Natural Resources of Bangladesh

Forest Resources and Biodiversity of

Bangladesh
Forest Resources
 Forests provide an array of benefits to human societies above and beyond their pivotal roles as habitat and
environmental regulators in natural ecosystems. These benefits are often described as resources that
people can draw upon for fuel, timber, and recreational or commercial purposes. The perception that
forests provide resources for people has been a prominent factor in spurring efforts to preserve forests.

 Forests harbour most of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. The conservation of the world’s biodiversity is
thus utterly dependent on the way in which we interact with and use the world’s forests. Forests cover 31
percent of the global land area but are not equally distributed around the globe. Almost half the
forest area is relatively intact, and more than one-third is primary forest.
 More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries (Brazil, Canada, China,
Russian Federation and United States of America).
 More than one-third (34 percent) of the world’s forests are primary forests, defined as naturally
regenerated forests of native tree species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity,
and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.
 Deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates, which contributes
significantly to the ongoing loss of biodiversity.
 Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation and forest fragmentation and the
associated loss of forest biodiversity.
World Forest Cover

Fig. Global distribution of forests

showing the ten countries with largest
forest area (million hectors and
percentage of the forest area) FAO, 2020.
Net Forest area change by region (1990-2020) Million hectors/year. FAO, 2020.
Forest By Global Ecological Zones
Forest Resources of Bangladesh
• The total forest area of Bangladesh is 2.6 million hectares (0.15% of the world forest cover),
which is nearly 17.4% of the total land area of the country. The forestry sector accounts for
about 3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) & 2% of the labour force. Forests
cover a wide range of ecological, political, economic, social-cultural considerations & processes.

• The contribution of forest resources are: protecting watershed and irrigation structures,
reclaiming land from the sea, protecting coastal areas from storm damage, and in
maintaining & upgrading the environmental quality.

• The other benefits provided by forest ecosystems include: goods such as timber, food, fuel and
bioproducts; ecological functions such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water and air
purification, and maintenance of wildlife habitat; and social and cultural benefits such as
recreation, traditional resource uses and spirituality.

• Bangladesh forests have been continuously depleting in terms of both area and quality.
Between 1990 and 2015, Bangladesh annually lost 2600 hectares of primary forest (FAO 2015).
Primary forest land gradually decreased from 1.5 million hectares in 1990 to 1.4 million hectares in
2015. Thus annual rate of deforestation in Bangladesh was 0.2% during 1990-2015 (FAO, 2015).
 Climate Change & Significance of Our Forest
▪ Bangladesh is a low CO2 emitting country, but forest of Bangladesh is a rich repository of carbon.
Bangladesh forests stocked a total 127.28 million tonnes carbon in above and below ground
biomass including dead wood, litter and forest soil (FAO 2015).

▪ Despite uncertainties exists with respect to projections of climate change and its impact on forest ecosystems,
evidence is growing to demonstrate that climate change, coupled with socioeconomic and land use pressure, is
likely to adversely impact forest biodiversity, carbon sink, biomass productivity, and the livelihoods
of forest dependent communities. The Eastern hilly areas of Bangladesh will undergo change and the changes
are likely to be triggered by changing moisture, CO2 fertilization and temperature regimes (Chaturvedi, 2016).

▪ Due to 32 cm Sea Level Rise (SLR), 84% of the Sundarbans will be deeply inundated in 2050 and in
2100, for 88 cm SLR the whole of the Sundarbans will be lost. Increased salinity intrusion due to sea
level rise poses great threat to the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans has already been affected due to reduced
freshwater flows through Ganges river system over the last few decades particularly during the dry season. This
has led to a definite inward intrusion of the salinity front causing the different species of plants and
animals to be adversely affected. Increased salt water intrusion is considered as one of the causes of top
dying of Sundari trees in Sundarbans. The impact of sea level rise will further intrude the saline water to landward.
SLR of 32 cm will intrude 10 to 20 ppt salinity level more in the Sundarbans. The rate of salt water
intrusion will also affect the ability of the ecosystem to adapt.
Forest Covers in BD
• The total area of forest land in Bangladesh is about 2.6
million hectares (FD, 2015). Out of which 1.6 million hectares
is under the control of the Forest Department (FD). Un-
classed State Forests (USF) extending over an area of 0.73
million hectares are now under the control of District
Councils. National Forest Act (NFA, 2007) showed that the
total area of forest land was 1.44 million hectares which is
about 9.8% of the total land.

