Youth leadership in climate action: Forest governance in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has long struggled with forest governance for a variety of reasons.  Socioeconomic factors play a major role, given the historical neglect of this sector since the colonial era. The primary function of forests was resource extraction rather than sustainable management.

Consequently, the lack of proper management in the ecosystem of natural forest areas has led to serious challenges, including biodiversity loss. As a subtropical country, Bangladesh was once rich in biodiversity, but this has been significantly degraded due to human-induced activities such as clear-felling, forest encroachment, poaching, animal trafficking, and shifting cultivation, including agroforestry in natural forests.

The first formal forest policy was formulated in 1865, focusing on the commercialisation of forest use and revenue generation. This policy accelerated the clearing of forest land for agricultural purposes. In 1884, the policy was revised to further promote the commercial exploitation of forest resources, such as timber and wood, and even permitted animal hunting, with little regard for forest conservation. By 1927, forest conservation received minimal attention, with scant emphasis on the importance of wildlife and biodiversity. From 1947 to the 1970s, forest policy continued to prioritise commercialisation and revenue generation, with little focus on community involvement in forest conservation. During this period, natural resource management was largely neglected due to political turmoil and various social movements.

Bangladesh declared its first comprehensive forest policy in 1979, emphasising forest protection, conservation, the scientific collection of forest resources, and forest research and innovation. In 1994, the Bangladesh Forest Ministry adopted a massive afforestation programme, focusing on social forestry to expand forest coverage in rural areas, riverbanks, roadsides, and barren lands, primarily using exotic species. This approach was rebranded as sustainable forest management, though it relied heavily on invasive species such as Eucalyptus, Akasmoni, and Mangium. While this increased forest coverage in the government sector, it also had severe ecological consequences, negatively impacting biodiversity, according to natural science experts. This remains a troubling chapter in the country's forestry history.

In 2016, the forest policy was revised again, this time emphasising sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience, particularly through coastal afforestation under the "Green Belt" initiative, which began shortly after the country's independence.

The importance of community engagement in forest management has been recognised as a timely and strategic decision. This approach, which began in the 1970s in Sweden, has yielded positive results. It was later adopted in Zimbabwe (1980s), Nepal (1970s), India (1980s), Cameroon (1994), Bolivia (2000s), Thailand (2007), and Vietnam (2004). Despite sharing similar topographies and global locations, India's adoption of community forestry lagged behind that of Nepal and even Bangladesh due to bureaucratic hurdles. Bangladesh has made significant strides in community forestry, inspired by initiatives like Pomra and Betagi, but challenges remain. Policy and legal reforms are needed to protect community rights, alongside addressing institutional issues such as training, capacity building, skill development, and financial allocation. Bureaucratic obstacles must also be tackled to ensure progress.

The Bangladesh Forest Act 2016 not only emphasises community involvement in forest management but also addresses climate resilience, forest degradation, and carbon stock enhancement through the REDD+ Strategies (2016-2030). It promotes the sustainable use of forest resources, conservation of forests and wildlife through protected areas, and establishes a legal framework for community forestry, protected areas, and reserve forests.

The Forest Department, under the Ministry of Environment and Forest, oversees two key projects: Nishorgo and CREL, both employing a co-management strategy. Nishorgo, launched in 2004, was a joint initiative by USAID, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Bangladesh Forest Department. CREL, established in 2012, was a collaboration between Winrock International and USAID. Both projects faced challenges and criticism, particularly regarding transparency and timely decision-making in community-driven co-management of protected forest and wetland areas. However, they also achieved notable successes, including community engagement, policy development, governance reforms, infrastructure development, community empowerment (particularly of women), and livelihood diversification.

Despite these efforts, there remains a significant gap in the inclusion of young people in climate action and forest governance in Bangladesh. The recent COP29 strongly emphasised youth engagement, aligning with the UN Youth Strategy, and highlighted the importance of youth leadership in climate action alongside community involvement in nature management. It called for inclusive efforts, the integration of traditional and local knowledge, partnerships with local communities and NGOs, and capacity building across society. To foster youth understanding of climate resilience, the COP29 Youth Delegates Programme was launched.

It is now imperative to engage young people to achieve better outcomes in climate resilience. To accelerate forest conservation and biodiversity campaigns and to address environmental issues such as plastic waste management, young volunteers can be mobilised to raise awareness through social media, creating nationwide momentum. Additionally, climate change and environmental pollution should be integrated into primary education curricula to cultivate a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.

By empowering youth leadership and fostering community engagement, Bangladesh can pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future, ensuring the preservation of its forests and biodiversity for generations to come.

Md Zafar Alam Bhuiyan is a consultant (CMO), Sustainable Forests & Livelihoods (SUFAL) Bangladesh Forest Department and a PhD Researcher in Climate Resilience

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