CONFLICT IN SAL FOREST

Sal forest in Bangladesh

The Sal (Shorea robusta) forest of Bangladesh belong under the tropical moist deciduous forest class spread across 120,000 hectares covering areas in Madhupur Garh, Dhaka, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Mymensingh and Rajshahi. This forest constitutes about 10% of the total forest of Bangladesh. The great destruction of the forest was occurred during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. The natural Sal forests were previously managed under clear-felling followed by coppice regeneration. Government banned the tree felling, and realizing the fact that the forest had been degraded due to excessive clear-felling and coppicing. However, the main cause of depletion of this forest was due to the land clearance for agriculture, and encroachment of forest area. Almost half of the total Sal forest has been already depleted. The remaining patches are in poor condition, degraded and in the process of depletion. Recently, some measures by the Government and also non-governmental organizations were taken to involve the local people and tribal in the forestry activities, i.e., agroforestry and woodlot plantations. Another problem has been found that the people who participated in the plantation and agroforestry programs are not getting their share from the harvesting of the final crops. The antagonistic relationship between the forest department and people is a big obstacle confronting Sal forest management, with conflict existing for some time between the forest department and ethnic communities. Moreover, the anthropogenic impacts on Sal forest have increased rapidly over the last few decades.

Therefore, to protect and conserve the forest, it is badly needed to practice the plantation forestry and agroforestry practices with active participation of the local and tribal people. Moreover, these activities will be helpful to keep intact the Sal forest, and at the same time will improve the socio-economic condition of the forest dependents.