INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES RIGHTS AND PARTICIPATION IN PROTRCTRD AREAS

Transcription

1 INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES RIGHTS AND PARTICIPATION IN PROTRCTRD AREAS REVIEW OF CBD PROGRAM OF WORK IN BANGLADESH Jakir Hossain UNNAYAN ONNESHAN Workshop on Indigenous and Local Communities Rights and Participation in Protected Areas Forest People s Programme Rome, February 14,

2 Protected Areas of Bangladesh 22 Protected Areas 9 National Parks 7 Wildlife Sanctuaries 1 Game Reserve 5 other Conservation sites Nearly 2% of country s total area 16% of PAs managed by Forest Department 22

3 A NATIONAL PARKS Location Area (ha.) Established 1 Gazipur 5, / Tangail/Mymensingh 8, / Dinajpur Cox Bazar 1, Moulavibazar 1, Chittagong Hill Tracts 5, Noakhali Cox s Bazar Hobigonj B WILD LIFE SANCTUARIES Location Area (ha.) Established 10 Rema-Kelenga Wildlife Sanctuary Hobigonj Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary Bhola Sundarban (East) Wildlife Sanctuary Bagerhat / Sundarban (West) Wildlife Sanctuary Satkhira Sundarban (South) Wildlife Sanctuary Pablakhali Wildlife Sanctuary Chittagong Hill Tracts / Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary GAME RESERVE Location Area (ha.) Established C 17 Teknaf Game Reserve Cox s Bazar D OTHER CONSERVATION SITES Location Area (ha.) Established Madhabkunda Eco-Park Moulavibazar and Eco-park Dulahazara Safari Parks Cox s Bazar

4 The Sundarban: Indigenous and Local Communities, Biodiversity and Protected Areas The Sundarban reservoir of biodiversity supporting unique collection of flora and fauna indigenous and local communities rely on resources traditional resource users - indigenous Munda community and local Bawali (wood cutters), Mouali (honey collectors), Golpata (nypah palm) collectors and Jele (fisherman) communities

5 The Sundarban

6 Implementation of Program of Work : Efforts of Traditional Resource Users Traditional institutions and knowledge for resource conservation identified and demonstrated Consultation with government to reform forest governance for sustainable management Documentation of Customary use and cultural practices Identification of livelihood vulnerabilities and alternative livelihood Awareness campaign for full and effective participation for forest management

7 Implementation of Program of Work : What Progress So Far? Activity Assessment of Social, Economic and Cultural Costs and Benefits to Indigenous People No such assessment by the Government GEF-ADB-Netherlands funded Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Program only came up with baseline survey Major government policies remain unimplemented 7

8 Evaluation of PoW Policies/Rules/Actions National Coastal Zone Policy National Environment Policy National Forest Policy National Bio-diversity and Action strategy Action Plan (NBSAP) 2000 The protection of plant variety and farmers rights National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) National Environment Conservation Rules Forest co-management Ecosystem approach of forest management Sustainable Environment Management Plan (SEMP) Nishorgo Vision Programme Major Focus Poverty reduction and sustainable land-use Guiding principles of environmental related issues Preserving existing values, conserving plants and animal variety and ensuring maximum benefits to local people Bio-diversity management Farmer s rights on plant variety Sustained management of all environment sectors Natural resources conservation Participatory forestry and conservation Maintaining ecological balance during development Implementation tool of NEMAP Protection of PAs with participation of local communities Status Adopted by government Adopted by government Adopted by government Drafted but not finalized Drafted but not finalized Adopted by government Adopted by government Absence of practice Absence of practice On-going programme without notable success Largest PA management programme minimum achievement

9 Implementation of Program of Work : What Progress So Far? Activities & Community Conserved Areas Forestry co-management policies not implemented Indigenous people not even recognised Activities & Participation of Indigenous Communities in Protected Areas Management in Recognition of their Rights State policies advocate for local peoples involvement but as stakeholders not as right holders 9

10 Implementation of Program of Work : What Progress So Far? Activity Traditional Knowledge on Protected Area management Customary and traditional sustainable resource uses not recognised Still no implications visible on the identified traditional knowledge 10

11 Targets to be achieved Effective mechanisms for identifying and preventing, and/or mitigating the negative impacts of key threats to protected areas are in place (Activity 1.5.6) Establish mechanisms for the equitable sharing of both costs and benefits arising from the establishment and management of protected areas (Activity 2.1.1) Responsible authority Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) Status of Implementation No remarkable initiative has been taken by the state to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of key threat to protected areas Government accepts the ecosystem approach but practically it is totally absent MoEF The Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and Access and Benefit sharing (ABS) mechanism are yet to be developed. The Government has drafted The protection of plant variety and farmers rights since Several times it had been amended, but it has not come into force. 11

12 Targets to be achieved Responsible authority Status of Implementation Full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, in full respect of their rights and recognition of their responsibilities, consistent with national law and applicable international obligations, and the participation of relevant stakeholders, in the management of existing, and the establishment and management of new, protected areas (Activity 2.2.1, & 2.2.5) Forest Department No effective mechanism has been developed for stakeholders to participate in decisionmaking. Even to prepare the draft of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) , indigenous and local communities are not effectively consulted 12

13 Frameworks for monitoring, evaluating and reporting protected areas management effectiveness at sites, national and regional systems, and transboundary protected area levels adopted and implemented by Parties (Activity 4.2.1) Public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the importance and benefits of protected areas are significantly increased (Activity 3.5.2) Department of Environment MoEF, Ministry of Local Govt., Livestock and fisheries etc. PAs are not managed through effective management criteria. They are all exclusively controlled by the Forest Department, which is often blamed for massive corruption and harassment of local communities No data is available on Transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) Public awareness increasing, NGOs are playing a vital role to develop awareness 13

14 Government Approach to Sustainable PA Management : Missing Issues PAs managed through Top-down approach management criteria Unavailability of data on Transboundary protected areas No initiatives yet to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of key threat to protected areas The Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and Access and Benefit sharing (ABS) mechanism are yet to be developed Still no recognized community conserved area. Traditional knowledge and practices ignored and marginalized No effective mechanism for stakeholders to participate in decision-making (National Biodiversity Strategy Plan) No comprehensive capacity-needs assessment for PAs management

15 Policy Recommendations Recognize the rights of indigenous and local communities and traditional knowledge in forest management Ensure their full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities in management and policy-making National Access and Benefit Sharing Policy formulation and enforcement