An overview on the protected area system for forest conservation in Bangladesh

Abstract

A total of 19 protected areas (PAs) have been established in Bangladesh representing all the four forest types of the country. Apart from being the repository of biological diversity, these PAs serve as the source of subsistence livelihoods to the local communities. While all the PAs are managed by the state Forest Department (FD), with a view to ensure sustainability, a recent approach of co-management has been initiated in five PAs as a pilot project with an aid of development partners incorporating stakeholders’ participation. Along with demonstrating a number of upbeat impacts, the initiatives exert some constraints which need to be addressed properly to ensure the success of participatory approach and enhance the ongoing conservation scheme. This paper reviews the published works, government and project documents to analyze the present status of PAs and suggest recommendations accordingly.

Keywords

Protected areas / biodiversity conservation / co-management / forest resources / Bangladesh

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