Community Conserved Areas in Bangladesh Wildlife …kalpavriksh.org/images/CCA/SouthAsia/BangladeshCCAreport2008_09.… · Our sincere gratitude also goes to Mr. Enamul Shahriar for

Community Conserved Areas

in Bangladesh

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh

Community Conserved Areas (CCAs)

in Bangladesh

Md. Anwarul Islam, Mamunul Hoque Khan, Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,

Suprio Chakma, Mayeen Uddin, Israt Jahan, Rezvin Akter, Samiul Mohsanin,

Elizabeth Tennant

Dhaka

July 2009


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Published By:


Cosmos Centre

69/1 New Circular Road, Malibagh

Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh

Design/page layout:

Enamul Shahriar

Photo credit: Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh

ISBN 978-984-33-0528-2

© Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for use in relevant training

or awareness raising activities providing that full acknowledgment of the source

is made. Reproduction of a whole or substantial part of any of this document for

any commercial purpose, including sales or satisfaction of contractual

obligations, is prohibited without written permission of the Wildlife Trust of

Bangladesh.

Disclaimer:

The views in this article are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily

represent those of the host organizations of the authors

3

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank a number of individuals and organizations for their valuable contributions to this document. We express our utmost gratitude to Mr. Ashish Kothari, Ms. Seema Bhatt and Ms. Tasneem Balasinorwala of Kalpavriksh for their instrumental role including critical review and contribution in the preparation of this document. We are also grateful to Dr Ram Sharma and Dr Niaz Khan for their enthusiastic role in reviewing the synthesis of policy and legal surveys. We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to Mr. Enam Ul Haque, Dr Sabir Bin Muzaffar and Dr Anwara Begum Shelly for their valuable inputs in the process. Our appreciation also goes the WTB and CNRS crew, who gave their all out support during the field trips. Our sincere gratitude also goes to Mr. Enamul Shahriar for the help in composing this document with high aesthetic quality. Mr. Amanullah Bin Mahmood deserves special appreciation for his cartographic contribution.

Md. Anwarul Islam Mamunul Hoque Khan

Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury Suprio Chakma Mayeen Uddin Israt Jahan Rezvin Akter

Samiul Mohsanin Elizabeth Tennant

4

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CCA Community Conserved Area CDM Clean Development Mechanism CEESP Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy CHT Chittagong Hill Tracts CWBMP Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project ECA Ecologically Critical Areas GEF Global Environment Facility HYV High Yield Variety ICCA Indigenous and Community Conserved Area IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature Kalpavriksh A Group working on environment and social issues in India MACH Management of Aquatic Resources through Community Husbandry NGO Non Government Organization PA Protected Area REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation RMO Resource Management Organization SPARRSO Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization SwedBio Swedish International Biodiversity Programme TILCEPA Theme on Indigenous and Local Equity and Protected Areas UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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USAID United Sates Agency for International Development USF Un-classed State Forest VCF Village Common Forest VCG Village Conservation Group WCPA World Commission on Protected Areas WTB Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh

6

PREFACE

In broad terms, Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) can be defined as either

fully natural or modified ecosystems characterized by significant biodiversity,

ecological services and cultural values, that are voluntarily conserved by

indigenous and local communities through local laws or other effective means.

Conceptual and operational concepts about CCAs are evolving and at present;

conservationists are putting greater emphasis on recognizing the significance of

these ecosystems and urging the requirement of proper policy and legal premises

in support of the sustainability of CCAs.

Conservation is still a relatively new concept in Bangladesh, and CCAs are not

well conceptualized in most parts of the country. In the territory of present day

Bangladesh, CCAs have been an important part of the network of common pool

resources, but both terrestrial and aquatic CCAs have been drastically reduced

since the mid 70s.

In Bangladesh, those CCAs that are still in existence and maintain a significant

level of community ownership are principally socio-cultural common resource

bases, containing biodiversity significance. Some CCAs have been established

and nurtured under natural resources management projects.

Up until 1970, there was a patch of forest (locally known as ara, jongol, bashjhar,

kanda etc.) or wetlands (locally known as beel, doho, kum, baor, gang, baid,

dighi, chara etc.) in almost every village. Considering the level of community

engagement in conserving and utilizing these areas, conceptually these could

have been termed CCAs. These were located at the khas (government owned

land, or other estates) lands. Presently, because of faulty leasing policy and poor

governance, the presence of such areas is becoming rare.

Kalpavriksh (in association with the IUCN Commissions of WCPA/CEESP

Strategic Direction on Governance, Communities, Equity, and Livelihood Rights

7

in Relation to Protected Areas-TILCEPA and the CBD Alliance) initiated a

process to systematically document and review the status of CCAs in South Asia

with the objective of developing a relevant knowledge base, partnerships, and a

network to facilitate its sustainability. Towards this end Kalpavriksh, India and

Forest Action Group, Nepal are co-organizing a regional workshop on CCAs in

South Asia, on 4-7 August 2009, under the sponsorship of SwedBio and

GEF/UNDP Small Grants Programme. This workshop hopes to bring together

community representatives, non-government organizations and government

representatives from different South Asian Countries

As part of this initiative, WTB, as the Bangladesh partner, carried out a study to

capture basic information about CCAs in Bangladesh. This study reveals that no

comprehensive and systematic studies have been carried to document existing

CCAs or to explore their overall status. In general, secondary sources for relevant

information are out of date and very limited information exists in terms of the

specific numbers, nature or aerial extent of CCAs in the country. Therefore, it is

extremely difficult to ascertain the spatial extent of CCAs with precision.

Against this backdrop, this document provides some basic information about

CCAs in Bangladesh. It also portrays the significance of CCAs and the necessity

of enabling policies and programming actions. We identify this endeavor as a

preliminary effort to capture issues and challenges in relation to CCAs in

Bangladesh and as the beginning of a journey to build a knowledgebase from

WTB’s side. We would therefore welcome any critiques and contributions that

would help us to achieve this objective. It is our sincere hope that this document

will raise awareness about CCAs and generate intellectual and policy debates in

support of the sustainability of CCAs in Bangladesh.

Enayetullah Khan

Chairman


8

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Preface

Contents

Chapter 1: Background

Chapter 2: Nature and Extent of CCAs

Chapter 3: Case Studies

CCA 1: Pochamaria Village Bamboo Grove, Rajshahi

CCA 2: Shakhidar Para, Mahabatpur Village, Joypurhat

CCA 3: Baghchari (Danabindhu Karbari Para), Rangamati

CCA 4: Bayazid Bostami Shrine, Chittagong

CCA 5: Nabiganj and Kushiara, Bandar, Narayanganj

CCA 6: Baikka Beel, Hail Haor, Sreemangal, Moulvibazar

Chapter 4: Policy Premise and Governance

Chapter 5: Way Forward

References

Annex I: Survey Regarding National Legal and Policy Measures Related to

CCA

Annex II: Survey Regarding Status of CCAs in Bangladesh and the Relevent

Policy and Legal Framework

Annex III: Salient Features of Sample CCAs

9

CHAPTER I: BACKGROUND

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries, with more

than 150 million people living in an area of 147,570 square kilometers. The

resulting scarcity of land has caused serious environmental degradation and

deforestation; forest cover is less than 8%, reduced from about 15% a few decades

ago. Bangladesh has 19 protected areas, including: 10 national parks, 8 wildlife

sanctuaries, and one game reserve. In addition, there are 5 eco-parks and a safari

park under the jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Forest Department. There are 8

Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) within the purview of the Department of

Environment, including St. Martin’s Island, the Teknaf Peninsula in the far SE,

and Hakaluki Haor in the NE. The Sundarbans has been declared a World

Heritage Site by UNESCO is also a Ramsar Site.1

About 35% of Bangladesh is inundated each year during the monsoon, and in

cases of severe flooding more that 50% of land is sometimes flooded. Per capita

cultivable land is less than 20 decimals and per capita forest land is 0.022

hectare, which is believed to be the lowest in the world. The annual deforestation

rate in the 1990s was 3.3%, compared to 0.6% in South Asia.2 The current

Protected Area (PA) network covers only 1.7% of the country’s surface area, which

is 252,835 ha or 2528.35 sq km.3

The government aims to increase the PA system to 10%. Meeting this targeted

proportion of PAs is meaningless if they suffer from inadequate protection

measures and are only protected on paper. One better option to meet this target

in a meaningful way is via “Community Conservation Areas” (CCAs).