• However, tree cover in forest land amounts to only 6.7%

(FAO, 2009) - much less that 17.62% of the land that has
been designated as forest lands (FD, 2016).

• Contrarily, Global Forest Resources Assessment indicates

that total forest area of Bangladesh is 1.429 million Forest Cover Area (Million Hector)
hectares i.e. 11% of the land area of the country (FAO, State Forest 2.6

2015). The per capita forest area in BD is < 0.015 hectare Reserved Forest 1.6
USF 0.73
against the world average of 0.60 hectare (FAO, 2010).
Private Owned 0.4
 Forest Covers in BD
• Over 90% of the state owned forestland is concentrated
mostly in 12 districts in the eastern and south-western
regions of the country. 32 districts have no state-owned
forest at all (BBS 2016). 84% has been classified as natural
forest and nearly 16% as plantation forest.
• The two most common types of forest, namely Hill forest
and Mangrove forest cover > 68% of total forest area.

• Privately owned village forests, also known as homestead

forests totalling an area of 0.27 million hectares are
scattered throughout the country. Almost all the village
area (2.86 million hectares) is covered by trees of varying
density and only a very small area has no tree cover at all.
• Although meagre in size, an estimated 70% of timber, 90% of
firewood, 48% of sawn and veneer logs, and almost 90% of
bamboo requirements are met from homestead forests
(Douglas, 1982). Almost 50% of the area of Bangladesh has
some kind of tree cover. More than 30% of the cultivated land
has low percentage of tree cover (NFA, 2007).
Forest Covers and Types • Type of Forests
• A. Hill Forest (Mixed evergreen Forest)
• B. Sal Forest (Deciduous Forest)
• C. Natural Mangrove Forest and Mangrove Plantation
• D. Fresh Water Swamp Forests
• E. Homestead Forests
• F. Village Common Forests
 Types of Forest
A. Hill forests (mixed-evergreen forests): Hill forests are mostly mixed-evergreen forests which cover 680,000
hectares of land and mostly situated in the northeast and southeast parts of Bangladesh. The forests of
northeast are mostly fragmented, some relatively large patches of mixed-evergreen forests still exist in CHT.
B. Sal forests (deciduous forests): The Sal forest or moist deciduous forests of Bangladesh cover roughly about
120,000 hectares, which is about 0.81% land of the country. The central part of the country has the largest
single mass of deciduous forest. The single dominating plant of this forest is Sal.
C. Natural Mangrove Forest and Mangrove Plantation: The mangrove forests cover an area of 801,700
hectares along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Out of the total coastal forest, 601,700 hectares are natural
mangroves, the Sundarbans the single largest chunk of productive mangrove forest of the world—and 200,000
hectares are coastal plantations. This forest includes fairly dense evergreen plant species, adapted for life under
saline conditions & frequent inundation by tides. It harbours 334 of plants & 269 species of wild animals.
D. Fresh water Swamp Forest: This type of forest is situated in the lowlands of the north-eastern region of
Bangladesh. Freshwater swamp forest consists of flood-tolerant evergreen trees of about 10–12 m in height.
E. Homestead Forests: There are approximately 25.53 million homestead forests in Bangladesh to fulfil the
basic needs of the householders such as fruits, vegetables, other foods, and timbers.
F. Village Common Forest: These forests are near the households of the indigenous communities that are
managed to fulfil their daily demands and also harbour considerable biodiversity.
Distribution of Major Forest Types in Bangladesh
 Deforestation or Degradation of Forest
▪ Degradation of forests has been occurring due to manifold reasons. Major causes of forest destruction include: unscrupulous
felling, encroachment of forest lands and new settlements for growing population, land grabs by powerful elites, illegal
wood cutting, leaf-litter collection, dependency on forests for fuel wood and grazing, intentional forest burning, 'jhum' or
shifting cultivation, conversion of forest lands into agricultural land, infrastructure development, urbanization,
industrialization, overexploitation of particular economically important species such as medicinal, fodder and dye,
indiscriminate use of forest wood in brick fields and in other small industries, and total clearing of undergrowth and
excess consumption of forest materials for domestic purposes.

