Presentation project completion
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The document summarizes a project aimed at restoring biodiversity in the denuded hills of Banskhali, Chittagong through establishing a collaborative management model. The key objectives are: 1) Reduce pressure on the hills to allow natural regeneration, 2) Establish a collaborative management model, 3) Strengthen the co-management committees, and 4) Create alternative livelihoods to reduce pressure. Specific challenges addressed include identifying the project site, finding office space, and addressing pervasive poverty among forest-dependent communities.
Presentation project completion
- 1. RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE DENUDED HILLS OF BANSKHALI CHITTAGONG Presentation by RCBDH Project Dhaka Ahsania Mission
- 2. Restoration and Conservation of Bio-diversity in the Denuded Hills of Banshkhali Amid the bamboos and shrubs, natural regeneration • Location: of numerous native species (Amloki, Bohera, Batna, The project is located in Sadhanpur Beat in Kalipur Dewa, Chapalish, Dharmara, Range under Chittagong Pisla, as well as some South Forest Division, medicinal plants such as covering an area of only 190 Ulat kombal and Tokma ha. takes place but they are cut • The hills have become totally at young stage by poor denuded due to human people of surrounding intervention. The hills are now villages who exclusively covered by bush of mitinga depend on the forest for their bamboo (Bambusa tulda) and other shrubs. Yet…… survival.
- 4. Objective 1: Reduce Anthropogenic Pressure on the Denuded Hills of Banshkhali to allow natural regeneration of the forest cover. Objective 2: Establish a functional model for collaborative management of the Banshkhali Denuded Hills. Objective 3: Strengthen capacity the Co-Management Council and Co-Management Committees as envisaged under the Collaborative Management Model. Objective 4: Create alternative livelihood opportunities for the forest-dependent poor and extreme poor people to reduce pressure on the hills and allow natural regeneration.
- 5. Implementation Strategies • Identification, Mobilization and Institution Building with the hill dependent-poor & ultra poor people. • Creation of alternative livelihood opportunities • Capacity building in selected livelihood options. • Capacity Building of the Institutional governance • Formation of Co-management structure • Capacity Building of Co-management Committee members in Org. Dev., Financial management • Promote of homestead plantation. • Supply of improved smokeless Chulas • Provision of Non-formal education for Children
- 6. Promote natural regeneration of forest in the denuded hill of Sadhanpur beat through people’s participation Protect Forest that currently exist Provide alternative livelihood options for forest dependent people Contribute towards reducing the impact of climate change through emission reduction and carbon sequestration
- 7. 3 big Challenges Addressed 1. Identification of the Project Site: The First Formidable Challenge 2. Finding an Office Space for Staff: The Second Challenge 3. Pervasive Poverty: The Central Critical Challenge
- 8. Start up 1. PRA Exercise with the community People 2. Meeting with community 3. Meeting with Forest Department Officials 4. Meeting with local administration 5. Local elected bodies 6. Local leaders, elites, educated people etc
- 9. Objective-01 : Institution building
- 10. Motivation, Awareness Raising and Mobilization of Forest-Dependent Poor People Culminating in Institutional Development 26 Groups of Poor Forest –Dependent People formed with 760 households
- 11. Organizations of the Forest Dependant Poor People are Strengthened Through Regular Meetings. No. of Meetings held : 576
- 12. 1 Union level Federation 3 Village level Federations 26 Groups
- 13. Federation Members Participate in Regular Meetings. 73 Meetings are held during the reported Period
- 16. Community Leaders And Religious Leaders are Taken On-board 30 Meetings are held with Imams and Purohits
- 17. Alliance Building: Bringing On-board the Next Generation Orientation for School Children held in Different Boys and Girls schools
- 18. Alliance Building: Bringing On-board the Next Generation Involving Students in Eco-Club 3 Clubs are Functioning
- 19. Community Awareness Raising and Mobilization through Multi-media Channels
- 20. Community Awareness Raising and Mobilization through Multi-media Channels Leaflets distributed in Places Of Public gathering, Bazars And Schools. The Leaflet is Read with Interest. Result– No fire setting in the Hills This Year
- 21. Coordination Meeting with Forest Department Officials held Every Month
- 22. Achievement of Institution building •Nearly two-thirds (60%) of the forest dependent poor people do not go to the hills •Fire setting was done every year before the for resource extraction. Some Comparative Scenario initiation of the project , no incidence of •Visit to the core zone by resource extractors 120 setting fire was observed last year. 100 or vested interest groups have been reduced 80 •Eco-clubs have been formed with youths. to zero level. 60 40 They have been given necessary education and motivation to instill in them the 20 importance and value of forest and bio- •School and Madrasa students have been 0 diversity conservation. Extaction Fire Core Zone Mobility made aware of the importance of forest and Previous Present bio-diversity conservation; now they are taking part in all activities undertaken by the project.
- 23. Specific Challenges Although the project site was clearly delineated in the Sadhanpur Beat map contained in the project document, locating it in the field posed a serious problem due to reluctance of the Forest Department (FD) officials to assist in the process. They evaded by simply saying that they did not get any official letter from the Head Office. Two attempts were made by Dr. Huda to get FD assistance; he even met the Conservator of Forests (CF) in Chittagong, but no assistance came through. Another challenge was to find a suitable office space for the programme at Sadhanpur. Initially the FD agreed to let the project use one of their dilapidated buildings in the Range office premises but later declined. Sadhanpur Union parisad also agreed to rent out two rooms but declined due to opposition by some Ward members. Finally, an office space, though not suitable, was rented in Gunagori bazaar. The most critical challenge faced was addressing the pervasive poverty of the forest dependent people who survive by selling fuel wood collected from the hills. Authority of AF as well as DAM to work in a Reserve Forest was questioned by the Forest Department after the area was declared as a Reserve Forest.
