Conservation Efforts by Ethnic Communities in Bangladesh Bolster Water Security — Global Issues

by Rafiqul Islam (rangamati)Friday, March 22, 2024Inter Press Service

“Unchecked deforestation and degradation of village widespread forests (VCFs) led to the drying up of all-natural water sources in our village. We struggled to gather consuming and family water,” Chakma defined to IPS. 

Ethnic communities within the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) rely considerably on forests for his or her lives and livelihoods. They collect water from pure sources like streams and observe jhum (shifting cultivation) in close by forests. Nevertheless, indiscriminate deforestation of the pure sources had dried up springs and streams, inflicting water shortage in lots of areas.

The tide turned when the USAID-funded Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Administration Exercise (CHTWCA) engaged surrounding communities, together with these dwelling in Digholchari Debarmatha village, as conservation volunteers to guard Village Frequent Forests (VCFs) in 2020. This initiative efficiently revived springs, making certain a year-round water provide.

The Strengthening Inclusive Improvement in Chittagong Hill Tracts Undertaking, which the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs carried out, has remodeled many lives, together with Chakmas’.

“Now we are able to simply fetch water from close by springs, bringing peace to our lives. As a result of arduous journey ethnic girls needed to make to fetch water, quarrels over who was going to fetch the water have been widespread within the village and amongst households. Now, we reside in concord,” mentioned Sudarshana, a mom of 4.

Silica Chakma of Digholchari Hajachara village echoed her sentiments, highlighting the voluntary conservation efforts by ethnic communities to make sure an enough water provide in the course of the dry season.

“Earlier than the restoration of our forests, we confronted water shortage. Now, we’ve no water disaster, as we acquire water 4 to 5 instances a day from the springs revived within the forests,” she mentioned.

Silica emphasised that village widespread forests are conserved voluntarily, with strict laws in opposition to harvesting forest sources with out the approval of VCF administration committees.

Barun Chakma, President of the Digholchari Debarmatha VCF Administration Committee, emphasised the shift in mindset, stating that locals now defend the forests voluntarily, contrasting with previous practices the place bushes have been felled indiscriminately.

Enhancing Small Agriculture Sustainability

The CHT faces aggravated water crises in the course of the dry season, impacting agriculture and homesteads.

To deal with this, native ethnic farmers in Digholchari Debarmatha have constructed bamboo-made dams on streams, creating water reservoirs fed by springs from the village widespread forest.

Pujikka Chakma, a 45-year-old feminine farmer, is grateful for the progress.

“After conserving the native forests, farmers don’t face water shortage for his or her agriculture and homesteads. We retailer spring water within the reservoir to irrigate cropland in the course of the dry season.”

Thirty-seven-year-old Lika Chakma additionally acknowledged the advantages of the expanded use of spring water in agriculture, together with cultivating varied crops and making certain meals safety for the neighborhood.

Conserving Medicinal Vegetation

Along with addressing water safety, ethnic communities within the Rangamati Hill District have been actively conserving medicinal crops for healthcare and coverings.

Lika Chakma defined, “We preserve medicinal crops in our native forests to be used after we fall sick.”

Poitharam Chakma emphasised the significance of those efforts, given restricted entry to healthcare services in distant hilly areas. “As soon as our forests have been degraded, we confronted issues amassing medicinal crops. Now, we’re conserving these in our forests.”

Barun Chakma offered particulars of the planting, a couple of years in the past, of varied medicinal crops, together with Haritaki (myrobalan), Bohera (Terminalia bellirica), and Amloki (Indian gooseberry), within the Digholchari Debarmatha VCF. Whereas acknowledging that it’s going to take time for these crops to yield natural medicines, he expressed confidence in the neighborhood’s means to help well being remedies sooner or later.

The conservation initiatives run by ethnic communities in Bangladesh handle points with water safety, help agricultural sustainability, and defend priceless medicinal crops.

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