Evolving an approach to the future forest policy of Bangladesh considers the following strengths of the sector. All are significant factors contributing to the growth of the forestry sector, if adequately backed by appropriate policies and institutional mechanisms.
· Long tradition and history of forest management, even though there is currently a crisis.
· National forest areas, combined with extensive government land and homestead areas, are available to support biodiversity and environmental objectives.
· A well trained core of professionals and technical staff, with expertise and experience, whose performance can considerably improve under congenial conditions, exists.
· Institutions exist for research, education and diversified training; and these can be strengthened suitably.
· There are supporting institutions outside the forestry sector, such as the national remote sensing agency and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC); and fruitful collaboration is possible.
· A good amount of science and technology related to forestry is available and suitable, after removal of administrative and financial restrictions.
· Tree consciousness on the part of millions of innovative farmers and homestead owners who make homestead forestry an important component of the forestry sector.
· Active and experienced Bangladesh NGOs support grassroots organizations and people's participation through group formation, provide training and credit, and promote afforestation and environmental conservation.
· Unconventional and innovative credit is available, Grameen Bank successfully promotes small scale private investment in forestry.
· A wealth of unexploited traditional knowledge on the uses of non wood forest products, as well as artisan and handicraft skills.
· Existing local administration and agricultural extension systems can considerably benefit forestry.
· Increasing recognition that market-orientation and more rural community involvement can facilitate the creation and establishment of small-scale forestry enterprises.
· A hard working labour force is a valuable resource, providing cheap labour.
· Relative homogeneity of the country in terms of language, culture, religion and ethnic derivation.
· Interest and willingness on the part of the political leadership, to embark on a course of appropriate economic reforms is surfacing.
In Bangladesh, three imperatives are critically identified, i.e. sustainability, efficiency and people's participation; these reflect the national goals related to environmental conservation, economic development and social progress. These imperatives are in tune with the Agenda 21 forest principles, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Brazil.
Sustainability - A primary goal of sustainable development is to achieve and perpetuate a reasonable and equitably distributed level of economic wellbeing for many human generations. The condition depends on: economic efficiency, equitable distribution of development benefits and shares of scarce resources, non-economic social valuable, and an appropriate balance among them. Sustainability aims at inter-generational equity.
Ecologically, sustainability has two attributes in addition to equal harvests and regeneration: continued adaptability and capacity for renewal of plants, animals, soils and water; and maintenance of biological diversity. It also implies acceptance of the irreplaceable and unknown values of wild plants and animals, and of the equity of watershed forests and wetlands. However, there is no market mechanism to value them adequately.
Basic Principals of Sustained Management An attribute inherent in the sustainable management of renewable natural resources is that it should be based on using income or interest and not on running down the capital. The rate of harvest of living resources (e.g. forest or fish stock) should not exceed rates of regeneration. It also implies the maintenance, rational use and enhancement of the natural resource base that underpins ecological resilience and economic growth. |
Sustained yield forest management, implies an approximate balance between net growth and harvest. In the present day context, this concept needs widening to incorporate both tangible and intangible values; and optimization of both rather than maximizing wood yields.
Efficiency - An important function of the forest is the renewable production of goods and services for human needs. Efficiency implies improving productivity (i.e. increasing output per unit of input), reducing waste and indirect costs, or negative side effects. This registers higher economic rate of return in comparison with other alternatives. Areas set apart for production of timber and other products must be able to compete with other potential land uses - in economic, if not financial, terms. The same criteria should also apply to investments in other commercial forestry activities, as well as in processing of forest products.
People Participation - Participation of people is both an objective and means of development. It is crucial in charting the course of forestry development in the right direction, and in ensuring its sustainability. A philosophy of a `people-based' development from below assumes that participation is not only a fundamental precondition for, a tool of, any successful development strategy, but also is an end in itself. This unity of participation is implicit in sustainable development policies. Forestry can facility, and benefit from, people's participation in all facets and aspects.
