Abstract
Bangladesh has been a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) although implementation of the convention has been poor. We independently assessed the extent to which the program of work (POW) of the CBD has been implemented in Bangladesh by carrying out workshops involving local communities, conservation organizations, universities, and government departments involved in forest conservation. Our analyses indicate that there is little or no understanding of the ecosystem approach that is central to the CBD; forestry practices remain primitive and largely ineffective; forest destruction continues at high rates; restoration of degraded forests are minimal; protected areas are small and ineffective; indigenous peoples’ rights are nominal and are outside any legislation; threats to species have been identified, but little is being done to reduce threats; there is no work on pollution and its mitigation; some work has been done to adapt to climate change; the institutional environment does not enable effective implementation of the ecosystem approach; laws and policies are ineffective; institutional capacity is poor; government will is limited or totally lacking; and knowledge base remains poor, although reporting has improved and various strategic plans have been formulated but never implemented. Thus, the implementation of CBD in Bangladesh requires systemic changes in policy at the institutional levels as well as complementary changes in attitudes and avenues of alternate income generation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguilar-Stroen M, Dhillion SS (2003) Implementation of the convention on biological diversity in Mesoamerica: environmental and developmental perspectives. Envoirn Conserv 30:131–138
Akter A, Zuberi MI (2009) Invasive alien species in Northern Bangladesh: identification, inventory and impacts. Int J Biod Cons 1:129–134
Aziz MA (2008) Co-management of protected areas without local knowledge and participation: a case study of Lawachara National Park. In: Fox J, Bushley BR, Miles WB, Quazi SA (eds) Connecting communities and conservation: collaborative management of protected areas in Bangladesh. East-West Center of Hawai’i, Nishorgo Support Project and Bangladesh Forest Department, Bangladesh, pp 161–190
Barlow ACD, Ahmed MIU, Rahman MM, Howlader A, Smith AC, Smith JLD (2008) Linking monitoring and intervention for improved management of tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh. Biol Conserv 141:2032–2040
Barua SP, Khan MH, Reza AHMA (1999) The status of alien invasive species in Bangladesh and their impacts on the ecosystem. In: Proceedings of a workshop on the alien invasive species. IUCN Asia Regional Biodiversity Program, Sri Lanka, pp 1–5
Bernauer T (1995) The effect of international environmental institutions: how we might learn more. Int Org 49:351–377
BFD/MoEF (2000a) First five-year management plan for Lawachara National Park, Forestry Sector Project (1997/8–2003/4), vol 2: background material and support material. Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Dhaka, ADB Project BAN No. 1486
CBD (2000) Sustaining life on earth. How the convention on biological diversity promotes nature and human well-being. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, London, p 20
CBD (2004) Expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, p 22
DeCosse P, Huda KS (2006) Poverty, corruption and other challenges to protected area management: voices from the field in Bangladesh. Pol Matters 14:134–142
DeOliveira JAP (2008) Implementation of environmental policies in developing countries: a case study of protected areas and tourism in Brazil. State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
Feeroz MM, Islam MA (1992) Ecology and behaviour of Hoolock Gibbons of Bangladesh. Multidisciplinary Action Research Centre (MARC), Dhaka, Bangladesh, p 76
Forest Act (1927) Act No. XVI of 1927, Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh, pp 55
Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forest (1994) National Forestry Policy. Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, p 78
Gain P (2002) Bangladesh environment: facing the 21st Century. Society of Environment and Human Development (SEHD), Dhaka, Bangladesh, p 341
Geisen W, Khan N, Shahid A, Rahman A (2000) Management plan for Tanguar Haor, Bangladesh. Achieving community-based sustainable use of wetland resources. National Conservation Strategy Implementation Project–1. Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of Bangladesh and IUCN-World Conservation Union, Dhaka, p 218
Guruswamy LD (1999) The convention on biological diversity: exposing the flawed foundations. Environ Conserv 26:79–82
Islam MA, Feeroz MM, Muzaffar SB, Kabir MM, Begum S (2006) Conservation of the hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) of Bangladesh: Population estimates, habitat suitability and management options Technical Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, p 48
IUCN (2000) Red book of threatened animals of Bangladesh. IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Bangladesh, p 138
Kabir DS, Muzaffar SB (2002) The review of the present state of protected areas of Bangladesh. In: Ahmed MF, Tanveer SA, Badruzzaman ABM (eds) Bangladesh environment 2002. Bangladesh Poribesh Rokha Andolon, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp 389–403
Lovera M (2008) Forests and the biodiversity convention: independent monitoring of the implementation of the expanded programme of work. Global Forest Coalition, Amsterdam, p 27
McNeely JA (1999) The convention on biological diversity: a solid foundation for effective action. Environ Conserv 26:250–251
Ministry of Environment and Forest (1992) National Conservation Strategy. Ministry of Environment and Forest Government of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, p 74
MoEF (2008) Bangladesh climate change strategy and action plan, ministry of environment and forests. Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh, p 68
Muzaffar SB, Islam MA, Feeroz MM, Kabir M, Begum S, Mahmud S, Chakma S (2007) Habitat characteristics of the endangered Hoolock Gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) of Bangladesh: the role tree species richness. Biotropica 39:539–545
NBSAP (2004) Bangladesh national biodiversity strategy and action plan. Ministry of environment and forests. Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, p 74
Nishat A, Huq SMI, Barua SP, Reza AHMA, Khan ASM (2002) Bio-ecological zones of Bangladesh. IUCN-The World Conservation, Union Bangladesh Country Office, Bangladesh
NSP (2007) Nishorgo: Bangladesh’s protected area co-management program. Nishorgo support project. www.nishorgo.org
Rasul G (2007) Political ecology of the degradation of forest commons in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Environ Conserv 34:153–163
Reza AHMA, Islam MA, Feeroz MM, Nishat A (2004) Bengal tiger in the Bangladesh Sundarbans. IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Bangladesh, p 141
Richerzhagen C, Holm-Mueller K (2005) The effectiveness of access and benefit sharing in Costa Rica: implications for national and international regimes. Ecol Econ 53:445–460
Roy MK, DeCosse P (2006) Managing demand for protected areas in Bangladesh: poverty alleviation, illegal commercial use and nature recreation. Pol Matters 14:93–102
Seibenhuner B, Suplie J (2005) Implementing the access and benefit-sharing provisions of the CBD: a case for institutional learning. Ecol Econ 53:507–522
Acknowledgments
Funding for this work was provided by Global Forest Coalition. We thank Miguel Lovera for encouragement and facilitation of this work. We thank all participating institutions and their employees especially the Bangladesh Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Muzaffar, S.B., Islam, M.A., Kabir, D.S. et al. The endangered forests of Bangladesh: why the process of implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity is not working. Biodivers Conserv 20, 1587–1601 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0048-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0048-6