1 See Figure 1 2 Gain, P. (ed.). 1998. Bangladesh: Land, Forest and Forest People. Society of Environment and Human Development, Dhaka. 187 pp. 3 Khan, MMH. 2008. Protected Areas of Bangladesh: A Guide to Wildlife. Nishorgo Programme, Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Circle, Bangladesh Forest Department, Dhaka. 304 pp.

10

Figure 1: Major Notified and Proposed Protected Areas of Bangladesh

11

12

Community Conserved Areas are natural or modified ecosystems characterized

by significant biodiversity, ecological services and cultural values, which are

voluntarily conserved by indigenous and local communities. More specific

definitions and operational concepts of CCAs are evolving as they gain

recognition with conservationists, who are placing increased emphasis on urging

the proper policy and legal premises in support of CCAs. While this concept is

new and lacks an adequate legal foundation in Bangladesh, the government in its

revised (proposed) Wildlife Act mentions that: “community conservation area”

means any private or community land declared as such for protecting fauna, flora

and traditional or cultural conservation values and practices under Section 21”.

The Section 21 of the revised (proposed) Wildlife Act:

Declaration of community conservation area

(1) The Government may upon request of land owners, declare, by

notification, any private or community land not comprised within the

designated protected area consisting of landscape zone, as a community

conservation area, where the community or an individual has volunteered

any area, for the purpose of protecting fauna, flora and traditional or

cultural conservation values and practices in the manner not derogatory to

sustainable development.

(2) The provisions of Sections 17 and 18 shall, apply in relation to

community conservation area as they apply to a sanctuary.

(3) After the issuance of notification under sub-section (1), no change in

the land use pattern shall be made within the community conservation

area, except in accordance with a resolution passed by the collaborative

management committee/council of any community conservation area and

approval of the same by the Board. Provided that, the Government may, by

notification specifying the reasons thereof, relax all or any of the

13

prohibition specified above, either for scientific purposes or for aesthetic

enjoyment or betterment or improvement of the scenery or management

of wildlife therein.

Conservation is still a relatively new concept in Bangladesh. The term CCAs is

not well conceptualized in most parts of present-day Bangladesh, as the majority

of land and wetlands decisions are often controlled by a small group of wealthy

landowners. Even the government owned lands and wetlands are customarily

leased out to elite members of the community, while the poor are often landless

and marginalized. By involving communities in land management, the returns

from these areas could be increased many fold.

In Bangladesh, wetlands have traditionally been undervalued and treated as

areas to be converted for agriculture. In reality, wetlands provide numerous

benefits, including sources of income and nutrition for poor families who depend

upon the fish and aquatic plants of wetlands.

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CHAPTER 2: TYPES AND NATURE OF CCAs IN BANGLADESH

In Bangladesh, no comprehensive and systematic studies have been carried out to

create a register of existing CCAs or to explore their overall status. In general,

secondary sources for relevant information are out of date and very limited in

terms of specifying the number, nature and aerial extent of CCAs in the country.

Individual CCAs are not delineated by any particular institutional entity, and it is

therefore extremely difficult to ascertain their spatial extent with precision.

In the territory of present day Bangladesh, CCAs have been an important part of

the network of common pool resources, but both terrestrial and aquatic CCAs

have been drastically reduced since the mid 70s. The CCAs that are still in

existence and maintain a significant level of community ownership are

principally socio-cultural common resource bases. They primarily take the form

of Village Common Forests (VCFs) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and religious

shrines, such as the Bayazid Bostami Shrine (famous for Bostami Turtle) in

Chittagong and the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali in Bagerhat in the SW (crocodile).

Some CCAs have been established and nurtured under natural resources

management projects in aquatic ecosystems, such as: the Baikka Beel of Hail

Haor, Sreemangal, and Moulvibazar [established with the help of the

Management of Aquatic Resources through Community Husbandry (MACH)

project]. In Bangladesh, many wetlands are typically leased out to influential

locals who exploit fish and other aquatic resources. In an effort to address this, a

number of natural resource management projects have attempted to give

stewardship or ownership to local people, with limited success. One of the major

challenges that these projects face is the lack of relevant policies and legal

protections favoring poor resource users.

In the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the most prominent type of CCA can be classified as

Village Common Forest (VCF). Historically, these community managed/owned

forest sites were known as mouza forests and they have been more recently

identified as VCFs by a number of authors and local communities. Over time

15

many of the VCFs have been either grabbed or exploited by influential people

under faulty leasing and inappropriate governance approaches, or they have been

destroyed by encroachment due to excessive pressure on resources. These VCFs

are mostly small, averaging 20 to 120 hectares in size and consisting of naturally

grown or regenerated vegetation. The VCFs are managed, protected and utilized

by indigenous village communities under the leadership of the mouza Headman

and village karbaries (traditional village level leaders). The existence of these

forests is acknowledged in a number of exectutive orders as well as the

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regulation of 1900 (at Rule 41a). This Regulation

is the main legal instrument for the administration of the CHT. The CHT

Regulation of 1900 does not recognize the full ownership rights of the community

concerned or provide express safeguards against alienation and privatization.

Mouza Headmen are responsible for these lands and without their advice land

grants are not supposed to be made, but there are instances where Headmen

have not been consulted about the leasing of these areas.4

In addition, there are some other areas that are being managed by communities

in the greater Mymensingh and Sylhet districts. Some of them are managed

under wakf arrangements.

Up until 1970, throughout the country there were patches of forests (locally

known as ara, jongol, bashjhar, kanda etc.) or wetlands (locally known as beel,

doho, kum, baor, gang, baid, dighi, chara etc.) in almost every village. Given the

level of community engagement in conserving and utilizing these areas,

conceptually these could have been termed CCAs. These areas were located at the

khas (government owned land, or other estates) lands. Presently, because of

faulty leasing policy, corruption, and poor governance, the presence of such areas

is very rare.

4 UNDP, “Bangladesh: The Interface of Customary and State Laws in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” in Bridging the Gap: Policies and Practices on Indigenous Peoples’ Natural Resource Management in Asia, 2007

16

CHAPTER 3: SAMPLE CASE STUDIES

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB), in partnership with Kalpavriksh, India, has

recently conducted field surveys to make a preliminary inventory of some of

Bangladesh’s CCAs. A few have been briefly described here. As previously noted,

a comprehensive and systematic survey would be required to prepare a complete

inventory of CCAs in Bangladesh, as secondary sources are unavailable.

CCA I: Pochamaria Village bamboo grove, Rajshahi

Pochamaria Village bamboo grove is one example of a successful CCA. Several

Hindu and Muslim families of the village own a grove and roosting trees where

about 10 Darter (globally threatened), 200 Asian Openbill, and 50 Large

Cormorant use the grove and nearby large trees as a roosting place in winter.

About 50 Black-crowned Night Heron, 30 Little Egret, 20 Little Cormorant and

15 Cattle Egret use the spot as a breeding area. At the behest of the young

Chairman of the Union Parishad, and Enam Ul Haque (founder, Bangladesh Bird

Club and a trustee of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh) the local people formed a

bird-conservation society nearly 10 years ago to save the grove and the trees.

Pochamaria is in Shilmaria Union, under Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi (on the

Dhaka-Rajshahi Road you turn right at Puthia to take Tahirpur Road, travel 10

km up to Basupara Bazar, turn right and travel 2 km on Natore Road up to

Mollapara Bazar, turn left and travel 2 km to Pochamaria, northern Bangladesh).

The village lies about 270 km NW of Dhaka and has a population of about 1600.

The local upazila chairman was recognized as a conservationist by the

Bangladesh Bird Club at the Bird Fair organized jointly by the Department of

Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh Bird Club and the Wildlife Trust

of Bangladesh in 2006.

Bangladesh has some 650 species of birds nearly half of which are in some form

migratory. These birds rarely form any large congregations, except those that visit our

wetland haors and beels, our coastal areas, and Kaptai Lake during the winter months.

17

Figure 2: Location Map of Sample CCAs

18

The sighting of a large colony of birds in the village of Pochamaria is a

remarkable find. This heronry is possibly the largest one in the country outside of

government reserved forests.

Pochamaria was turned into a heronry about a decade ago when a small flock of

cormorants started roosting at first and then started breeding in the area later on.

This heronry is supported by a few bamboo clumps within the compound of a few

villagers by the side of Pochamaria Bazar and the local road that links Taherpur.

Some birds, especially the Asian Openbill (Shamuk Bhanga), roost on Shimul

trees (Bombax ceiba) within half a kilometer of the market.

