Ecosystem
Management in the Barind Area
As an important component
of SEMP, the programme named “Eco-system
management in the Barind area”
was designed to improve the ecosystem
of the dry and degraded-Barind land
through community based sustainable
environmental activities. The Environment
Management Action Plan for Barind
Area aimed at Combating Desertification,
environmental awareness; social mobilization
and motivation type of activities
is yet to be implemented by the civil
society bodies, research organizations
and NGOs.
The Barind Multipurpose
Development Authority (BMDA), a semi
autonomous body under the MoA, entrusted
with the integrated development activities
in the northwest part of the country.
The Barind area is an environmentally
concerned area due to aridity and
land degradation. The jurisdiction
of the authority is the Rajshahi,
Naogaon and Nawabgonj district. A
major part of the activities of BMDA
covers the field of ecological advancement
along with irrigation, water conservation,
communication, electrification, rural
water supply and multipurpose infrastructure
development. SEMP has a component
of ecosystem management in Barind
Area and BMDA has been entrusted with
the responsibility of implementing
the same. The main objectives of the
programme are as follows: i) to ensure
pilot intervention on eco-system management,
ii) to conserve the Soil and water
in areas inhabited by poor and distress
people, iii) to combat aridity through
massive afforestation with indigeneopus
plant species, iv) to develop awareness
among rural women on ecological activities
and on improved fuel use, v) to make
people aware to take care of the ecosystem
they live in through eco-village concept,
vi) to prepare Barind Environment
Management Action Plan to identify
new innovative activities (BMDA 2001).
The three districts
namely Rajshahi, Naogaon and Nawabgonj
comprising 25 upazillas of the Barind
area will be covered under the programme.
But the activities will be concentrated
in the tough areas called as "High
Barind". The following works
will be undertaken on pilot basis
(BMDA 2001):
- Soil conservation and afforesation-
there will be pilot programme on soil
health conservation through demonstration
of organic manuring and compost preparation.
In rural areas the farmers usually
keep their manure yard open and thus
the nutrient content is leached out.
Few villages will be selected where
manure shed of steel frame with asbestos
sheet roofing will be constructed
on provate land to demonstrate the
quality improvement of the homestead
manure yard. Green manure will be
demonstrated by supplying Dhaincha
(sesbania) seeds to model farmers
free of cost. Compost heap will also
be established on demonstration basis.
The present afforestation works of
the department of forest, NGO's and
even the BMDA are confined with the
quick growing species of which mostly
are of exotic species. There is a
need for plantation of trees which
provide food and shelter for the local
birds such as Banyan, Paikares, Kadam,
Simul, Palm, Nim, etc. Contractors
will be engaged as per the procedures
followed in BMDA's main programme
to perform the plantation of saplings.
Since the financial year of SEMP is
the same with the calendar year, the
maintenance period for the contractor
will be up to November. Thereafter
the same will be done by engaging
watchers on daily basis. The work
load will be 1000 saplings or one
kilometer road with saplings. The
local distress people especially the
women will be employed for the purpose.
The maintenance period will be 2-3
years depending on the growth of the
sapling from handling over of the
same by the contractors.
- Pond and canal re-excavation and
excavation: a) Pond: re-excavation
of ponds will be undertaken in areas
of extreme poor people (preferably
in adivasi area). If land is found
on voluntary basis, new excavation
may be taken up if the owner allows
using it by the community for at least
7 years in villages having no ponds.
b) canals: natural canals which have
potentials for conserving water and
to use the water for irrigation and
other purposes, may be taken up for
re-excavation. In such canals water
control structures may be build and
afforesatation works undertaken on
the basis;
- Water control structures: Low cost
water control structures of appropriate
design may be build across the re-excavated
canals for conserving water which
will be used for supplemental irrigation
of rain fed paddy and for low water
consuming crop cultivation. The water
thus stored in the section of the
canal may be leased out to groups/individuals
having land on it's vicinity to cultivate
fish duck and supplemental irrigation
on early basis;
- Construction of Mini Ditch/Pond:
On farmlands having no source of irrigation,
harvesting of rainwater will be done
by excavation of mini ditch/pond and
use the same for supplemental irrigation.
In the year 2000 miniditch of size
5mx5mx2m (length x breadth x depth)
size was excavated on private land.
From the field visit it has been suggested
by farmers and most of the dignitaries
including PMU people to increase the
size. So it is proposed that the size
will be increased to 10mx10mx2m or
as per requirement from the next seasons;
- Prepare Environemnt management
Action plan to find out new innovative
activities to be taken up in the Barind
areas;
- Demonstration of improved fuel
use for women in rural areas and introduction
of renewable energy through constitution
of biogas plants. In areas where Local
Government Engineering Department
(LGED) construct biogas plants the
costs to be paid by the farmers may
be borne from this programme if necessary.
Similarly pilot demonstration of solar
based home lightening will be done
in some selected village to be brought
under eco-village concept;
- community organizing for developing
awareness among the poor preferably
the women for checking environmental
degradation. Training programme will
be organized in the selected Eco-villages
to train the villagers particularly
the women folk to aware them about
the eco-system they live in;
- Eco-village concept will be implemented
in some selected upazilas depending
on the fund available. Factors affecting
the eco-system of the villages will
be determined with consultation with
the villagers. Program for the removal/upgrading
the degrading factors will be solved
on priority basis as per recommendation
of the villagers. Activities such
as supply of potable water, sanitation,
horticulture, manure management, biogas
plant, solar lightening, homestead
gardening, afforestation activities
will be implemented.
All these activities
will be impleemted in the extended period
from 2001-2003 along with other activities
(BMDA 2001). The following works to be
undertaken by the NGO if appointed in
addition to works to undertaken by BMDA:
- innovate sustainable environmental
initiatives;
- component that seems to be not
under taken by BMDA as per recommendation
of the Barind Environmental Action
plan;
- conduct training on efficient fuel
use and introduce renewable energy.
....
Back to Programs/Projects of the Government
of Bangladesh
Source: National Report On Implementation
Of United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification, Bangladesh (Final Draft)
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