Lawachara National Park, located in the Kamalganj Upazila of Moulvibazar District in Bangladesh, is a well-known and extensively studied protected area. Positioned 160 kilometers northeast of Dhaka and 60 kilometers south of Sylhet, it features a wet tropical rainforest with tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen mixed woods, hosting diverse flora like trees, ferns, and wild palms. Established in 1996, the park spans 1250 hectares and aims to preserve the natural hill forest and wildlife in the West Bhanugach Reserve Forest. The park is particularly appealing for ecotourism, drawing visitors from urban areas like Dhaka due to its accessible location. The park's total area, including a proposed enlargement, is 1531 hectares, with strong communication infrastructure contributing to its popularity. The park is intersected by the Kamalganj Road.
A significant water shortage in the forest, affecting both wildlife and regeneration in the winter season. Many canals were dried up, forcing
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animals like Barking Deer, Arctictis binturong, Trachypithecus phayrei, etc., to cross roads in search of water sources. Unfortunately, this often resulted in clashes with fast-moving vehicles on the roadside, leading to fatal accidents for these animals. Also, the absence of water in the stream during dry seasons compels wildlife to venture into the neighboring villages, making them susceptible to poaching. Several deep tube wells within Lawachara National Park serve various purposes, including agriculture, household tasks, and forest-related activities. However, discussions with local community members revealed that some of these deep tube wells have become non-functional due to water scarcity, attributed to a decline in the groundwater level in the area.
This lamentable situation of the forests is threatening the habitat for biodiversity and the provision of vital environmental services. If this trend continues, it will soon result in a serious ecological catastrophe due to the decline in forest productivity and services. Therefore, it is urgent to reduce the ever-increasing pressure on forest resources and the harmful effects on forest biodiversity with the introduction of effective sustainable resources management.
The project area is Lawachara stream, where the WMP (Water Management Project) will ensure the sustained availability of water for wildlife and also for the community people to meet different purposes, decrease dependency on forest resources, and secure the community people?s income.
The first phase of this project is to delineate the catchment area of the stream. A Digital Elevation Map (DEM) of the entire catchment area, including the selected stream, will be developed. Land use planning of the canal will be done to understand the point source and non-point source of pollution. A proper system of water distribution plan will be developed to manage the water to meet different purposes of the forest. An assessment of water quality monitoring will be implemented with the help of the forest and community people, not only to ensure the quantity and quality of water but also to develop community ownership with the project. Seasonal water quality assessment will be done to assess the pollution of water that dilutes in the rainy season and concentrates in the dry season to understand agrochemical concentration in the water.
After analyzing water quality, water stagnant areas along the canal will be managed based on existing water sources. These will be semi-permanent due to the materials used, which prevent the percolation of water. During this time, the dilution effect of increased rainfall will minimize the impact of agrochemicals present in the water. Water stored in these areas during the monsoon will be available for use by wildlife and local communities during the dry season.
The design of the water stagnant areas will incorporate innovative features. Additionally, different innovations will be introduced in watershed management to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of system. These innovations may include technologies for water treatment, ecological enhancements to support wildlife habitat, and community engagement strategies to ensure proper utilization of the stored water resources.
Training will be conducted to raise awareness among the local Khasia community as well as to manage the project activities within the catchment areas in a sustainable way. They will also receive training on how to collect revenue, particularly for irrigation water, and to use the collected revenue for running the operation and maintenance and other community-agreed development activities for them. A formal connection with the DFO of Moulovibazar of Forest department, civil engineers/hydrologists of NSU, lawachara comanagement committee will be established so that the sustainability of the project is assured. Regular workshops and awareness programs will also be organized for both the local people and Forest Department Staff to ensure active participation.
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