The people of Pochamaria have somehow become tolerant of the enormous

trouble created by the resident cormorants, egrets and night herons. The

foremost negative impact of the birds resulted from faeces damaging the local

cash-crops, such as the bamboos and bombax trees. The faeces also had a positive

impact by producing natural manure for the fields and ponds where various crops

and fish are cultivated.

In addition to birds over 1000 bats, Flying Fox or Large Fruit Bat (Pteropus

giganteus), use the area for roosting. They use the same bamboos and bombax

trees as a daytime roost, making a continuous din with their chattering and

squeaking.5

5 Khan, MAR. August 18, 2006. Holiday, Dhaka, Bangladesh, has been used

19

Breeding colony of Openbill

CCA II: Shakhidar Para Village, Joypurhat

About seven acres of wood at Shakhidar Para Village (25001`07 N and 89002`07

E) can be termed a potential CCA. About 700 Asian Openbills nest in the wood.

In addition to bird nesting, there is a bat colony with about 1200 bats. Several

Muslim villagers own the wood and may form a group to conserve it if the

initiative is supported by a leader like the

Openbill at Shakhidar Para

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Chairman of the Pochamaria Union Parishad. This may be possible, as this rare

breeding place of the Openbill in Bangladesh has been drawing increased

attention from the media and curious visitors. Shakhidar Para village is in Khetlal

police station of Joypurhat district, located about 250 km northwest of Dhaka

and with a population of about 4600.

CCA III: Baghchari (Danabindhu Karbari Para), Rangamati

Recently a survey was conducted in the hill districts called Bandarban and

Rangamati and a CCA was recorded in Rangamati. No one knows exactly when

this CCA/VCF was formed, but it is assumed that it has been maintained since

the 1960’s. This coincides with the displacement of the local indigenous people because

of the construction of the dam for the Kaptai Hydroelectric Project. Historically,

indigenous people practice jhuming (shifting cultivation) and traditionally keep a patch

of forest adjacent to their village, known as a VCF, which is never used for jhuming.

A management committee headed by a karbari (village head) manages the VCF. They

are principally guided by the customary rules. Harvesting of forest products from the

VCF is allowed for community use such as construction of schools, temples, etc, but not

for commercial use. Firewood and non-wood products such as bamboo are allowed to be

harvested to meet the basic needs of the community. Sometimes timber extraction is

allowed for building or repairing the houses with the consent of other stakeholders and

the karbari. Those communities which are not permanently settled tend to overexploit

the VCGs, making these community forests unsustainable. The permanent settlers need

to keep a small patch of forest adjacent to their jhum as they want to ensure the source of

water and secure sustainable access to livelihood resources.

Location: The area consists of about 200 acres (N 22º44.867 E 92º26.212) located

about 15 km from Barkal Sadar and 3 km from the village Baghchari (Danabindhu

Karbari Para), under Aimachara Union of Barkal Upazila of Rangamati District. From

Rangamati district town the area can be reached by 3 hrs mechanized boat journey and

then about one and a half hours walk on foot.

21

Harvesting bamboo at Baghchari

Threats

Once the area of the VCF was more than 300 acres, but it has now been reduced

to 200 acres. The present population is about 400 in 42 families. A few years

ago they sold all the large trees at Taka 95000 ($ 1300). Later, due to conflict of

interest 18 families claimed their due share and they were given their chunk of

forest. Last year these 18 families burned their portion for jhuming and while

preparing their land for jhuming part of the neighboring forests were also burnt.

This year bamboos are blooming. It usually blooms after a 40-50 year interval

when the parent bamboo will die and there will be regeneration from seedlings.

Considering the threat, the owners sold the bamboo at Taka 70000 ($ 1000).

Conservation awareness could perhaps help protect this patch of forest as an

important CCA.

22

Kalpavrishk team and WTB arranged meeting with local people

WTB team with the local people of Barkal

Ethnic group

The indigenous people who own and manage the forest are Chakma. They have

their own language which is also called Chakma.

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Small group meeting with local people (Kalpavriksh team visiting

Bangladesh)

Biodiversity resources

The forest is a mixed evergreen type dominated by bamboo groves. Some

important wildlife species include the Hornbill, Asiatic Black Bear and Leopard.

Kalpavriksh team joins WTB team to visit Baghchari

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Remarks

Mamunul Haque Khan of UNDP Bangladesh

(http://www.newagebd.com/2008/mar/17/oped.html) observes that the overall

trend of declining natural forest habitats in Bangladesh is severe and the pace of

destruction has been accelerated constantly since the 1970s. Although in

accordance with forest statistics, about 17% of the country is identified as forest

land. However, according to a recent study (SPARRSO 2007) at present about

7.3% of the country is under forest tree cover, primarily mangrove vegetation

covering about 4000 sq km. Remote sensing based change analysis reveals that

natural forest cover has been reduced more than 60% since the 1970s. An

estimation carried out in 1990 indicated that Bangladesh had less than 0.02 ha of

forestland per person, the lowest forest to population ratio in the world.

A stock-taking of the biodiversity of this important CCA should immediately be

done and a conservation education programme be organized to save this CCA.

This is an important initiative by the local indigenous people as Bangladesh is

loosing its forest patches at alarming rates and much of the county’s rich

biodiversity is now under threat.

CCA IV: Bayazid Bostami Shrine, Chittagong

The Bayazid Bostami Shrine has become a major place of pilgrimage for Muslims.

The shrine is named after Bayazid Bostami, a famous saint of Iran, known as

Sultan-ul-Arefin Hazrat Byazid Bistami. He was born in 777 AD at

Bistam/Bostam in Iran and died in 874 AD. His name is associated with a famous

flourishing dargah (buildings have been erected upon the graves of sufis and

dervishes) situated on top of a hillock at Nasirabad, Chittagong (a port city in SE

Bangladesh). The dargah complex consists of the tomb, an old mosque and a

tank in front of the tomb. The tank is the abode of about 300 freshwater turtles

locally known as Bostami Kachim, Gazari-Madari (Bostami Turtle/Black Softshell

Turtle/Chittagong Mud Turtle, Aspideretes nigricans). Among the Muslims

there exists a strong religious belief about these turtles for their attachment with

the shrine of the saint.

25

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/mar/17/oped.html

Pilgrims trying to feed Bostami turtle at midnight

The general belief is that the famous saint is lying buried in this shrine.

Therefore, the whole area has been named after him and the road in front of it is

called Byazid Bostami Road. It is widely believed that these turtles were brought

by the Saint. There is a strong belief that the turtles are descendants of the evil

spirits whose ancestors, having incurred the wrath of the great saint, were

transformed into turtles. Later it was revealed that Sultan al-Arefin Byazid

Bistami never visited and/or arrived in Chittagong. Historians say that it is an

‘astana’ (sitting place) associated with the name of the great saint. In the 15th

century there was a king in Bengal named Sultan Shihab al-Din Byazid Shah.

Possibly it is his grave and his name might have been modified as Sultan Byazid

Bostami by some of his followers.

Whatever the history says, hundreds of pilgrims visit the area and feed and try to

touch the turtles. This has become a unique example of traditional conservation

practices, and the Chittagong Endowment Committee looks after the shrine.

These turtles are not seen anywhere in Bangladesh, not even in the wild. These

turtles were recorded as an endemic species in Bangladesh until 2002, but recent

26

genetic evidence suggests that the species is not endemic to the Bostami pond.6

The number of turtles living in the pond is significant, but the conditions in

which they live are substandard and unclean. These conditions must be

improved in order to ensure the health and well-being of the turtles.

CCA V: Nabiganj and Kushiara, Bandar, Narayanganj

Nabiganj and Kushiara are two adjacent villages of Bandar Upazila of

Narayanganj district, where about 40 monitor lizards (locally known as Ramgadi,

Varanus salvator) still survive in unused tanks and ditches.

A ring lizard at Nabiganj

Talking to the villagers

6 Praschag et al., 2007

27

Once found all over the area, the lizards are now confined to a number of ditches,

and the increasing habitat loss might bring these animals to the verge of local

extinction. They have neither enough food nor a breeding place. The small

number of young lizards shows that either the lizards are not reproducing or the

young do not survive.

Local people seemed to be neutral if not very hostile toward these animals.

Although there is no community initiative to protect these animals, a good

number of visitors frequent the area to see these gharial-sized (some are even

bigger) lizards. This could be included as a CCA if awareness could be raised

among the local people. The villages are located about 30 km south of Dhaka.

CCA VI: Baikka Beel, Hail Haor, Sreemangal, Moulvibazar

Bangladesh is a signatory to Ramsar Convention and hosts two Ramsar sites: the

Sundarbans and Tanguar Haor. About 50 percent of country’s total area is

covered by wetlands and its resources support millions of the poorest of the poor.

