Indigenous Communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh: Coping with Environmental Perils and Scoping Adaptive Capacities

Firoz, Remeen; Dahlström, Jonas

doi:10.1007/978-981-10-7104-1_8

Cited by 1 publication

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“…For example, shifting cultivation, locally known as 'Jhum', is commonly practised by ethnic groups. Unlike the Sikkim site, indigenous people in the CHTs have been facing a unique set of environmental and socio-political problems for roughly two decades with 'low-intensity armed conflict' [25]. The rising number of Bengali settlers have been causing competition over the sustainability of scarce resources and are generally unaccustomed to 'Pahari' (hill people) systems.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Challenges to Springshed Water Management in India and Bangladesh: A Bird’s Eye View

et al. 2023

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Springshed management across mountainous states, such as India and Nepal, has paved the way for the groundwater recharge process. In contrast, despite introducing several interventions, the Bangladeshi government has never been officially exposed to such sustainable ideas for a spring revival. Therefore, this study aims to diagnose water security for the Himalayan region by applying an environmental security framework. Community perceptions documented through focus group discussions and key informant interviews, as well as water sample testing, helped highlight the existing issues of water scarcity, accessibility, quality, and governance structure. Exemplifying the condition of Bandarban in Bangladesh, notable gaps were found in spring-related scientific understanding. Specifically, the lack of adequate reservoirs, institutional coordination, water supply, utility maintenance, and accessibility hurdles were identified as areas requiring immediate attention. As a recovery route, a six-step protocol of springshed management shows more promising outcomes. However, Sikkim communities in India raised questions over its efficacy due to the improper execution of said protocols. A limited understanding of hill science, including inventory and inadequate inspections before implementation, were found to result in only partial success. Upgrading remains a challenge as maladaptation might increase landslides. Therefore, development plans demand rigorous science-based investigation, consideration of local community knowledge, and (pilot) monitoring before the upscaling of springshed projects can be successfully conducted.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%