CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Introduction
Bangladesh is a densely populated country, situated in the northeastern part of the South Asian subcontinent. Forest is a very important renewable resource in Bangladesh. It provides materials like timber, pulp, pole, fuel wood, food, and medicine, habitat for wildlife and primary base for biodiversity. It also provides oxygen, controls or reduces the intensity of the cyclones and tidal surges in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, influences the rainfall, and sustained water yield in the river systems etc. Besides these, forest is also used for hunting, and nature based tourism. Now a day, eco-tourism is the preferred type of tourism and it is widely believed that eco-tourism could be an alternative mechanism for environmentally sustainable development without depleting the forest resources and its habitat and biodiversity. (BFD, 1999). Despite a growing awareness of the need for protecting the environment, degradation has occurred rapidly during the last three decades. The country’s ecology has been damaged, forests depleted and biodiversity considerably degraded. The natural forests of Bangladesh have been declining at a rate of 2.1% annually over the 20-year period ending in the early 1980s and at rate of 2.7% in the period from 1984–1990 (FMP 1992a). As a consequence of population pressure, the forests of Bangladesh are also under serious threat with most of the forest lands being encroached by the local people. Policies are needed for sustainable management of the remaining forests. (Chowdhury, et al. 2004)
The exploitation of forests and other natural resources in Bangladesh has received increasing attention from environmentalists and government policy makers. Forests, with their incomparable variety of plant and animal species, are irreplaceable ecosystems possessing large concentrations of biodiversity and genetic resources (Myers, 1980; WCMC, 1992; UNEP, 1995; Bawa and Dayananda, 1997). But forests are declining dramatically (Myers 1989; FAO 1992). The decline of forests threatens an irreversible loss of unique stocks of natural resources that, if protected and nurtured, could supply self-renewing goods and services to humankind. Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) manages 1.53 million hectares of forestland (Roy, 2004). Although the Forest Department presently considers 10.2 % of the total land area of the country, as forested (FAO, 2005), in reality, only few of the total area of the country merits the term ‘forested’. Forest cover in Bangladesh has been shrinking rapidly despite the presence of a large government agency dedicated to protecting and managing the forests. Although the Forest Department established 197,714 ha of planted forests in the Hill Forest areas during the period from 1923 to 1992 (FMP, 1992a), the depletion of Hill Forests has continued apace. Considering all these, forest and consequently forest management is getting importance with the passage of time.
Major portion of hill forest exists in Chittagong and Sylhet forest division. Many researches have conducted on Chittagong forest division. Sylhet Forest division is the important part of the forest biodiversity of Bangladesh. But very few researches have done on this aspect. This research will show the present status of tree stock, regeneration and non wood forest products and ecotourism potentiality in Rema kalenga wildlife sanctuary and socio economic status of the surrounding people. This will help environmentalist and government policy makers to get an actual idea of the present status of forest of Kulaura and Habiganj-2 range, Sylhet Forest Division and researchers to further research on it.
1.2. Objectives
Ø To asses the present stock of trees, status of regeneration and non wood forest products (NWFPs) of Kulaura and Habiganj-2 forest range, Sylhet Forest Division.
Ø To know the potentialities of ecotourism of Rema kalenga wildlife sanctuary of Habiganj-2 range under Sylhet Forest Division.
Ø To know the Socio economic status of surrounding people of Kulaura and Habiganj-2 range, Sylhet Forest Division
Ø To know the potentiality of forest area of Kulaura and Habiganj-2 forest range to meet people’s demand