Paul Thompson, in a study of Hail Haor, a large wetland in Moulvibazar district

in the NE, records that in 2000 the value of goods and services the haor averaged

Taka 37,000 (about $ 540) per hectare or double the return from the alternative

of a single crop of dry season (boro) paddy at that time.7 He opines that even

without any improvements in management, wetlands are very valuable for the

fish, aquatic plants, crops, grazing opportunities, flood mitigation and recreation

they provide.

In some areas people realize the importance of wetland resources. Baikka Beel

within the greater Hail Haor (about 300 ha) in Sreemangal is such an example,

where the local communities protect about 100 hectares as permanent sanctuary.

Local communities protect this sanctuary from others who are allowed to fish and

collect aquatic plants in other parts of the 3,000 ha of dry season water bodies in

the haor. Previously this water body was being leased out by the local

7 The Daily Star, Star Weekend Magazine, 6(4); February 2, 2007

28

government at an annual income of Tk 100,000 (about $ 1400). This sanctuary is

now protected by the local community through the Baragangina Resource

Management Organisation. They follow a management plan that was prepared

through consultation with local people and is approved by a committee

comprised of local officials, union parishad chairmen, and leaders of community

organisations. MACH (Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community

Husbandry) project (a Government of Bangladesh project supported by USAID)

helped this community in various ways and has, through the resource

management committees and the local government, excavated deeper spots in

the sanctuary and planted native swamp forest trees to restore a greater diversity

of habitats.

Bird watching at Baikka Beel

The community has banned fishing, hunting, and collection of aquatic resources

in the sanctuary since 2004, which increased fish catches from the rest of the

haor from 171 kg/ha before to 388 kg/ha, observes Paul Thompson. As there is

no poaching and hunting has been banned, birdlife has increased dramatically.

Of the 650 bird species that occur in Bangladesh, Enam Ul Haque and Paul

Thompson recorded 103 species within the sanctuary. Their mid-January 2007

water bird census revealed 7,200 birds of 35 water bird species. Now in winter

one may see large flocks of local migrants such as Fulvous and Lesser Whistling-

29

duck; long distance migratory ducks such as Northern Pintail and Common Teal,

and residents such as Purple Swamphen. They also recorded some rare, globally

threatened species such as Pallas's Fish Eagle and Greater Spotted Eagle. The

sanctuary is also the home of a large number of Bangladesh’s 251 freshwater fish

species.

Visiting the CCA site

30

CHAPTER 4: POLICY PREMISE AND GOVERNANCE

As a whole, Bangladeshi policies do not specifically recognize terrestrial, riparian

or marine CCAs. However, the term “Community Conservation Area” has been

mentioned in the draft revision of the Wildlife Act which is being reviewed as part

of its approval process. This mention aside, no specific policies or legal

instruments have been enacted to recognize CCAs in Bangladesh at this time.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation of 1900 (at Rule 41a) acknowledges the

traditional community managed mouza forests, but does not explicitly grant the

community ownership or sufficiently protect the land from exploitation.8 The

existence of this regulation is therefore complementary to the goals of community

forest conservation, but it does not provide a sufficient basis for the development

of CCAs.

As previously mentioned, until 1970 almost every village in the country contained

a village forest in the khas9 land or in wakf estates. People had usufruct rights to

the resources of these village forests. Communities managed these areas because

for various reasons, including their (i) source of resources for community; (ii)

socio-cultural significance; and (iii) spiritual/religious significance. Although at

that time people may not have been conscious of the full significance of

biodiversity, communities protected areas for their own reasons and, as a result,

they also conserved local level habitats containing rich diversity of plants and

animals.

Similarly, there was a beel10 ecosystem in almost each village in the flood plain

areas, used as a common pool community resource. As with forest ecosystems,

these systems have also been encroached upon by land grabbers. A poorly

8 UNDP, “Bangladesh: The Interface of Customary and State Laws in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” in Bridging the Gap: Policies and Practices on Indigenous Peoples’ Natural Resource Management in Asia, 2007 9 Government owned land 10 Saucer shaped perennial wetland ecosystem in the floodplains

31

conceptualized green revolution that began in the late 70s also significantly

deteriorated the situation by converting many wetland ecosystems to crop fields.

There are many areas in Bangladesh that can still be termed CCAs. However, no

legal or policy instruments have been formed and officiated specifically in

support of CCAs. It would be a significant step forward from the side of the

government if they approve the proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act, which

contains a number of clauses in relation to Community Conservation Areas.

32

CHAPTER 5: WAY FORWARD

A thorough study is required to ascertain aerial extent, type, nature and status of

existing CCAs. Awareness has to be raised amongst policy makers and the

general population about the significance of CCAs.

CCAs should be a part of the PA network of Bangladesh and should be properly

supported by appropriate policy and legal instruments. Climate change,

biodiversity and land degradation should be well integrated into the strategic

management and programme framework of CCAs. Forestry based CCAs can be

instrumental in providing additional income to the community through carbon

trading under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Reducing

Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). Coastal green belt

CCAs can serve as a key adaptation measures in reducing vulnerability of the

coastal population.

CCA governance should be well linked and integrated with protected area

management systems. This will also serve as a strategy for territorial expansion

of protected areas. In addition to government systems, it is very important to

establish and nourish non-government, academic and research institutions for

proper and neutral monitoring and evaluation. They can also play pivotal role in

providing policy inputs for strengthening the overall governance of CCAs

33

REFERENCES:

Gain, P. (ed.). Bangladesh: Land, Forest and Forest People. Society of Environment and Human Development, Dhaka. 187 pp., 1998. Khan, MAR., Holiday, Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 18, 2006. Khan, MMH. Protected Areas of Bangladesh: A Guide to Wildlife. Nishorgo Programme,Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Circle, Bangladesh Forest Department, Dhaka. 304 pp., 2008. Onneshan, Unnayan. Survey, 2007 Praschag, P., Hundsdörfer, A.K., Reza, A.H.M.A., and Fritz, U. Genetic evidence for wild-living Aspideretes nigricans and a molecular phylogeny of South Asian softshell turtles (Reptilia: Trionychidae: Aspideretes, Nilssonia). Zoologica Scripta, Volume 36 Issue 4, Pages 301 – 310, Apr 2007. Thompson, P. The Daily Star, Star Weekend Magazine. 6(4), February 2, 2007. UNDP, “Bangladesh: The Interface of Customary and State Laws in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” in Bridging the Gap: Policies and Practices on Indigenous Peoples’ Natural Resource Management in Asia, 2007

Policy Documents:

There are some generic and specific contents in favor of conservation of

biodiversity, natural, cultural as well as archaeological heritage in the following

policy and legal instruments. Some of the instruments also contain texts in line

with community rights to resources. No clauses specifically in line with CCAs

are included in any of these policy documents. However, the draft revised

Wildlife Act of Bangladesh mentions CCA.

Environment Policy 1992

Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995

Environment Conservation Rules 1997

The Forest Act 1927

The Protection and Conservation of Fish Rules, 1985

Land Reforms Ordinance, 1984

Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) Act 1974

34

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118504374/home

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118504374/home

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118504400/issue

The Bengal Alluvion and Diluvion Act

Brick Burning (Control) Act 1989

National Forestry Policy 1994

National Land Use Policy 2002

National Livestock Policy

National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction II (FY 2009 – 11)

Agriculture Policy

35

ANNEX I

SURVEY REGARDING NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY MEASURES

RELATED TO COMMUNITY CONSERVED AREAS11

I. Does national or sub-national law or policy recognize terrestrial,

riparian or marine Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas

(ICCAs)?

As a whole, Bangladeshi national and sub-national policies do not specifically

recognize terrestrial, riparian or marine ICCAs. However, the term “Community

Conservation Area” has been mentioned in the draft revision of the Wildlife Act,

which is in the approval process. It is anticipated that this revised draft will soon

be approved by the government.

In Bangladesh, there is no sub national policy, as the country does not contain

any provincial or state systems. The whole country is governed by the national

policies with the exception of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Region. For the

CHT Region there are some specific administrative and legal instruments, but it

is not considered a separate Province or State of the country.12

II. Does the country recognize ICCAs as a part of the PA network

system?

No. The relevant laws and policies do not recognize ICCAs as a part of the PA

network system.

