RANGAMATI, Bangladesh, Mar 27 (IPS) – Kishore Kumar Chakma, a younger man from an ethnic group in Rangamati district, voluntarily guards a village frequent forest (VCF) in order that none can hunt wild animals and fell timber from it.
“I am going to the forest day-after-day to test whether or not anybody is looking animals and felling bamboo or timber from it,” Kishore, assistant common secretary of the Kodokchari Mon Para VCF committee, informed IPS.
He stated they’ve launched a rule of punishing the individuals concerned in killing wildlife of their locality.
Kishore, who as soon as used to hunt wild animals from the forests, stated there are social guidelines of their group; for instance, individuals who hunt deer within the forest are fined Taka 20,000 (USD 164).
“If one cuts a bamboo from the VCF, she or he is being penalized Taka 1,000 (US$ 8.17). And after the introduction of the penalty, bamboo is recovering in our forests,” he stated.
Kishore stated he’s additionally advocating amongst ethnic individuals to guard wildlife.
Poittaram Chakma (50), a resident of the Digholchari Hajachara space below the Belaichari upazila in Rangamati, stated earlier they destroyed forests and biodiversity of their locality though the livelihood of the ethnic communities residing within the nation’s hilly area depends upon forests.
“After getting correct coaching on conservation, now we have understood the significance of biodiversity and forest conservation. Now we understand that looking wildlife is against the law,” he stated.
Poittaram remembered that as they destroyed hilly pure forests, springs dried up, making a shortage of water of their locality. On account of unchecked destruction of forests, the aquatic species, together with fish, disappeared from springs too, leading to a disaster of meals among the many ethnic communities, he added.
Amid the rising issues they confronted as a result of destruction of forests, the ethnic individuals from Poittaram’s locality got here ahead to revive degraded forests and established Digholchari Hajachara Para Village Frequent Forest (VCF) in 2012.
Inside a few years after conservation efforts began, the forest began returning to its pure state, and folks of the native ethnic group are reaping rewards from it.
“After revival of hilly springs, fish species are actually present in spring waters,” Poittaram stated, including, “If somebody is discovered extracting stone or sand from hilly springs, destroying its surroundings, she or he is being penalized.”
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer at Rangamati North Forest Division, stated the VCF initiative, taken by the ethnic communities, has been enjoying a significant position in conserving forests and wildlife within the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
‘Predators’ Flip Protectors
As soon as, Poittaram was concerned in hurting wild animals for the reason that ethnic communities have a protracted custom of killing animals from the forests to fulfill their meals demand. However now he’s working to guard wildlife in his locality.
He stated there have been many wild animals of their forest when he used to hunt wildlife throughout his childhood. “I hunted many deer and wild boars earlier than 2008. Now I don’t hunt—moderately, I encourage ethnic individuals to not kill wild animals.”
On account of indiscriminate destruction of forests, many wildlife species are disappearing from their habitats for lack of meals. Contemplating the meals disaster, the Digholchari Hajachara Para VCF committee planted fruit-bearing timber of their frequent forests.
“We planted many sorts of fruit-bearing timber in our forests in order that wildlife can eat fruits from these timber. We all know the wild species want meals for his or her survival,” Poittaram stated.
He stated now footprints of deer and bears are actually discovered of their village frequent forests, indicating that the ecosystem of the forests has revived.
Barun Chakma, president of the Digholchari Hajachara Para VCF committee, stated they fashioned the VCF in 2012 and since then, they’ve been working to guard forests.
“Previously, anybody might fell timber from the forests as per their want. However now they can’t achieve this. If vital, they must take permission from the VCF committee earlier than felling a tree or bamboo from the forests,” he stated.
Barun stated the VCF committee planted medicinal vegetation contained in the frequent forests aside from the fruit-bearing ones. “We get meals from the forests now and medicines too,” he added.
Establishing Firebreaks to Save Forests
Ethnic farmers within the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) observe Jhum cultivation, often known as slash-and-burn cultivation, to develop crops on hill slabs. This conventional farming method entails clearing and burning land to domesticate crops, which regularly creates wildlife-destroying forests within the hilly area.
Silica Chakma, a younger ethnic girl farmer, stated in 2021, a hearth broke out in a VCF from the Jhum crop area, which is near the place she lives. The fireplace destroyed a big space of the forest, placing wildlife and biodiversity in peril.
To stop fireplace of their VCF, she stated, they now create a hearth traces, often known as a firebreak—a niche in flamable materials or vegetation that slows or stops a wildfire or bushfire—round their VCF.
“We normally clear up a 12- to 14-foot width of vegetation across the VCF in order that Jhum fireplace can not engulf our frequent forest,” Silica added.
Bihita Bidhan Khisa, a group mobilizer with the UNDP, stated the VCFs had been established with help from a undertaking of the UN Growth Programme they usually helped the ethnic communities preserve their forests and wildlife.
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