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Study on Forest and People in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. Study Location: Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) - 2 districts: Bandarban and Rangamati. Study Context. Area of CHT: 13,274 sq. km (3 districts) Climate: - tropical monsoon
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Study on Forest and People in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh • Study Location: Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) - 2 districts: Bandarban and Rangamati
Study Context Area of CHT: 13,274 sq. km (3 districts) Climate: - tropical monsoon (Summer/ Pre-monsoon: March- May, Rainy/ Monsoon: Jun-Sep, Pre-winter: Oct- Nov, Winter/ Dry: Dec- Feb) - Rainfall: 2500-3800 mm/yr Forest: hilly semi-evergreen forests Surveyed villages: 14, Total population: 4,385 Households surveyed: 216, Av. people per HH: 4.8 (quarterly Q1-4 focused on 60 HH here, 49 complete) Sub-dimension criteria: ethnicity (6 different ethnic communities studied), NTFP trade activities.
Income sources and seasonality Oct- Dec Jan- Mar Apr- Jun Jul- Sep
Key forest and environmental products • Total net direct forest income: 4,52,533 Taka • Total net forest derived income is 18,630 Taka • Total net income from fish is 12807 Taka and all of them from choto mach category. • Forest subsistence goods were priced based on the respondent’s estimation and ideas about the market price of the same good or similar one and then crosschecked in markets.
Other patterns • 34% households used forest products to cope with crisis. • Extra casual labor (31% of HH), harvest more forest products (15% of HH) and Spending cash savings (14% of HH) were most coping strategies. • Closeness to road or market does not show much influence on forest income or high extraction.
Policies and overall findings • Land tenure and policy change in CHT • Mass migration of outside Bangali people to Hill Mass migration of outside Bangali people to the hills. • Peace treaty in 1997, but not effective implementation • Hydroelectricity dam in 1960 • Karnaphuly paper mill and bamboo extraction • Forest Policy, laws and management attitude • Findings: -forest income larger than agri. crop income (49 HH) -timber and fuelwood deriving most forest income - will be interesting to see the access of the poor to timber and non-timber -distance and forest income or extraction is not strongly related - Smiling is another way to hide the curse of poverty!!!
Most important NTFPs • Broom grass/ Fuljharu • Menda tree bark • Bamboo • Wild vegetables • Medicinal plants
Major NTFPs Contd… • Rattan/ Cane • Wild fruits • Jungle meat • Fish • Honey • Wild flowers/ orchid • Sun grass • Wrapping leaves (Paitya pata) • Cotton • Sand • Stone