11 This survey was conducted to disseminate the ideas on CCAs in Bangladesh. General discussion among involved parties were generated regarding policy and legal provisions for CCAs within Bangladesh, and the implications of the existing legal framework on the ability of communities to maintain CCAs. 12 UNDP, “Bangladesh: The Interface of Customary and State Laws in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” in Bridging the Gap: Policies and Practices on Indigenous Peoples’ Natural Resource Management in Asia, 2007

36

The Wildlife Preservation Act (Appendix I) identifies protected areas under three

designations: National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Reserve where any

access of communities has been restricted. This Act is under revision and the

revised version identifies some additional categories, such as: Eco Park, Safari

Park, and Community Conservation Area. This revised version also contains

some text in favor of limited community engagement in PA management. These

would entail mechanisms such as the introduction of eco-tourism with the

engagement of the people who depend on the resources of the PAs for their

livelihood. It also has a clause in favor of retention and utilization of local funds

to be generated from the gate money (entry fees). However, the draft may go

through another round of revision before its final approval.

III. If ICCAs are not legally recognized, are there general policies/laws

that recognize indigenous/community territories or rights to areas or

natural resources, under which such communities can conserve their

own sites?

In Bangladesh, under special administrative orders, there are instances where

terrestrial or riparian systems have been leased out to communities for their

community led/managed conservation. There is the recognition of the

significance of conservation of biodiversity and archaeological sites in different

policies, such as: Environment Policy 1992, Bangladesh Environmental

Conservation Act 1995, Environmental Conservation Rules 1997, and National

Land use Policy 2002. The recently concluded 2nd National Strategy for

Accelerated Poverty Reduction II (FY 2009-11) recognized the significance of

biodiversity resources and access of community to the common pool of resources.

37

In the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Region, there were Mouza13 Forests (also

known as Village Common Forests) within the Un-classed State Forest (USF)

areas. Under local traditional system, the community always conserved these

forest areas. These areas have been seriously degraded and encroached upon by

influential people. Indiscriminate leasing of forest lands by the administration

and illegal land grabbing of lands seriously reduced forest coverage in the CHT.

Up until 1970, throughout the country there were patches of forests (locally

known as ara, jongol, bashjhar, kanda etc.) or wetlands (locally known as beel,

doho, kum, baor, gang, baid, dighi, chara etc.) in almost every village.

Considering the level of community engagement in conserving and utilizing these

areas, conceptually these could have been termed CCAs. These were located at

the khas (government owned land, or other estates) lands. Presently, because of

faulty leasing policy, corruption, and poor governance, the presence of such areas

is very rare.

The Bangladesh National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity refers

to several community-based wetland and fisheries conservation projects, where

local institutions are established to allow local community in decision making,

planning and sustainable management of these resources

(http://www.machban.org). Using participatory mechanisms, some fish

sanctuaries have been established, and traditional fishing management practices

are being encouraged. Community driven projects also aim for poverty reduction

through restoration of degraded ecosystems.

A Biodiversity and Community Knowledge Protection Act has been drafted to

offer protection and support the rights, knowledge, innovations and practices of

local and indigenous communities.

13 Mouza is a local term that denotes demarcated zones of the country for the purpose of land administration and revenue management

38

Nishorgo, a Forest Department PA management programme, initiated in

Bangladesh in 2004, supported by USAID, represents a significant departure

from the traditional top-down conservation policy. This program is

implementing co-management in five PAs covering more than 22 000 ha of core

conservation area, in a surrounding landscape of more than 100 000 ha. This

program promotes livelihood security and biodiversity protection, involving more

than 250 000 low-income people living in areas near PAs. Co-management

councils and executive committees, comprising local stakeholders, were

recognized in 2006. While the Nishorgo program made significant strides in

creating a sustainable co-management system, they also encountered several

major challenges. There was limited policy and legal background for the project

from the government, sustainability was difficult to achieve, and ensuring the

benefit of local citizens proved complicated.

Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Act 1995 recognizes another category of

areas, which are known as Ecologically Critical Areas (ECA). However, because

of the inadequacy in legal and biophysical characterization, ECA rules are under

formulation, and contain certain text in favor of community engagement and

rights in the management of biodiversity resources in the ECAs. This is going to

be one of the principal legal instruments for the governance of the Ecologically

Critical Areas of Bangladesh. While advocacy is going on for creating a

comprehensive and harmonized PA classification system for the country, ECAs

are yet to be a part of the revised version of the Wildlife Act. Also, Bangladesh

PAs are not well represented in terms of diversity of ecosystems such as riverine

and estuarine systems, and they are only represented by some temporal banning

of fishing in particular areas. Marine systems are also seriously

underrepresented. In terms of lacustrine and palustrine systems, some ECAs are

there where under different projects some work approach will be found which is

compatible with CCA principle. UNDP supported Coastal and Wetland

Biodiversity Management Project (CWBMP) of Bangladesh Government can be

cited as an example in this regard. At the moment, even if ECAs are considered

as PA, the percentage area of the PA in Bangladesh would be less than 2%.

39

The Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project (CWBMP) is being

implemented to demonstrate viable management approaches for the ECAs of

Bangladesh. The other major objective of this project is to enhance community

and government capacity in the management of the ECAs. For systemic level,

this project is assisting the government in developing the relevant policy and

legal instruments. The central theme of this programmatic endeavor is to build

on everything with the direct involvement of the community who depend on the

resources in and around the ECAs. A National ECA Committee and the local and

Sub-National ECA Committees have been formulated through gazette

notification. Collaborative management principle has been the central theme of

the approach under which within the ECAs, several strict protection zones have

been identified such as bird sanctuary, fish sanctuary, turtle reserve, and swamp

forest area. Seventy-two Village Conservations Groups have also been formed

who are at the forefront of conservation of the relevant ECAs. These Village

Conservation Groups are under the process of becoming legal entity. About 30

VCGs have already been registered and the rest would be registered this year.

However, because of the existing leasing principles, these efforts are generating

only partial results.

Bangladesh has been criticized for the continuation of top-down and heavy-

handed governance in some areas, such as the Sundarbans, where an NGO survey

noted a lack of participatory decision-making and management.14 While some

legal instruments are being revised in favor of community participation and co-

management, NGOs report there is still a long way to go before participatory and

equitable PA management will be achieved.

14 Unnayan Onneshan, 2007

40

IV. Overall Comments

To date, no specific policies or legal instruments have been enacted to recognize

ICCAs in Bangladesh. However, as mentioned before until 1970, traditionally

almost every village of the country contained a village forest in the khas15 land or

in wakf estates. People had usufruct16 rights to the resources of these village

forests. Communities used to manage these areas because of various reasons

such as (i) source of resources for community; (ii) socio-cultural significance; and

(iii) spiritual/religious significance. Although at that time people may not have

been conscious of the full significance of biodiversity, communities protected

areas for their own reasons and, as a result, they also conserved local level

habitats containing rich diversity of plants and animals.

Similarly, there was at least a beel17 ecosystem in almost each village in the flood

plain areas as common pool community resources. As with forest ecosystems,

these systems have also been encroached by the land grabbers. A poorly

conceptualized green revolution also significantly deteriorated the situation

through the conversion of these wetland systems to crop fields since late 70s.

There are still many areas in Bangladesh that can be termed as ICCAs. However,

any legal or policy instruments are yet to be formed and officiated specifically in

support of ICCAs. It would be a significant step from the government side, if they

approve the proposed amendments in the Wildlife Act which contains a number

of clauses in relation to Community Conservation Areas.

15 Government owned land 16 Usufruct rights denotes the ownership of relevant individuals or communities of property that is not fully under their possession. For example, communities may have access to forest resources and services without any legal ownership of the land or trees. 17 Saucer shaped perennial wetland ecosystem in the floodplains

41

ANNEX II

SURVEY REGARDING CURRENT STATUS OF CCAs IN BANGLADESH

AND THE RELEVENT POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 18

I. THE STATE OF CCAs IN BANGLADESH

1. How extensive is the CCA phenomenon in the country?

In Bangladesh, to date no comprehensive and systematic studies have been

carried to make a census of CCAs or to look into their overall status. In general,

secondary sources for relevant information are very limited in terms of specifying

the number, nature and aerial extent of CCAs in the country. Moreover,

individual CCAs are not delineated by any particular institutional entity.

Therefore, it is extremely difficult to ascertain spatial extent of CCAs with

precision.

In the territory of present Bangladesh CCAs have served as an important part of

the network of common pool resources. Both terrestrial and aquatic CCAs have

been drastically reduced since mid 70s.