▪ In addition, natural calamities such as torrential rainfall, occasional landslide, soil erosion, flood and cyclones, increase of
salinity, pest and diseases (e.g. top dying of Sundari disease in the Sundarban) are also major causes of depletion and
degradation of forest lands and forest resources.

▪ An indication of this decline is reflected in the tree density of the Sundarbans, which constitutes about 51% of the total reserve
forest estates, and contributes about 45% of the country’s timber and fuel wood production. About 95% of the Sundarban’s
land area is covered with natural stands of only two timber species: Sundari and Gewa. Between 1959 and 1983 the Sundari
stems per hectare steadily declined by 42.1% and Gewa stems per hectare declined by 35.1%. Between 1983 and 1996 the
Sundari stems per hectare has decreased by 2.1% and Gewa stems per hectare has increased by 1.9%. Latif et al. (1992)
also reported from 13 years study that Sundari is in the decreasing trend and Gewa is in increasing trend.
Biodiversity
 Bangladesh is the home of 1952 species of invertebrates, 708 fish species (266 freshwater; 442
marine), 50 species of amphibians, 147 species of reptiles, 566 species of birds including
residents and migrants, and 127 species of mammals.
 Many of these species are reported in Bangladesh in the last two decades; especially the number of
amphibians & reptiles has grown up very fast, it is expected to go even higher in near future.

 A total of 11 species of mammals,19 species of birds, and 1 species of reptile has gone extinct
from Bangladesh over the last century.

 According to the Red List of Bangladesh 2015, the extinct species of Bangladesh include the
striped hyena, banteng, blackbuck, grey wolf, Indian rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, nilgai, sloth
bear, Sumatran rhinoceros, swamp deer, wild buffalo, marsh crocodile, bar-tailed tree creeper,
Bengal florican, black-breasted parrotbill, Indian peafowl, greater adjutant, greater rufous-
headed parrotbill, green peafowl, grey francolin, lesser florican, pink-headed duck, red-headed
vulture, rufous-throated partridge, rusty-fronted barwing, white-winged duck, sarus crane, spot-
breasted parrotbill, spot-billed pelican, swamp francolin, and white-bellied heron.
Biodiversity • The Red List 2015 includes 138 mammalian
species, of which 11 have become regionally
extinct, 17 are critically endangered, 12
endangered, and 9 are vulnerable.
• In the birds category, 566 species were evaluated, of
which 19 were regionally extinct and 39 were
categorised as threatened.
• Under the reptiles group, 167 species were
evaluated, of which 38 were categorised as
threatened.
• Many species such as Hoolock gibbon, Long-tailed
macaque, Malayan sun bear, Asian elephant, and
Gharial are at the brink of extinction and demand
attention for conservation management.

• Distribution of some distinct wildlife species has

been mentioned with the major forest types in
Major Forest Type with Distinct Wildlife Species. Bangladesh.
Threat Status of Wild lives

The latest threat status of reptiles in

The latest threat status of
BD, Percent value N= 147
Amphibians in BD, Percent
value N= 50

The latest threat status of mammals The latest threat status of birds in BD,
in BD, Percent value N= 127 Percent value N= 566
Threats to the Wildlife and Forest
 Direct Threats
• Hunting and Poaching: Wild animals are hunted illegally either for local consumption for meat or for
international trade. Tigers and other cats are killed for the hide & other body parts to be used in traditional
Chinese medicine. Deer are hunted for meat and skin, elephants are killed for the ivory. Turtles and
tortoises are poached for meat and demand in pet markets. Python skin, snake venom also have demand.
• Local and International Trade: Due to geographic position Bangladesh is being used as a source of
animals as well as the transit route of international wildlife trade. These animal products have demands
mostly in the international illegal market, and their destination is the traditional Chinese medicine market.
• Local Consumption: Most of the ethnic communities in BD, find their protein source from wild animals.

 Human Wildlife Conflict: The growing human population of Bangladesh is forcing rapid urbanization and
habitat loss for the wildlife and also forcing wild animals to live in close proximity to humans.
 Moving vehicle: In Bangladesh, many forest areas are bisected by roads, highways, railways which contribute
negatively in losing biodiversity. Nocturnal animals are also harmed by the bright headlights at night and are often
killed by the moving vehicle.
 Tourist Pressure: National Parks. With the growing tourist the daily activity of wildlife activities is heavily
impacted both diurnal and nocturnal species. The breeding activities are interrupted by such unwise human
activities.
Threats to the Wildlife and Forest
 Habitat Degradation and Fragmentation
• Illegal Timber Extraction: Timber harvest from the natural forests is currently banned in Bangladesh. But, timber extraction is
still going on because of support from corrupt forest managers. In many forestland, the upper canopy is not connected, and
forests are fragmented. Distant canopy cover creates problem to highly arboreal mammals, e.g., hoolock gibbons, capped langurs,
macaques, and squirrels for their movement and breeding activities.

