Haque, MR; Chowdhury, NK; Khan, MH; Ahmed, R; Rahman, MM; Nishat, A
About 50% of areas of Bangladesh are wetlands, which provide about 80% animal protein. Wetlands viz. river, canal, haor, baor, beel, floodplains, lake and coastal estuaries are the repository of the fish and other aquatic resources. As an agricultural economic based country, about 75% rural people are dependent on wetlands resources. Wetlands provide livelihood security in the form of a food, household materials, fodder for cattle and kitchen fuel. Socio-cultural events are also based on the nature and seasonal variation of wetlands. Apart from these, wetlands are also supporting navigation across the country. Wetlands swamps were the habitats for innumerable species of flora and fauna. Mainly extension of agriculture and dwellings for increasing population, unwise and excessive construction of roads and dams, industrialization and rapid urbanization play significant roles for degradation and conversion of wetlands. The existing management, i.e., leasing system of the haor from the government is allowing the lessee to over-exploit the resources and restrict the resource bases from the access of local villagers. People of the haor areas are thus facing a tremendous crisis against the availability of fish, fuel wood, housing and thatching materials. Homesteads and even the villages are in increasing vulnerability by the increased wave erosion during the monsoon since natural barrier of wave action, i.e., swamp forests, are degraded. Community based wetlands resource management projects have been commenced for the restoration of haor ecosystem. Community participation has been ensured during development of the action plan of Pagnar and Sanuar-Dakuar haor. Selection of indigenous aquatic plant species, development of management plan and benefit sharing mechanism have been delineated in the participatory action plan development workshop. Already vanished and degraded swamp forests have been restored through plantation and allowing natural succession on the kanda (raised land in the vast haor) in the project area. Priority areas have been identified based on ecological potential and community interest for plantation. About 250 thousands of aquatic plants such as hizal (Barringtonia acutangula), karoch (Pongamia pinnata) and Barun (Crataeva magna) have been planted in 80 ha of degraded area. In addition, locally vulnerable swamp reeds have been planted in some parts of the haor to foster the restoration process. Community interests and consensus are privileged in the whole process of restoration despite their inherent benefits for enhancing the daily livelihood. Restored swamp forest will contribute to promoting the habitats for biodiversity as well as support for the enhancement of the livelihood security of rural haor people. © International Scientific Publications, New Delhi.