The main factors that were detrimental in reducing CCAs include:

a) Population growth and the associated pressure on natural resources.

b) Lack of awareness and sustainable ecosystem management vision within the

purview of different ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Ministry of

Environment and Forest, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, Ministry

of Fisheries and Livestock.

18 Similar in nature to the survey presented in Annex I, this survey was conducted to disseminate the ideas on CCAs in Bangladesh. General discussion among involved parties were generated regarding the state of CCAs in Bangladesh, the policy and legal framework relevant to CCAs, analysis of the situation and recommendations for the future.

42

c) Poorly managed agricultural (in the larger sense of the term, including all sub-

sectors and fisheries), specifically propagation of the HYV.

d) Weak governance leading to poor implementation of the relevant policies and

legal instruments, including faulty leasing policies and corrupt practices that led

to the grabbing of many of the CCAs by influential parties.

2. What are the main types of CCAs that can be found? Please

describe (ecosystem types, state initiated/community initiated, etc).

The CCAs that are still in existence with a significant level of community

ownership are principally socio-cultural common resource bases such as Village

Common Forests (VCFs) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and religious shrines such

as the Bayazid Bostami Shrine (famous for Bostami Turtle) in Chittagong in the

SE, and the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali in Bagerhat in the SW (crocodile).

Some CCAs have been established and nurtured under natural resources

management projects in aquatic ecosystems, such as: the Baikka Beel of Hail

Haor, Sreemangal, and Moulvibazar [established with the help of the

Management of Aquatic Resources through Community Husbandry (MACH)

project].

In the terrestrial system, as mentioned before, one prominent type of CCA can be

identified as Village Common Forest (VCF) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Historically, these community managed/owned forests sites were known as

mouza forests and they have lately termed as VCFs by a number of authors and

local communities. As time has passed, many of the VCFs have either been

grabbed or exploited by influential people under faulty leasing and inappropriate

governance approaches, or destroyed because of excessive pressure on resources

and subsequent encroachment. These VCFs are mostly small, averaging 20 to

120 hectares in size consisting of naturally grown or regenerated vegetation. The

43

VCFs are managed, protected and utilized by indigenous village communities

under the leadership of the mouza Headman and village karbaries (traditional

village level leaders). The existence of these forests is acknowledged in the

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regulation of 1900 (at Rule 41a). This Regulation

is the main legal instrument for the administration of the CHT. Along with this

legal provision, other executive orders recognize the existence of VCFs. However,

it does not recognize the full ownership rights of the community concerned or

provide express safeguards against alienation and privatization. Mouza

Headmen are responsible for land, and without their advice land grants are not

supposed to be made. However, there are instances where Headmen were not

consulted in leasing out those areas.

In addition, there are some other areas that are being managed by communities

in the greater Mymensingh and Sylhet districts. Some of them are managed

under wakf arrangements.

3. Are there ancient types of CCAs? Are there very new ones? Please

Describe.

Please refer to the response above. In general, CCAs are diminishing and with

the present trends, only CCAs with religious and cultural significance may exist in

the future. As discussed above, CCAs are also being established under different

biodiversity conservation projects. The long term sustainability of these areas

will depend on proper policy provisions and their enforcement.

4. For each type, please broadly describe the typical extension and

biodiversity value. Please also describe (for each type) the typical

governance settings, including a sense of the capacities, means and

length of time the protection effort or practice has been sustained.

In terms of biodiversity value, all the CCAs are significant. The religious shrines

are being managed by dedicated committees. VCFs are managed and utilized by

44

the community with the overall decision making authority of the concerned

Headmen. The CCAs established under different biodiversity conservation

project initiatives are being managed by the community based resource

management committees. For sustainability, relevant policy provisioning and its

proper compliance would be a prerequisite. Capacity development of the CCA

management entities is another fundamental requirement to ensure proper

management of the CCAs.

5. Where and why those CCA types exist? What objectives do they

fulfil for the concerned communities?

As mentioned above, presently these CCAs are located different parts of the

country including Chittagong Hill Tracts, Chittagong, Greater Sylhet and

Mymensingh districts. However, a comprehensive census is needed inventorying

the CCAs including its status and other relevant information such as type and

nature of the CCAs, objectives and governance structures.

6. Among the various types, which are the most common?

In addition to the VCFs mentioned above, up until 1970, in the rest of the

country, there was a patch of forest (locally known as ara, jongol, bashjhar,

kanda etc.) or wetlands (locally known as beel, doho, kum, baor, gang, baid,

dighi, chara etc.) in almost every village. Considering the level of community

engagement in conserving and utilizing these areas, conceptually these could

have been termed as CCA. These were located at the khas (government owned

land, or other estates) lands including private areas under ownership of

philanthropists. However, presently because of population pressure, faulty

leasing policy, corruption, and poor governance presence of such areas is very

rare.

45

7. In general, in what status are they found (e.g., barely surviving,

under attack, thriving, likely to change but remain sustainable as

CCAs in the long run…)?

In general, the CCAs being supported by projects are well existing but its long

term sustainability is not certain because of the lack of compatible policies and

legal instruments. Religious shrines are well existing.

Other CCAs are diminishing.

8. Do they have “allies”? Do they receive some form of support from

outside?

It is impossible to answer this question accurately without field verification. On

the basis of information at hand it can be generally concluded that there are no

functional allies or networks present at the moment. The bilateral or multilateral

organizations that are working to support biodiversity management projects are

likely the only allies.

9. Do they have “enemies”? Are they threatened by particular forms

of change?

The systemic (such as policies) aspects are the main challenge. As described

above, faulty policies and poor governance are detrimental to establishing CCAs.

10. What role (if any) specifically, do women play in the conservation

of CCAs? What benefits or costs they have specifically for women?

Women play an important role in conserving and utilizing the CCAs. Often CCAs

are source of energy (such as kitchen fuel) and water. Aquatic CCAs are a place

for bathing, irrigation water, and aquatic resources such as fish and vegetables.

46

II. LEGISLATION AND POLICY

1. Overall, are the legal and policy framework for Protected Areas in

the country adapted to the recognition and support of CCAs?

Please refer to the survey regarding national legal and policy measures included

in this report.

2. Does any legislation recognise CCAs for their conservation value?

Does the country include one or more CCAs as part of its national PA

system? (see Annex 3)

Environmental laws existed in the country from the 19th century; but they

remained either unenforced to a large extent or were poorly known to the people

and the responsible public agencies. Both CHT Regulation 1900 and Forest Act

1927 talked about CCAs in quite generic terms. The draft revised Wildlife Act of

Bangladesh mentions Community Conservation Area (CCA) recognizing its

biodiversity value.19 However, it has not yet been approved by the Government of

Bangladesh. Once approved, CCAs will be a part of the national PA system.

One of the CCAs listed in the report is Baikka Beel in Hail Haor. Hail Haor and

Baikka Beel are managed by the Resource Management Organization (RMO) of

Baragangina village, overseen by Sreemangal Local Government Committee

through agreement with the Ministry of Land, Government of Bangladesh.

Baikka Beel in Hail Haor wetlands, near Sreemangal, was declared as a sanctuary

in 2003 to protect the wetland, fish, birds, plants and animals of Hail Haor - one

of Bangladesh’s “mother fisheries” and an international “Important Bird Area”.

Management is supported by Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock through an

endowment fund.

19 http://www.nishorgo.org/wildlife_Act/wildlife_act.html

47

http://www.nishorgo.org/wildlife_Act/wildlife_act.html

3. Following the approval of the programme of work on protected

areas of the CBD (Feb, 2004), have there been legal and policy

developments related to CCAs in the country? If yes, what? If not,

why not?

The only notable accomplishment is the revision of the Wildlife Act wish is yet to

be approved by the government.

4. Do you have any example of recent “government recognition” of a

CCA? If yes, how did it happen? What consequences did it have?

Baikka beel may be considered in this regard.

III. ANALYSIS

1. What CCA types seem most effective for the conservation of

biodiversity in your country? (Please offer some explanations and

examples.)

At present, not a single type of CCA management can really be termed truly

effective. Apparently management with project support demonstrated some

encouraging results. However, as mentioned before, without proper policy

provisioning, sustainability of such CCAs will always remain uncertain.

2. What CCA types seem most effective for the conservation of the

cultural values associated with biodiversity? (Please offer some

explanations and examples.)

Religious shrines, such as Bayazid Bostami Shrine are famous for the

conservation of Bostami Turtle. The shrine of Khan Jahan Ali in Bagerhat in SW

Bangladesh is known for the crocodile.

