Afforestation and reforestation activities in Bangladesh helping local communities to raise income and save forests
DHAKA, Nov. 24 (NsNewsWire) — The World Bank is supporting Bangladesh Forest Department to reduce forest degradation and increase forest coverage in a participatory way in nine coastal and hilly districts: Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshimipur, Barisal, Pakuakhali, Barguna, Bhola, and Feni. The Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation project has already completed 13,144 ha block plantation out of the targeted 17,000 ha. The project has also completed 1,505 km strip plantation. Almost 90% seedlings survived and the trees are growing healthily.
The project is promoting resilience of the forest ecosystems through afforestation, reforestation and restoration of different species. The site survey and planning along with advanced nursery preparation was matched with micro-site conditions (soils, water table, slope and aspect) to select species and their spatial distribution on the landscape.
The project’s participatory approach helped the local community meet climate change challenges and reduce vulnerability. The project helped the forest dependent population with alternative income generating activities. The project has benefitted over 45,000 extreme poor households through alternative livelihood programs, participation in the social forestry program or employment as labors in nurseries.
As a start-up activity for the poor and the extremely poor forest-depended groups (FDGs), the project has distributed in the last three seasons a total of 3.5 tons of 16 varieties of vegetable seeds; and 36,000 saplings of 5 varieties of quick growing fruit trees. These have helped almost all the FDG households not only to increase their consumption of vegetables, but also earn cash-income within a short period of time by selling surplus production. At least 30% income increase occurred in 19% of households; another 35% households’ income increased more than 20%, but less than 30%; another 34% households’ income increased more than 10%, but less than 20%. The Project has helped establish 55 Mutual Rotating Savings and Loan Funds and already provided BDT 44.6 million loans to extremely poor beneficiaries. The communities manage this fund and are responsible for loan realization.
The project provided skills training on various trades to 6,000 FDG members as per their choice for alternative income generation activities. Additionally, 565 group leaders have received training on organizational and leadership development and financial management, including around 400 females and 35 people from ethnic population.
The project is also strengthening the Resource Information and Management Support (RIMS) Unit of Forest Department and established an integrated remote sensing, forest inventory, GIS/MIS database system and mapping capability and capacity for monitoring forest resources plantation.
The Bangladesh Climate Change Resilient Fund (BCCRF) has allocated US$33.8 million. Seven development partners are contributing to BCCRF: the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka, the Department of International Development (DFID), the European Union, represented by the European Commission (EC), Sweden represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and USAID. The World Bank administers the BCCRF. The project is jointly implemented by Bangladesh Forest Department and the Arannayk Foundation.