• Fuel Wood Extraction: Almost all households, in and around the forests, use fuel wood for daily livelihood. Majority of the
fuelwoods are sourced from the nearby forests. The local people generally collect dead or fallen trees or branches, which do not
contribute directly to the destruction of trees in the forest; but it has other ecological consequences.

• Expansion of Agricultural Activities Several crops are extensively cultivated on the hill slopes and low-lying areas in and
around the forestland. Local people clean the forest floor, burn the unwanted vegetation, and cultivate the desired crops, resulting
in destruction of natural vegetation.

▪ Modification of Undergrowth: Collection of dead leaves from the forest floor prevents natural seed germination, which
eventually hinder undergrowth plant diversity.

▪ Grazing by Livestock: Free-range cattle in the forestland would eliminate seedlings, which potentially regenerate the forest.

▪ Land Erosion: Huge landslide during rainy season in the hilly region (Chittagong and CHT) of Bangladesh is quite common and
one of the major reasons for the lack of vegetation cover of the area. Landslides change the hydrological pattern of forest and
could be an issue for animal movement.
Threats to the Wildlife and Forest
 Indirect threats:
 Poor Institutional Capacity: MoEF is the sole authority to implement and enforce natural
resource-related activities and laws. The BFD & DoE operates under the MoEF to manage natural
resources in Bangladesh. However, limitations like poor institutional capacity, lack of logistic
and operational support, insufficient funding and manpower are holding the country behind.

 Lack of Coordination from different agencies: There is lack of coordination in the

management of biodiversity and natural resources among different government agencies
in Bangladesh, e.g., there are overlaps between the jurisdictions of the Bangladesh Forest
Department (BFD), Department of Environment (DoE), and Ministry of Land (MoL).
 Policy and Information Gap: Information is not widely available in Bangladesh, with regard to field
level baseline data on natural resources, there is no single place to get everything.
 There are no long-term monitoring efforts to evaluate any changes in species occurrence,
abundance, and distribution.
 Bangladesh managed to have a number of sound environmental policies, but that is not
enough, and there are many gaps.
 Lack of Enforcement: Environmental crime is not treated as seriously as other types of
crime either by the local communities or by the law enforcement agencies.
Threats to the Wildlife and Forest
• In adequate and Poorly Managed Protected Areas: Many of the forests in Bangladesh are recently
declared as protected areas, but the actual implementation is still in very rudimentary stage. Although
there are dozens of PAs in the country, many are 500 hectares or less: too small to provide adequate habitat to
preserve biodiversity. In addition, protected area system includes only forestland and does not include some
of the most critically important wetland habitat of the country.
• Corruption: Corruption is evident at all levels of government system in Bangladesh. It is expected that folks
with strong political connections or wealth can circumvent existing laws to obtain individual favours,
rights to use protected land, and immunity to environmental crimes.
• Lack of awareness: People are not properly aware of the importance of maintaining biodiversity and
its conservation. Because of poverty, high population density, lack of education, most local stakeholders have no
idea about the existing laws of land, especially with regard to environmental crimes.
• Climate and Biophysical Change: Climate change is being recognized as a global threatening for any forms of
life on Earth. These are changes in temperature and precipitation pattern, sea level rise, frequent natural disasters,
increase of salinity in coast, drastic changes in upstream water flow, high sedimentation in inland water, etc.

• Alternate Income and Recent Human Migration: Most people living in and around the forests and
protected areas support themselves using forest resources collected either legally or illegally. The
presence of large refugee camps of Rohingya people from Myanmar in Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary has already been
identified as a major threat for the biodiversity of the region.
Forest Management/Sustainable Forest Management(SFM)
 Forest Management deals with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects,
as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, protection, and forest regulation.
This includes management for timber, aesthetics, recreation, urban values, water, wildlife, inland and
nearshore fisheries, wood products, plant genetic resources, and other forest resource values.