48

3. What CCA types seem most effective for the generation and

equitable distribution of socio-economic benefits? (Please offer

some explanations and examples.)

VCFs in the CHT may be considered in this regard. These are mostly small areas

averaging 20 to 120 hectares in size consisting of naturally grown or regenerated

vegetation. The VCFs are managed, protected and utilized by indigenous village

communities under the leadership of the mouza Headmen and village karbaries

(traditional village level leaders). The existence of these forests is acknowledged

in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regulation of 1900 (at Rule 41a). This

Regulation is the main legal instrument for the administration of the CHT.

Along with this legal provision, other executive orders recognize the existence of

VCfs. However, it does not recognize the full ownership rights of the community

concerned or provide express safeguards against alienation and privatization.

Mouza Headmen are responsible for these lands, but there are instances where

Headmen were not consulted in leasing out those areas.

4. To what extent are the CCAs supported by the concerned

communities? Is the governance setting broadly considered

“legitimate” at the local level? Are those considered legitimate by the

government?

Please refer to the description above.

5. What factors or conditions (E.G., tenure security, infrastructure

support, community cohesion, quality of relationship with relevant

state agencies) appear important in determining effectiveness and

overall success for CCAs? Can you offer some specific examples?

For ensuring effectiveness, it is very important to have an enabling policy and

legal premise in support of community ownership, public-private-community

partnership, and conflict resolution mechanism.

49

6. What main threats appear to undermine the effectiveness and

sustainability of CCAs in the nation? Can you offer some specific

examples?

The systemic (such as policies) aspects are the main threats. As described above,

faulty policies and poor governance are detrimental in this regard.

7. Are there specific problems that seem to oppose local communities

(sedentary and mobile) and indigenous peoples to other social actors

(e.g. governmental agencies at various levels, private businesses)

with respect to CCAs?

Major limiting factors are: (i) jurisdictional overlapping of the institutional

(specifically government) mandates; (ii) outdated policies and poor

implementation of the existing policies; (iii) inadequacy in capacity in terms of

management, logistics, knowledge and empowerment.

8. What role can and do CCAs play in the country’s climate change

adaptation/ mitigation strategies?

Forestry based CCAs can be instrumental in terms of providing additional

income to the community through carbon trading under CDM and REDD.

Coastal green belt CCAs can be one of the key adaptation measures in reducing

vulnerability of the coastal population.

IV. EVALUATION

1. What main lessons have been learned in your country about CCAs?

A thorough study is required to ascertain aerial extent, type, nature and status of

the CCAs. Awareness has to be raised among the general people and the policy

makers about the significance of CCAs.

50

2. On the basis of the above, what appear to be the key country needs

for communities to safeguard their existing CCAs, enable and

strengthen those currently in jeopardy and establish new ones, as

appropriate? Please specify such needs as punctual

recommendations [e.g. who should do what in terms of legal policy

change, technical support (e.g. for mapping and inventory making),

networking, financial support (for what exactly?), learning and

documentation, etc.].

CCAs should be part of the PA network of the country and should be properly

backed up by policy and legal instruments. Climate change, biodiversity and

land degradation aspects should be well integrated into the CCA management

strategic and programme framework. CCA governance should be well linked and

integrated with the protected area management systems. This can also be

identified as a strategy for territorial expansion of the protected areas. In

addition to government systems, it is very important to establish and nourish

non government, academic and research institutions for proper and neutral

monitoring and evaluation. They can also play pivotal role in providing policy

inputs for strengthening overall governance of the CCAs

3. Do you have any specific recommendation for the WCC 4 and MDG

follow up?

CCAs integration into the country’s PA system and the points mentioned above.

4. Are there any unique opportunities that should be seized in your

country to promote more equitable and effective ways of managing

natural resources and protected areas?

Community-Public-Private partnership

51

ANNEX III

SALIENT FEATURES OF SAMPLE CCAs:

Preliminary database of Sample CCA sites in Bangladesh

Sample Case Study I: Pochamaria village bamboo grove, Rajshahi

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) Pochamaria

Country (include State and Province) Village: Pochamaria,

Union: Shilmaria,

Upazila: Puthia,

District: Rajshahi

Area encompassed by the CCA (specify unit of

measurement).

3 ha

Center Point Coordinates 24� 22' 33.34 N,

88� 42'46.02 E

Main ecosystem type Homestead Forest;

village bamboo grove

dominates

Whether it includes sea areas (Yes or no) No

Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no), If Yes, what

is the area

Yes (a pond)

Marine (Y or N) No

Concerned community (name and approx.. number of

persons)

Villagers; population:

1600

Do the community consider themselves to be an

indigenous people? (Please note Yes or No; if yes note

which people)

No

Does the community consider itself to be a minority?

(Please note Yes or No, if yes on the basis of what, e.g.

religion, ethnicity)

Not really, though the

Hindus are less in

number

Is the community permanently settled? (Please note

Yes or No; if the community is mobile, does it have a

Yes

52

customary transhumance territory? )

Is the community local per capita income inferior,

basically the same or superior to national value?

(please note how confident you are about the

information)

Same to national value

Is the CCA recognized as a protected area by

governmental agencies? (Yes or no; if yes, how? If no,

is it otherwise recognized?) If yes, legal document?

Establishment date?

No

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? Not at the moment

What is the main management objective (e.g.

livelihood, cultural, spiritual…)

To protect a heronry

By definition, a CCA fulfils a management objective. To

which IUCN management category do you consider it

would best fit (this does not imply that the

management objective is consciously pursued by the

concerned community, but that it is actually achieved)

Category IV

Additional qualitative information

Description of biodiversity & resources (ecosystems,

species, functions) conserved by the CCA

Bamboo dominated

homestead forest; a

heronry; roosting and

breeding place for a

large number of egrets,

cormorants, night

herons, openbills and

darters

Description of local ethnic groups and languages

spoken

N/A

Broad historical context of the CCA --

53

Governance structure for the CCA (who makes

management decisions, how?)

The UP Chairman

established a Bird

Protection Committee

in 2006 with 101

members who make

decisions

Length of time the governance model has been in place 2 years

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Local villagers

Type of land use in the CCA Bamboo, timber and

fruits

Existence of written or oral management plans and

specific rules for the use of natural resources in the

CCA

A few terms and

conditions specified by

the Bird Protection

Committee headed by

the Upazila Chairman

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if available

and relevant,)

Not done

Relevant pictures with captions (please attach if

available)

See report

Major threats to biodiversity and/or the CCA

governance system

Lack of awareness and

increasing demand for

bamboo and timber

Local CCA-relevant features, stories, names, rules and

practices

--

Gender aspect of the CCA (elaborate) ~

Climate change attributes(elaborate) The site is in the

northern Bangladesh,

which is experiencing

desertification.

54

Preliminary database of CCA sites in Bangladesh

Sample Case Study II: Shakhidar Para, Mahabatpur Village,

Joypurhat

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) Village Shakhidar Para, Police

Station: Khetlal, Upazila:

Mohabatpur, District:

Joypurhat

Country (include State and Province) Bangladesh


measurement)

About 2 ha

Center Point Coordinates 25001`07 N,

89002`07 E

Main ecosystem type Homestead forest


Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no), If

Yes, what is the area

A few low lying areas which get

inundated in monsoon

Marine (Y or N) No

Concerned community (name and approx.

number of persons)

Local villagers; population:

about 4600

Do the community consider themselves to be

an indigenous people? (Please note Yes or

No; if yes note which people)

No

Does the community consider itself to be a

minority? (Please note Yes or No, if yes on

the basis of what, e.g. religion, ethnicity)

No

Is the community permanently settled?

(Please note Yes or No; if the community is

mobile, does it have a customary

transhumance territory? )

Yes

Is the community local per capita income Same to national value

55

inferior, basically the same or superior to

national value? (please note how confident

you are about the information)

Is the CCA recognized as a protected area by

governmental agencies? (Yes or no; if yes,

how? If no, is it otherwise recognized?) If yes,

legal document? Establishment date?

No

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource

use?

No



Cultural: bird protection

By definition, a CCA fulfils a management

objective. To which IUCN management

category do you consider it would best fit (this

does not imply that the management objective

is consciously pursued by the concerned

community, but that it is actually achieved)

Category IV


Description of biodiversity & resources

(ecosystems, species, functions) conserved by

the CCA

About 700 Asian Openbill and

other birds; and a colony of

bats in an woodland

Description of local ethnic groups and

languages spoken

N/A

Broad historical context of the CCA --



Chairman (Upazila Parishad) of

the area and the owners of the

woodland

Length of time the governance model has been

in place

--

56

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Owned by the villagers

Type of land use in the CCA Agricultural

Existence of written or oral management plans

and specific rules for the use of natural

resources in the CCA

No

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if

available and relevant,)

--

Relevant pictures with captions (please attach

if available)

See report


governance system

Habitat loss; demand for fuel

wood and timber; lack of

awareness. People fear if

declared as CCA this might be

taken over by the government.

