Forest is an important shelter and protector of biodiversity and Ecology. Also, forest plays important role of a carbon sink for mitigating the impact of Climate Change. As Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries, protection of forest can help Bangladesh in many ways, especially by protecting coastal population from cyclone, tidal surge etc.. On the other hand, forest lands will help to reduce the emission of the CO2 thus achieving the goal me set in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
In Bangladesh, population is the biggest challenge for development and conservation of forest. Community surrounding the forest area are heavily dependent of the forest, especially the poor and marginalized group. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for Bangladesh to conserve the forest. Sustainability of the forest conservation efforts relied largely on the mobilization and engagement of the local forest dependent community.
Under different projects and programs, NACOM supported the Bangladesh Government for strengthening forest conservation and forest resource management. NACOM’s General approach for Forest resource management is to sensitize and mobilize local forest dependent community, provide them with AIGA support and alternative fuel support to refrain them from going to the forest for resources collection, and forest patrolling with community patrol group. NACOM also supports government agencies to regenerate degraded forest land.
For an example, under CWBMP project NACOM successfully regenerated a Mangrove forest in Nuniar Chara, Cox’s Bazar. With the help from government and local NGOs, Village Conservation Group (VCG) of Nunier Chara, Cox’s Bazar, created a mangrove forest by the sea shore close to Cox’s Bazar airport, which used to be a barren land. Mangrove friendly species planted in 100 acres of land and forest about same size of land regenerated naturally.
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