 Forest Management objectives can be for conservation, utilisation, or a mixture of the two.
Techniques include timber extraction, planting and replanting of different species, building and
maintenance of roads and pathways through forests, and preventing fire.

 Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is the management of forests according to the

principles of sustainable development. It attempts to develop systems whereby resources can
be harvested without harming the environment or the interests of future generations. SFM has
to keep the balance between three main pillars: ecological, economic and socio-cultural.

 Sustainable forest management will provide integrated benefits to all: 1) safeguarding local
livelihoods to protect the biodiversity and ecosystems provided by forests, 2) reducing rural
poverty and 3) mitigating some of the effects of climate change (LEDSGP, 2015).
Conditions for assessing Sustainable Forest Management
Thematic Elements of Sustainable Forest
Management (SFM) Giessen et. al., 2016

Source: McCool
and Stankey, 2001

 The management intervention needs to be ecologically viable. The ecology can be assessed in terms of
biological and physical components. The crucial part consists of the economic and socio-cultural
considerations. A system will no longer be sustainable unless it produces sustainable economic returns
and is accepted by society. Considering these, sustainability has thus become a principle ‘that cannot be proven
or measured but which serves to create a sense of community, connection and purpose’
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM): Bangladesh
 Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) plan requires a multipronged, crosscutting approach, ranging from afforestation or
reforestation on government lands, strengthening of the protected area system, wildlife conservation, people’s
participation in forestry and conservation, enhanced well-being of forest dependent communities, boosting of private
tree planting activity, control on encroachments and other drivers of deforestation/degradation, improvement of forest
based industries etc. In view of the looming dangers of climate change, all activities have to focus on achieving climate
change resilient results. Improvement of the diversity and connectivity of forests is of paramount importance in this regard.
People’s participation and sustainable forest management shall be the cornerstone of the forestry of the future.

 Forest Management Plan: All state forests shall be brought under planned management system of forest working plans
which will include management strategies for homestead forests (HF) and other trees outside the forest (TOR) categories.

 Conservation of remaining natural forests: All state forest land shall be mapped and demarcated. Site specific
protection plans shall be prepared to protect the remaining fragments of Sal and Hill forests. Enrichment plantations shall
be carried out where necessary. Information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns shall be carried out. Legal
provisions relevant to forest protection shall be reviewed and improved. Local communities shall be actively involved in
conserving natural forests through benefit sharing. Professionally run but community based ecotourism shall be encouraged.
Forest certification for strengthening SFM shall be introduced. Protection & management of Sundarbans shall be particularly
strengthened and navigation of ships in Sundarbans shall be strictly regulated to minimise chances of oil spills.
Sustainable Forest Management: Bangladesh
 Reforestation/restoration of degraded state forests: Reforestation of degraded/denuded state forests,
mostly in hill areas, is the urgent need of the country. Extent of land needing reforestation or restoration shall
be reassessed. A watershed management approach to reforestation shall be adopted and soil and moisture
conservation measures shall be included in plantation. Joint forest management shall be introduced where
communities are motivated. Support of credible NGOs shall be sought.

 Afforestation/reforestation outside state forests including USF: Continuous boost to private tree
growing activity in homesteads and agroforestry shall be given through vigorous extension and marketing
services. NGOs, Dept. of Agricultural Extension (DAE) & other organisations shall be roped in, to strengthen the
extension efforts. A full assessment of the status of tree outside forest (TOF) and related issues shall be
carried out. Innovative models of reforestation of barren hills, acceptable to all stakeholders will be implemented.

 Coastal afforestation/coastal greenbelt: Creation of a coastal green belt shall be a high priority. Coastal
plantations of climate resilient mangrove and other species on unused public lands and chars shall be carried out.
Institutional areas, roadsides, embankments, dykes and all available land shall be planted to complete the greenbelt.

 Management of protected areas and protection of wildlife: Conservation of wildlife and biodiversity
shall be carried out in accordance with the Wildlife Master Plan 2015. Protected Area (PA) management
should be strengthened. Expansion of PA network up to 30% of state forests is required.
Sustainable Forest Management: Bangladesh
 Management and protection of existing plantations: All coastal plantations shall be given protection support.
Degraded teak and other plantations in the hills shall be revived through protection and benefit sharing with local people.