Local CCA-relevant features, stories, names,

rules and practices

--

Gender aspect of the CCA (elaborate)

Climate change attributes(elaborate)

57


Sample Case Study III: Baghchari (Danabindhu Karbari Para),

Rangamati

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) - Baghchari

(Danabindhu

Karbari Para)

Country (include State and Province) Upazila Barkal;

District Rangamati,

Bangladesh


measurement).

200 Acres

Center Point Coordinates 22º44.867 N,

092º26.212 E

Main ecosystem type Hill forest


Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no), If Yes, what is

the area

No

Marine (Y or N) No

Concerned community (name and approx. number of

persons)

400 persons



which people)

Yes, Chakma




Yes, both of religion

and as ethnic

minority

Is the community permanently settled? (Please note Yes or

No; if the community is mobile, does it have a customary


Yes

58

Is the community local per capita income inferior, basically

the same or superior to national value? (please note how

confident you are about the information)

Inferior; average

annual income is

about Tk 50000

(about $ 725) per

family, which is

below national per

capita income

Is the CCA recognized as a protected area by governmental

agencies? (Yes or no; if yes, how? If no, is it otherwise

recognized?) If yes, legal document? Establishment date?

No

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? Yes

What is the main management objective (e.g. livelihood,

cultural, spiritual)

Livelihood



would best fit (this does not imply that the management

objective is consciously pursued by the concerned


VI




See the report

Description of local ethnic groups and languages spoken Chakma; Language also

Chakma

Broad historical context of the CCA See the report



Karbari (village head)

and the stakeholders

(villagers)

Length of time the governance model has been in place No such model exists

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Local villagers

Type of land use in the CCA Harvest bamboo,

timber and fire wood

59

for domestic use

Existence of written or oral management plans and

specific rules for the use of natural resources in the CCA

Customary rules exist

but not in written form

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if available

and relevant,)

NA


available)

Given in the report


governance system

Poverty,

overexploitation, and

lack of awareness


practices

See the report

Gender aspect of the CCA (elaborate) A lady called Rina

Chakma has been

awarded Environment

Day Prize 2008 for her

contribution towards

the protection of the

CCA

Climate change attributes (elaborate) The water body along

with the CCA receives

water from upstream

i.e from Indian hills.

Water volume might

rise with the melting of

the ice cap in the

Himalayas. Climate

change may affect the

vegetation structure

and thus other animal

life forms

60


Sample Case Study IV: Bayazid Bostami Shrine, Chittagong

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) - Byazid Bostami

Mazar (shrine),

Chittagong

Country (include State and Province) District-Chittagong,

Bangladesh


measurement).

1 ha

Center Point Coordinates N 220 23.289/

E 91048.762/

Main ecosystem type Urban pond

ecosystem



the area

Yes, pond

Marine (Y or N) No


persons)

Pilgrims, local

people and visitors;

every day several

hundreds



which people)

No




No




No; community has

a religious belief

61

Is the community local per capita income inferior, basically



Same as national

level




No

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? No



Spiritual






Category IV




It is a fish pond

Description of local ethnic groups and languages spoken N/A

Broad historical context of the CCA See text



Decisions are

usually made by the

custodians of the

shrine. The Forest

Department, being

the custodian of the

Wildlife Act takes

some conservation

initiatives

Length of time the governance model has been in place No such model

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Shrine authority

62

Type of land use in the CCA Pilgrims visit the

site and feed the

turtles

Existence of written or oral management plans and specific

rules for the use of natural resources in the CCA

Chittagong

Endowment

Committee looks

after the mazar

(Shrine) and

decides the fate of

the turtles, but

there is no written

document to this

effect.

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if available and

relevant,)

-

Relevant pictures with captions (please attach if available) See report

Major threats to biodiversity and/or the CCA governance

system

Pollution, loss of

breeding sites,

absence of natural

food (depends

entirely on visitors

food), disease


practices

See report

Gender aspect of the CCA (elaborate) --

Climate change attributes(elaborate) Situated at the sea

port city, thus with

the rise of sea water

the pond may

become inundated

63


Sample Case Study V: Nabiganj and Kushiara, Bandar, Narayanganj

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) - Nabiganj and

Kushiara (two

villages)

Country (include State and Province) Upazila: Bandar,

District:

Narayanganj


measurement).

2 km2

Center Point Coordinates 23º37.122 N

90º32.020 E

Main ecosystem type Wetland/wasteland



the area

Yes, small isolated

water bodies, total

about 2 ha

Marine (Y or N) No


persons)

30 households, 200



which people)

No




No




Yes

Is the community local per capita income inferior, basically Same as National

64



Value




No

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? No



Partly cultural; but

the attitude is

neutral






VI (unconfirmed)




Water Monitor/Ring

Lizard (Varanus

salvator)

Description of local ethnic groups and languages spoken N/A

Broad historical context of the CCA See report



No organised

governmance or

local structure.

However, local

people usually do not

disturb the lizards

Length of time the governance model has been in place None

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Private

Type of land use in the CCA Not currently in use,

but may be utilized

65

for housing in the

future

Existence of written or oral management plans and specific

rules for the use of natural resources in the CCA

No

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if available and

relevant,)

NA

Relevant pictures with captions (please attach if available) See report

Major threats to biodiversity and/or the CCA governance

system

Habitat loss; some

locals become hostile

when their domestic

fowls are preyed

upon; lack of

awareness


practices

Not available


Climate change attributes(elaborate) The area has lots of

low lying areas

which are flood land

and it is on the bank

of the river Sitalakya.

Thus, with the rise of

water level the area

may become

inundated

66


Sample Case Study VI: Baikka Beel, Hail Haor, Sreemangal,

Moulvibazar

Basic data

Site Name (in local language and in English) Baikka Beel, Hail Haor,

Country (include State and Province) Sreemangal, Moulvibazar


measurement).

100 ha

Center Point Coordinates N 24021.05/

E 91042.11/

Main ecosystem type Wetland


Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no), If

Yes, what is the area

Yes

Marine (Y or N) No

Concerned community (name and approx.

number of persons)

Primarily fishermen


indigenous people? (Please note Yes or No; if

yes note which people)

No

Does the community consider itself to be a

minority? (Please note Yes or No, if yes on the

basis of what, e.g. religion, ethnicity)

No

Is the community permanently settled? (Please

note Yes or No; if the community is mobile, does

it have a customary transhumance territory? )

Yes

Is the community local per capita income

inferior, basically the same or superior to

national value? (please note how confident you

are about the information)

Inferior

Is the CCA recognized as a protected area by The local government

67

governmental agencies? (Yes or no; if yes, how?

If no, is it otherwise recognized?) If yes, legal

document? Establishment date?

recognizes it as a sanctuary

Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? Not really



Livelihood

By definition, a CCA fulfils a management

objective. To which IUCN management category

do you consider it would best fit (this does not

imply that the management objective is

consciously pursued by the concerned


VI


Description of biodiversity & resources

(ecosystems, species, functions) conserved by

the CCA

103 species of birds,

including the globally

threatened Pallas's Fish

Eagle and Greater Spotted

Eagle. The sanctuary also

receives thousands of

Migratory birds, including

the Northern Pintail and

Common Teal. It is home to a

large number of fish species

Description of local ethnic groups and languages

spoken

N/A

Broad historical context of the CCA In 2004 this area was

declared a sanctuary by the

local community through the

Baragangina Resource

Management Organization,

68

promoted and supported by

MACH project (a

Government of Bangladesh

project supported by USAID)



Baragangina Resource

Management Organization in

consultation with local

people

Length of time the governance model has been

in place

4 years

Land and resource ownership in the CCA Land: government; resource:

community

Type of land use in the CCA Fishing and agriculture

Existence of written or oral management plans

and specific rules for the use of natural resources

in the CCA

Both written and oral

Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if

available and relevant,)

--


available)

See report


governance system

Long term management

uncertainty

Local CCA-relevant features, stories, names,

rules and practices

--


Climate change attributes(elaborate) Shortage of rainfall may

affect the water level thus the

fish stock may decline, which

would affect the livelihood.

Also, the changed habitat

may not attract winter birds

69

70