. It is really a reflection of people's views on VCFs. You have pointed out the importance of VCFs from ecological and gender perspectives as well. As indigenous women are mainly responsible for collecting water, it is very much urgent to preseve VCFs for retaining the water sources nearby village areas. It is clear that with destruction of VCFs women will have to take an extra burden of workload, e.g. they have to spend more time on collecting water and fuel wood from far away forests.
Indigenous knowledge, especially women's knowledge on watershed management as well as natural resources management has to be recognised by the laws and policies.
Regarding the patent rights, I do not know what mechanisms are in place in Bangladesh. To the best of my knowledge, a patent right gurantees the individual or private rights over new invention or innovation. Given this legal system, how indigenous women can collectively claim patent rights over VCFs? I hope, you can enlighten us in this regard.
Thanks again for your time and inputs in this discussion forum.
With kind regards
Ashok