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Social-ecological and institutional factors affecting forest and landscape restoration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

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  • Ahammad, Ronju
  • Hossain, Mohammed Kamal
  • Sobhan, Istiak
  • Hasan, Rakibul
  • Biswas, Shekhar R.
  • Mukul, Sharif A.

Abstract

Bangladesh government has recently pledged to restore 0.75 million ha of degraded forestland as part of its commitment to the Bonn Challenge, however little is known about the potential challenges and opportunities involved in achieving that goal. Using secondary literature complemented by expert consultation and a field survey, we examined the outcomes and limitations of previous restoration programmes and identified key social, ecological and institutional aspects crucial for a successful forest restoration programme in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. The CHT region accounts for over a third of state-owned forests, and it supports a large part of the country's forest-dwelling ethnic populations, although most of the forestland is severely degraded. Our analysis revealed that past programmes had utilised participatory tree planting, horticulture and rubber-based agroforestry to restore degraded forestland and improve community livelihood in the CHT. However, past restoration programmes merely emphasised improving tree cover without considering the ecological functionality, biodiversity and carbon co-benefits of restored forests. The duration of these programmes was also relatively short, and there was no clear plan for engaging local communities in the restoration activities beyond the programme period. Among other things, the local ethnic community’s land rights issue remained unresolved and the participant's land ownership influenced their willingness to participate effectively in any restoration programme. Households with secured land rights had a more positive attitude towards participating in forestland restoration than those with unsecured land rights. Suitable acts and policies that would allow people to legally continue to use tree-based land in the regions (i.e. forest and land tenure rights) are also lacking. Future forest and landscape restoration (FLR) programmes may thus need to focus on improving the biodiversity and ecological functionality of those restored forests, resolving local people's forest and land tenure rights and involving them in site-specific restoration interventions. The engagement of local and regional-level multi-stakeholders in such an FLR programme is also essential for realising the restoration's multiple social and ecological benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahammad, Ronju & Hossain, Mohammed Kamal & Sobhan, Istiak & Hasan, Rakibul & Biswas, Shekhar R. & Mukul, Sharif A., 2023. "Social-ecological and institutional factors affecting forest and landscape restoration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:125:y:2023:i:c:s0264837722005051
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106478
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sushma Bhattarai & Basant Pant & Hari Krishna Laudari & Rajesh Kumar Rai & Sharif A. Mukul, 2021. "Strategic Pathways to Scale up Forest and Landscape Restoration: Insights from Nepal’s Tarai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Uddin, Mohammad Nizam & Hossain, Mohammad Mosharraf & Chen, Yong & Siriwong, Wapakorn & Boonyanuphap, Jaruntorn, 2019. "Stakeholders' perception on indigenous community-based management of village common forests in Chittagong hill tracts, Bangladesh," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 102-112.
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    5. Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil Abhilash, 2021. "Restoring the Unrestored: Strategies for Restoring Global Land during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN-DER)," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Sunderland, Terry & Abdoulaye, Rabdo & Ahammad, Ronju & Asaha, Stella & Baudron, Frederic & Deakin, Elizabeth & Duriaux, Jean-Yves & Eddy, Ian & Foli, Samson & Gumbo, Davison & Khatun, Kaysara & Kondw, 2017. "A methodological approach for assessing cross-site landscape change: Understanding socio-ecological systems," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 83-91.
    7. Ahammad, Ronju & Stacey, Natasha & Sunderland, Terry C.H., 2019. "Use and perceived importance of forest ecosystem services in rural livelihoods of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 87-98.
    8. Niaz Ahmed Khan & Sudibya Kanti Khisa, 2000. "Sustainable land management with rubber-based agroforestry: a Bangladeshi example of uplands community development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(1), pages 1-10.
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