 Promotion of fuelwood saving devices and technologies: Fuelwood amounts to more than 80% of all wood
consumed in the country and is a major demand on natural forests. Networking with relevant government agencies
and NGOs promoting renewable energy shall be strengthened and subsidies for adoption of improved cook stoves,
solar cookers, biogas etc. shall be provided among forest dependent communities.

 Development of Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) plantations and related economy: A comprehensive
assessment of the status and related issues of various NTFP items shall be conducted on a priority basis.
Plantations of bamboo, cane, golpata and medicinal plants shall be taken up. Development of handicrafts based on
bamboo, murta etc. shall be promoted. Sustainability of current levels of extraction of NTFPs from the Sundarbans shall be
reviewed. Establishment of commercial wood seasoning plants shall be encouraged.

 Promotion of forest products based industries: A detailed assessment of the state of forest industries shall be
conducted. Issues and concerns of the forest based industries, such as raw materials, technology, skilled manpower,
regulation, taxation etc. shall be identified and resolved. A public body (e.g. Bangladesh Forest Industries Development
Corporation) shall be made responsible for championing the cause of forest based industries. Industries shall be
encouraged to raise their own plantations. Establishment of commercial wood seasoning plants shall be encouraged.
Sustainable Forest Management: Bangladesh
 Strengthening Forestry Research: BFRI, Bangladesh National Herbarium (BNH) and other institutions or universities
involved in forestry research should be modernised and supported through regular research grants. Annual forestry
research seminar shall be organised and encouraged to undertake research on climate resilient species.

 Livelihood support to forest dependent communities (Ecodevelopment): Ecodevelopment committees shall be

constituted in forest dependent communities and their livelihood needs shall be assessed through participatory appraisal
techniques. Relevant NGOs and other rural development agencies shall be involved in order to identify needy and vulnerable
individuals with government’s livelihoods programmes.

 Control on forest encroachments: Using modern tools and techniques, the boundaries of all forest land shall be demarcated
and mapped and detailed records shall be prepared. All existing forest encroachments shall be mapped and demarcated. All fresh
encroachments shall be evicted immediately. Patrolling in sensitive areas shall be strengthened. Forest boundaries shall be clearly
delineated and demarcated, to prevent further encroachments.
 Climate Change (Supporting REDD+ program): Bangladesh has already decided to implement REDD+ (Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) programme of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC). All conservation and development programmes of BFD shall be linked with REDD+ or other
climate change finance programmes such as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Nationally Appropriate Mitigation
Actions (NAMA,) National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA)etc. to generate funds for supporting forestry programmes
and community development.
 Other supportive strategies: Institutional reformation & capacity building, strengthening community participation, promotion
of public-private partnership (PPP) for reforestation, strengthening of monitoring, evaluation & database facilities, basic
amenities & logistics (civil works, vehicles, boats etc).
Protected Area (PA) Management
 The Wildlife (Protection and Security) Act 2012 regulates The following areas have been declared as ‘Protected
the conservation of biodiversity in the wilderness. Area’ by the BFD under different Acts and Rules

 This Act provides several protected areas (e.g., wild-life

sanctuary, national park, community conservation area,
safari park, eco-park, botanical garden, wildlife breeding
centre, landscape or corridor, buffer zone, core zone,
national heritage, kunjoban).

 As wildlife habitats have shrunk drastically and some of have

become fragmented, it is necessary to extend the PA to at
least 30% of the forest area of the country. A larger area in
the Sundarbans, which is very rich in floral and faunal
biodiversity, needs to be brought under PA system.

 The current PA system of Bangladesh includes 18 National Parks,

20 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 1 Marine Protected Area, 2 safari parks, 10
eco-parks, and 10 Ecologically Critical Areas, that collectively cover
2,85,841 ha, accounting for nearly 15.2% of all legally constituted
forests in the country (IUNC)
‘Protected Area’ by the BFD under different Acts & Rules
Forest Policy and Masterplan
• National Forest Policy, 1864
• State forests are to be administered for public benefits.
• The rights and privileges of people living nearby may regulated.
• Forests in the hill slopes should be conserved.
• Valuable forests should be managed to yield state revenue.
• Cultivable land within the forest may kept under cultivation
• Low yielding forest may be permitted for grazing.

