Forests in bangladesh and their conservation

Forests in Bangladesh and Their Conservation

Forest o An ecosystem dominated by trees and other woody

vegetation growing more and less closely together its related flora and fauna and the values attributed to it.

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life.Fauna is all of the animal life of any particular region or time.

• Topical wet evergreen forest • Topical semi-evergreen forest• Topical moist deciduous forest• Tidal forest • Planted forest

Types of Forest in Bangladesh

Topical wet evergreen forest

• Evergreen plants dominate with rich biodiversity; few semi-evergreen and deciduous species also occur but do not change or alter the evergreen nature of the forests.

Cox’s Bazar Chittagong Hill Tracts Madhabkunda, Maulvi Bazar

Topical semi-evergreen forest

• Generally evergreen in character but deciduous plants also dominate.

Singra forest in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur

Hilly regions of Sylhet

Topical moist deciduous forest

• Commonly known as sal forest, sal being the dominant species.

Sal forests are distributed in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Dinajpur and Comilla

Tidal forest

• The most productive forest type in Bangladesh, they are situated in Khulna, Patuakhali, Noakhali and Chittagong regions along the coastal region and constitute about 520,000 ha.

Mangroves forest

Planted forest

• Categories:– Planted State Forest – Planted Private Forest

Planted State Forest – Teak (Shagun)-Kaptai in the CHT using seeds from Myanmar in 1871

Planted Private Forest – traditionally homesteads grow trees and many other crops in an effective way.

Importance of forest– Taking in CO2 and releasing O2

– Preventing erosion– Harboring a diversity of wildlife– Reservoir of watershed– Acting as windbreak – Providing us with shade– Helps happening adequte rainfall– Climate stabilization– Provides fuel– Source of food – Rubber products– Paper and newsprint– Wood-based panel products

Forest related Laws

• The Forest Act, 1927• The Brick Burning (Control) Act, 1989• The Bangladesh Private Forest Act, 1959• The Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Act,

1974

The Forest Act, 1927

• Objective:– The object of this Act is to consolidate the law

relating to forests, the transit of forest-produce and the duty leviable on timber and other forest-produce.

• Declaration of Reserved Forest: (Sec. 3 & 29)– The Government may constitute any forest-land or

waste-land or any land suitable for forestation which is the property of Government, or over which the Government has proprietary rights, or to the whole or any part of the forest-produce of which the Government is entitled, a reserved forest

• Prohibited Actions: some prohibited actions in the reserved forest –– kindles, keeps or carries any fire – trespasses or pastures cattle– causing any damage by negligence in felling any

tree or cutting or dragging any timber; – quarry of stone, burning lime or charcoal, or

collects or removes any forest produce other than timber;

• Punishment: 6 month/2000 BDT/Direction


• Grievous offences: – Making any fresh clearing in reserved forest– Removing any timber from a reserved forest– Setting fire to a reserved forest– Felling, girdling, lopping, tapping or burning any tree or

striping off the bark or leaves from or otherwise damaging the same

– Clearing or breaking up any land for cultivation – Hunting, shooting, fishing, poisoning water or setting traps in

contravention of Government rules.– Establishing saw-pits or saw-benches or converts trees into

timber without lawful authority• Punishment: 5 years/50,000 BDT/Direction


• Non-bailable offences – S.63• Forest Magistrate – First Class Magistrate –

S.67A • Forest Officer – S.69A & S.66• Procedure to be followed under this Act –

CrPC - Forest settlement officer • Appeal – Divisional Commissioner – S.17,18

& 59


• This Act would prevail over all other inconsistent laws concerning brick burning activities.

• Using fuel wood in brickfield is prohibited• Provides fines, imprisonment and loss of license

to make bricks for breaking its legal provisions• Power to forfeit brickfield and attach the brick

field: District Magistrate/Forest officer/any authorized person

The Brick Burning (Control) Act, 1989

The Bangladesh Private Forest Act, 1959

• Empower the Government to taking over management of improperly managed private forest lands or any private lands that can be afforested or any land laying fallow for more than 3 years.

The Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Act, 1974

• This Act allows the government to declare any land to be a wildlife sanctuary, a national park, or a game reserve.

• Forest Department has the primary responsibility for implementing this Act.

• Prohibited some activities regarding hunting, using motor vehicle, motor driven vessel, watercraft, using poison, shooting any game animal from any aircraft, motor vehicle etc.

Forest related policies

• The National Environment Policy, 1992• National Forest Policy, 1994• National Water Policy, 1999• National Land Use Policy, 2001• National Agriculture Policy, 1999• Coastal Zone Policy, 2005

Assignment

• Tanneries of Hazaribagh: legal obligations • Buriganga river pollution: legal liabilities • Biodiversity of Sundarbans and its conservation• Biodiversity of Bay of Bengal and its conservation• Biodiversity of St. Martin’s Island and its

conservation• Sound pollution in Dhaka City: legal liabilities • Using Polythene Bag and Plastic Materials: legal

obligations

Thank You