- 24. Specific Challenges Contd… Pressure from politically affiliated people hampered smooth functioning of activities and created a sense of uncertainty. The project needed cooperation of all concerned for smooth function, however, such cooperation was not received. Till today, some misapprehension and gaps in trust building exist, in some cases among local level government officials. Level of cooperation has increased over time but that has been possible due primarily to active role of the project staff who pursued them repeatedly and sought their help. The Co-Management Committee exhibited more interest on the funds allocated for CMC and they were insistent on spending the fund on projects of their own choice which may not be related to forest protection and bio-diversity Conservation. • The Co-management Committee was not interested in preparing the Management Plan unless and until the allocated Fund was placed in Co- management Committee account.
- 25. Objective-02 : Establishment of Functional Model of Co- management Committee
- 26. Step Toward Gaining Supports of Local power Two tier Structure : Co-management Council Structure And Government And Co-management Committee Institutions Formed
- 27. Specific Challenges of functional Collaborative management Co- management Committee was insistent on disbursement of Funds specifically allocated for the Committee The Committee, as it appears, is willing to spend the fund on projects of their own choice which may not be related to forest protection and bio-diversity Conservation. • The Committee was not interested in preparing the Management Plan unless the allocated Fund was placed in Co-management Committee account.
- 28. Objective-03 : Strengthen the Competencies of Co-Management Committee
- 29. Strengthening Capacity of the Co-management Committee Orientation Training on Co-management Model, Roles and Functions • Training held for Co-management Committee Members
- 30. CMC Meeting held-2 Site area visit by CMC-2
- 31. Objective-04 : Alternative Livelihood Options to the Poor Forest dependant People
- 32. • Providing Alternative Livelihood Options for the Group members Cheque Handover Status of Federation wise RLF/IGA Program Name of Federation IGA Name Number Amount(BDT) Total Middle Sadhanpur Federation Paddy Cultivation 4 19000 105000 Vegetable Cultivation 6 19000 Rickshaw/Van 1 5000 Patti Bunan 10 25000 Small Trading 9 37000 South Sadhanpur Federation Vegetable Cultivation 17 51000 154000 Small Trading 9 35000 Paddy Cultivation 5 11500 Milk cow rearing 1 1000 Fish Culture 1 5000 Patti Bunan 14 21500 Hand fan making 1 5000 Muri trading 1 3000 Nursery Development 1 6000 Pottery 3 15000 North Sadhanpur Federation Vegetable Cultivation 6 17000 108500 Mora Bunan 1 2000 Paddy Cultivation 8 23000 Rickshaw/Van 1 5000 Small Trading 6 19000 Patti Bunan 22 42500 Grand Total 127 367500 367500
- 33. Promoting Income through Mat making Income Generation through Nursery
- 34. Group savings Status up to November 2011 3875, 4% Male 99329, 96% Female
- 35. Promoting Income from fruit bearer trees /bamboo/Timber trees
- 37. Skill Development Training Sl. Name of training Participants 01 Sewing/Tailoring Training 15 02 Nursery Dev. Training 11 03 Bamboo and Cane made Handicrafts 17 04 Improved cooking stove making 02 training Total 45
- 38. Mitigating Climate Change : A Step Towards Reducing Carbon Emission Production by Group Members after Receiving Training Group Members Receiving Training on Production
- 39. ICS Supply and Set up supply set up 151 176
- 40. Specific Challenge of AIGAs Resource constraint was the major challenge. Adequate funds were not allocated in the budget for livelihood support; even after making certain adjustments within the existing budget the amount that could be gleaned from different heads was meager. This allocated fund was used to provide some support to the organized group members to build their confidence and strengthen their cohesiveness. The formed group members who are the primary stakeholders of the project demanded an increase in fund allocation for alternative income generation Since the project has a small amount of revolving fund for AIGA ,increased demand could not be met .
- 41. 01 True Story of Two Women Mir Peka Begum, Wife of Md. Abdul Salam of village Sadahanpur of Duaripara union under Banskhali Upazila was once a forest dependent most marginalized poor women living with her husband and 3 female and 2 male children. Her husband was a day laborer by profession but got work only occasionally. She had no ability to educate her children yet admitted 2 of the 5 children to a nearby school. Life became harder, surviving at bare subsistence level even became difficult. Last resort, rather easy but risky, was going to the forest and illegally extract resources and sell as firewood in the local market. She started forest resource extraction but that even did not ensure two meals a day. One day she heard the name of Purbo Duaripara biodiversity conservation group and became a member. After a few months she received loan of taka 2500/ from South Shadhanpur Federation and started cultivating balsam apple in the 4 decimal land which she took lease for a year. She started getting return within few weeks. She sold balsam apple in the local market and earned taka 500- 700 per week. The family did not become rich but its food security was ensured apart from little savings too. Now she is sending her children to school and repaying her loan installments regularly..
- 42. 02 True Story of Two Women Tahera Begum, Wife of Md. Shah Alam of village Sadahanpur of Purbo Peadapara Union under Banskhali Upazila got married about 13 years back. She left her husband when he married again, second time. She was living in miserable condition in her father’s house as her father was also a marginalized poor. She used to go to adjacent forest to cut saplings and small trees and sell those in the local market as fuel wood. The return was not great but kept the family surviving. One day Tahere heard about Purbo Peadapara biodiversity conservation group and became a member. She heard about the importance of forest and bio-diversity conservation in the regular group meetings. After few months, she received an amount of taka 3000/ as loan from Middle Sadhanpur Federation for alternative livelihood and started making colorful and designed Pati and sold one Pati per week in the local market at about Taka 1000-1200. She made a profit of Taka 600/ per Pati. She is now living with confidence and dignity.