Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin has said that the management of government forest resources will be improved and the participation of local people in forest conservation and restoration will be increased through the Sustainable Forest and Livelihood (SUFAL) project.
He said, “This will increase the forest coverage and create a conducive environment for tree-covered areas outside the forest. As a result, it will become easier to raise the amount of tree-covered areas in the country from 22.37 percent to 24 percent.”
The minister made the remarks while addressing the finalising meeting of “Community Operations Manual” under the SUFAL project at the ministry's conference room on Sunday.
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He further said that 32 types of afforestation programmes are being implemented in three types of landscapes through 26 forest divisional offices located in 167 upazilas of 28 districts in a total of eight divisions of the country.
“Through the introduction of collaborative forest management, forest coverage is being increased in the landscape of 52,720 hectares of decayed and treeless hilly and plain lands. Work is underway to develop 2,500 hectares of wildlife habitat and 1,330 hectares of corridors in 20 protected areas by planting fodder and fruit trees for the development of important wildlife habitats”, he said.
The Environment Minister said that a total of 40,000 forest dependent families involved in cooperative forest management would be provided Tk 42,000 as a revolving livelihood development fund from the SUFAL project to make this initiative to increase forest coverage through afforestation a success.
“In addition, Tk 420,000 will be provided to each forest conservation village as community development fund for the implementation of community based development activities,” he added.
Deputy Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Habibun Nahar, Secretary Md Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary (Development) Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, Joint Secretary Secretary (Development) ZakiaAfroz, Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury and SUFAL project director Govinda Roy were present during this time.