• National Forest Policy, 1927: The Forest Act, 1927 aims to consolidate the laws relating to forests, and duty
leviable on timber and other forest produces. The law was mainly enacted to generate revenues from the
forest products. The Act empowers the Government to declare portions of its forest as “Reserved” or
“Protected” and by doing that it may take measures for in situ conservation of biodiversity. Any acts or
omission detrimental to the natural resources of reserved and protected forests are prohibited and are
punishable offences. Among there acts, the more serious ones include clearing of forest lands, removing
timbers, setting fires, felling or otherwise damaging trees, clearing or breaking up any land for cultivation or any
other purpose. The Act was amended in 2000 to provide provisions to establish social forestry involving local
community participation in the management regime. Following the Act, a social forestry rules had been
prepared by the Forest Department.
Forest Policy and Masterplan
National Forest Policy 1979

 Government Forest shall not be used for non-forestry purposes. Forest should be carefully preserved and scientifically
managed. Plantation raising is to be enhanced, forest based industries shall be set up. Research, education and training shall be
reorganized & emphasized. A cadre of officers shall manage the forestry sector. Relevant laws of forestry sector shall be updated.
To conserve forest and wildlife and utilize the recreation potential of forestry sector. Mass motivation towards forestry is required.

National Forest Policy 1994

 The government shall take endeavours to bring 20% of land under forest by the year 2015 to maintain the ecological
balance. To achieve this objective, since the area under government-managed forest is very limited, the afforestation activities shall
be extended to village areas; newly accreted mud-flat areas and in the denuded areas of un-classed state forests of CHT.
 People will be encouraged to plant up trees in their own fellow and marginal land, on the bank of tanks and homesteads.
 Government will encourage plantation in the public premises e.g., union council office, schools, idgah, mosque, maktab, temple,
orphanage, madarsha etc. In the state owned marginal lands like the roadsides, railway tracksides and both the sides of the
embankments, the government will, under take afforestation with peoples’ participation and with assistance from the NGOs.
 In Bandorban, Rangamati & Khagrachari massive afforestation programs will be undertaken (USF) by public private agencies.
 The government will take endeavour to keep 10% of the national forests as “Protected Area” by the year2015.
 An integrated management plan will be prepared for Sundarbans incorporating management of forest, water & wildlife.
 Since wood deficit exists, the ban on export of logs will continue. Processed wood products can however be exported.
Import of wood and wood products will be liberalized, but reasonable import duties will be levied on forest products
 Eco-tourism will be encouraged keeping in mind the carrying capacity of the forest and the nature.
Forest Policy and Masterplan
National Forest policy (2016)

 The principal aim of the policy is to ‘to manage all existing forest, wildlife and other forest resources, adhering to the
principles of sustainable management and climate resilience; enrich degraded forest areas; and enhance land areas
under forest/tree cover; to produce a wide array of goods & ecosystem services for the benefit of Bangladesh’s
current & future generations’.

 “To arrest deforestation, and degradation of forest resources, enrich and extend areas under tree cover, to ensure that at least
20% of the country comes under tree cover by 2035, with at least a canopy density of 50%.”
 Given the acute shortage of forest land, henceforth, no forest land will be released for any non-forestry activities without the
prior approval of the Hon. Prime Minister with a vetting from the cabinet. In cases involving priority national interest, equal
areas will be handed over to the Forest Department, with required fund for compensatory afforestation.
 Traditional rights of ethnic-communities, living in & around forest areas, will be recognized and maintained.To respect
their forest-related cultural values & religious beliefs.
 Undertake a credible valuation of the ecosystem services that the forestry sector provides in Bangladesh and
demonstrate it as an additional contribution from the forestry sector to the gross domestic product of the country.
 To ensure protection of the Sundarbans Reserve Forest from pollution and oil spills, navigational routes inside the Sundarbans
will be strictly restricted. Access to any waterway inside the Reserve Forest, except the recognised routes between the Mongla
Port and the sea, will be subject to prior permission from the forest authorities.
 Encourage the flow of corporate finance resources into reforestation and plough back all forest revenues into reforestation.
 Ensure that FMPs are formulated & implemented in all Forest Divisions and all silvicultural prescriptions are strictly implemented;
 Ensure all newly accreted lands (char) are handed over to the BFD for extensive coastal plantation with climate resilient species;
Forestry Master Plan (FMP) (2016): Summary
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Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh