Ensuring land security in forest

Land encroachment by local elites or corporate grabbers in the name of agricultural enlargement and industrialisation affects biodiversity

Land is a scarce resource and forested areas have become defenseless in Bangladesh. A growing population needs more agricultural, commercial and habitable land. Huge areas of forests have been diminished development encroaches upon wilderness. Out of 46,000 acres in Madhupur Sal forest, 7,800 acres have been given out to Commercial plantation, 25,000 acres has given into illegal possession. Around 62 thousand hectares of land of Madhupur National Park have been used for banana cultivation. According to the Forest Division of Tangail region, encroached area of various Ranges in this forest: in Dokhola, total 11448.62 acres of forest land has been encroached by Garo and Bangali; 3819.60 acres in Central National Park; 3938.21 acres in Madhupur and 2010.92 acres in Arankhola. Political influences for Banana and Pineapple gardening in forest, encroachment of forest and land by locals and local leaders, illegal cutting of Sal trees under political power, no security for the management of people and the forest, misuse of politics to management people, less or no scope to implement of forest management strategy changes the ecological stability of this forest.

At hilly forest area, tobacco farming is increasing rather than the mainstream food. About 10 national and international companies are involved in tobacco farming. In 2000, about 300 hectares land was used which has increased 4232 hectares in 2010. Now the farming area is about 10,000 hectares. In lama upazilla, total tobacco cultivated land is 5 thousands and 399 acres. Previously, those lands were suitable for 21 food crops and the amount of these food crops is about 11 cores taka. In alikodom upazilla, total tobacco cultivated land is 1 thousand 812 acres. Those lands were apposite for 23 food crops and the amount of these food crops is 3cores 78 lacs taka.

The poor farmers are drawn in such kind of labor. It is also called poisonous labor. Tobacco cultivation is very inimical or harmful for land as it reduces the water holding capacity of soil, the fertility of soil, damages the soil structure and profile. A farmer can farm the land with tobacco continuously for 3 to 5 years. At that time farmer see that the tobacco production is high at hilly land but this culture permanently affects the production capacity of soil. As a result, tobacco farming land after 5 years, is not apposite for auxiliary food crops.

On the other hand, shrimp farming has increased the rate of land encroachment more than double from 45,596 hectares in 2000 to 96,283 hectares in 2010 at Mangrove forest area. Apart from that, major anthropogenic disasters include over-exploitation of timber, of animals by poaching, of resources such as trawling for prawn seeds, irrigation and drainage canals, embankments for fisheries and shrimp ponds, pollution from aquaculture, oil spills and dumped wastes. Some agricultural encroachment has already occurred on the eastern and western boundaries with increasing population pressure in surrounding settled areas could become serious unless checked. 18,200 hectares of the Chokoria Sundarbans was completely destroyed in recent years by shrimp farming.

In Sundarban, the total areas are lessening day by day – in 1776, it was 11,256 sq.km; 9,279 in 1841 and the estimation of 2015 has said, it is now 5,467 sq.km. In 1959, the total plants were 296 per hectare; 180 in 1983; 144 in 1996 and it will reach 109 within 2020. Besides, Sundri trees were 211 per hectare (1959), 125 (1983), 106 (1996) and it will be 80 by the year of 2020.

Commercial agricultural estate and illegitimate ownership in Sal forest ; inapt jhumming, illegal cataloguing, stone exploitation, brick fields, Bengali expansionism in Hill forest ; apiculture, shrimp by catching and animals hunting in Mangrove forest area – are common figure in our forest area.

In consequencel, land encroachment by local elites or corporate grabbers in the name of agricultural enlargement and industrialization, affects the entirety of genetic potential, species and ecosystem immovability, degrades the humus and topsoil, changes the food chain, decreases the capability of hydrological cycles and motion of nutrients as well as the aesthetic value of forest.

Our constitution mentions (Article, 18A) about environmental protection and sustainable development. Laws and policies – Environment Conservation Act, 1995(amendment 2000, 2002); Forest Policy, 1994; Environmental Conservation Rules, 1997; Environment Court Act, 2000(amendment, 2002); The Wildlife Preservation Order, 1973; The Forest Act, 1927 (amendment 1990, 2000); Bio-safety Guidelines of Bangladesh, 2007; National Biodiversity Framework, 2007; Bangladesh Bio-safety Rules, 2010 − are talking about environment and forest protection. But a gap between policy configuration and enforcement of environmental regulations is a common trait in our country.

In order to protect the forest land we have ensure human resource development & Capacity Building; new-fangled Policies, monitoring and implementation for Shrimp farming; sustainable economic policies & planned industrialization; build adequate watch Tower and recruit skilled forest guards; impose high tax on tobacco companies. Finally, Inclusive political decisions are obligatory for sustainable forest management.

To conclude, government can display a social movement and shape the movement as mass movement through Public Participation against the land grabbers and rent-seekers grand alliance to protect the forest land.

The writer is an Environmental analyst

Ensuring land security in forest

Land encroachment by local elites or corporate grabbers in the name of agricultural enlargement and industrialisation affects biodiversity

Land is a scarce resource and forested areas have become defenseless in Bangladesh. A growing population needs more agricultural, commercial and habitable land. Huge areas of forests have been diminished development encroaches upon wilderness. Out of 46,000 acres in Madhupur Sal forest, 7,800 acres have been given out to Commercial plantation, 25,000 acres has given into illegal possession. Around 62 thousand hectares of land of Madhupur National Park have been used for banana cultivation. According to the Forest Division of Tangail region, encroached area of various Ranges in this forest: in Dokhola, total 11448.62 acres of forest land has been encroached by Garo and Bangali; 3819.60 acres in Central National Park; 3938.21 acres in Madhupur and 2010.92 acres in Arankhola. Political influences for Banana and Pineapple gardening in forest, encroachment of forest and land by locals and local leaders, illegal cutting of Sal trees under political power, no security for the management of people and the forest, misuse of politics to management people, less or no scope to implement of forest management strategy changes the ecological stability of this forest. At hilly forest area, tobacco farming is increasing rather than the mainstream food. About 10 national and international companies are involved in tobacco farming. In 2000, about 300 hectares land was used which has increased 4232 hectares in 2010. Now the farming area is about 10,000 hectares. In lama upazilla, total tobacco cultivated land is 5 thousands and 399 acres. Previously, those lands were suitable for 21 food crops and the amount of these food crops is about 11 cores taka. In alikodom upazilla, total tobacco cultivated land is 1 thousand 812 acres. Those lands were apposite for 23 food crops and the amount of these food crops is 3cores 78 lacs taka. The poor farmers are drawn in such kind of labor. It is also called poisonous labor. Tobacco cultivation is very inimical or harmful for land as it reduces the water holding capacity of soil, the fertility of soil, damages the soil structure and profile. A farmer can farm the land with tobacco continuously for 3 to 5 years. At that time farmer see that the tobacco production is high at hilly land but this culture permanently affects the production capacity of soil. As a result, tobacco farming land after 5 years, is not apposite for auxiliary food crops. On the other hand, shrimp farming has increased the rate of land encroachment more than double from 45,596 hectares in 2000 to 96,283 hectares in 2010 at Mangrove forest area. Apart from that, major anthropogenic disasters include over-exploitation of timber, of animals by poaching, of resources such as trawling for prawn seeds, irrigation and drainage canals, embankments for fisheries and shrimp ponds, pollution from aquaculture, oil spills and dumped wastes. Some agricultural encroachment has already occurred on the eastern and western boundaries with increasing population pressure in surrounding settled areas could become serious unless checked. 18,200 hectares of the Chokoria Sundarbans was completely destroyed in recent years by shrimp farming. In Sundarban, the total areas are lessening day by day in 1776, it was 11,256 sq.km; 9,279 in 1841 and the estimation of 2015 has said, it is now 5,467 sq.km. In 1959, the total plants were 296 per hectare; 180 in 1983; 144 in 1996 and it will reach 109 within 2020. Besides, Sundri trees were 211 per hectare (1959), 125 (1983), 106 (1996) and it will be 80 by the year of 2020. Commercial agricultural estate and illegitimate ownership in Sal forest ; inapt jhumming, illegal cataloguing, stone exploitation, brick fields, Bengali expansionism in Hill forest ; apiculture, shrimp by catching and animals hunting in Mangrove forest area are common figure in our forest area. In consequencel, land encroachment by local elites or corporate grabbers in the name of agricultural enlargement and industrialization, affects the entirety of genetic potential, species and ecosystem immovability, degrades the humus and topsoil, changes the food chain, decreases the capability of hydrological cycles and motion of nutrients as well as the aesthetic value of forest. Our constitution mentions (Article, 18A) about environmental protection and sustainable development. Laws and policies Environment Conservation Act, 1995(amendment 2000, 2002); Forest Policy, 1994; Environmental Conservation Rules, 1997; Environment Court Act, 2000(amendment, 2002); The Wildlife Preservation Order, 1973; The Forest Act, 1927 (amendment 1990, 2000); Bio-safety Guidelines of Bangladesh, 2007; National Biodiversity Framework, 2007; Bangladesh Bio-safety Rules, 2010 are talking about environment and forest protection. But a gap between policy configuration and enforcement of environmental regulations is a common trait in our country. In order to protect the forest land we have ensure human resource development Capacity Building; new-fangled Policies, monitoring and implementation for Shrimp farming; sustainable economic policies planned industrialization; build adequate watch Tower and recruit skilled forest guards; impose high tax on tobacco companies. Finally, Inclusive political decisions are obligatory for sustainable forest management. To conclude, government can display a social movement and shape the movement as mass movement through Public Participation against the land grabbers and rent-seekers grand alliance to protect the forest land. The writer is an Environmental analyst