Abstract
This study follows the introduction of community forestry in Bangladesh and uses secondary information sources to analyze its effectiveness as a means of fostering sustainable forest management. We found that current forest management practices in Bangladesh have evolved from an emphasis primarily on production to a more people-centric model designed to support the conservation of forest resources. First introduced in the late 1970's, community forestry has proven a successful model for reforestation, afforestation, and diversifying economic opportunities in rural communities. A total of 30,666 ha of woodlot plantations, 8,778 ha of agroforestry plantations, and 48,420 km of strip plantations have been established by the Forest Department under community forestry programs since the mid-1980's. Furthermore, some mature plantations have been harvested and the benefits distributed among key stakeholders. The 1994 Forest Policy, the Forest (Amendment) Act of 2000 and the 2004 Social Forestry Rules are considered milestone achievements for the implementation of community forestry in Bangladesh. A Tree Farming Fund (TFF) has been established to provide a sustainable revenue stream for community forestry projects. Bangladesh has succeeded in reducing distrust and conflict between forestry officials and local farmers, encroachment on government lands, and the deforestation rate. But, program implementation has faced roadblocks that stem from a top-down bureaucratic approach and poor governance system. A number of NGO’s are also working to promote community forestry with notable success, despite short-comings that include strong profit motive, poor coordination with government bodies, lack of transparency, and non-uniform benefit sharing mechanisms. However, a traditional community-based forest management model known as village common forests (VCF) practiced by indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) may be a useful guide for policymakers looking for ways to support sustainable forest management that involves local people.
