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Monday, April 12, 2010

Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor Program2

Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor (Phase 2) The Tanguar Haor is located in the Sunamganj District (North-East of Bangladesh). It includes a unique ecosystem, supporting 150 varieties of fishes, more than 100 resident birds and around 200 species of wetland flora. It is the breeding ground for fish which is an essential resource for food security and economic development in the entire region. The Tanguar Haor is highly important for the livelihoods of 88 villages adjacent to the perimeter supporting about 56’000 people.
The objectives of the Second Phase :
A co-management system is established and functional for conservation, stabilisation and sustainable use of the natural resources of Tanguar Haor that generates opportunities for significant improvements in the livelihoods in the rural communities of the Haor area.

How does the project work:

The main approach of the project is a co-management system, run by the 3 key actors (share-holders):

a) the State, represented by MoEF (Ministry of Environment & Forest)
b) Local Governments
c) the Communities in the Tanguar Haor

50 village groups and 4 Union ad hoc Committees (UACs) were created in order to represent the communities in the co-management discussions with the Tanguar Haor Management Committee which is chaired by the District Commissioner of Sunamganj.

Expected Outcomes
• Communities have the capacity to negotiate, manage and use the natural resources for better livelihood, addressing specifically the needs of poorest and women.
• A well functioning co-management body composed of the state, local government and communities manages the Tanguar Hoar following the wise use principle of Ramasar.
• Policy support is established at the national, regional and local level for up-scaling and for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the co-management system for Tanguar Haor.
Whom do we work with :

Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) of the Government of Bangladesh is the principle executing agency; it delegated the implementation of the project to the Bangladesh office of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The Swiss Foundation for Development and International Cooperation / Intercooperation (IC) supports the project as backstopper in the area of community mobilisation and market approaches. Two local NGOs are mandated by IUCN with the implementation at field levels, and the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) works on the establishment of the legal frame for the co-management system.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

The World Conservation Union is the world largest and most important conservation network. It supports and develops cuttingedge conservation science; links both research and results to local, national, regional and global policy by convening dialogues between governments, civil society and the private sector. In its projects, the Union applies sound ecosystem management to conserve biodiversity and builds sustainable livelihoods for those directly dependent on natural resources. SDC began partnership with IUCN Bangladesh in 2006. IUCN works on wetlands and waterbodies, Chittagong Hill Tracts and coastal and marine issues.

Intercooperation:

Intercooperation is a Swiss foundation specialised in international development cooperation. Its principal working domains are: natural resource management, rural economy, and local governance ad civil society. Intercooperation has projects in more than 20 countries, including Bangladesh. SDC has been working with Intercooperation since 2000.

Achievements:

According to a mid term review in March 2008, the project made satisfactory progress during the 1st phase (inception), it has a pro-poor focus and starts to produce benefits, employment and income opportunities to the population in the remote area of the Haor by facilitating a reasonable (sustainable) use of the natural resources.

Budget:

1.82 million Swiss Francs for the period of March 2009 to February 2012 (Phase 2).

Contacts:

IUCN Bangladesh
House 11, Road 138, Gulshan 1, Dhaka 1212
Tel : 9890395, 9890423, 9892854
E-mail : info@iucnbd.org
Website : www.iucn.org/bangladesh

Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor Program

01 January 2006 | Project - Description

Tanguar Haor is a unique wetland ecosystem in Bangladesh which has both national and global significance.

The Tanguar Haor has been declared as the second Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance) in 2000 to signify its global value. Prior to the declaration, understanding its critical condition due to overexploitation the Government has declared Tanguar Haor as an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in 1999. Due to its status as an ECA and Ramsar site, the Government (represented here by Ministry of Environment and Forest) has been keen to put in place a community based management system in Tanguar Haor.
Bird of tanguar haor
The major obstacle for initiating a community based management was the ownership of Tanguar Haor and leasing system for its fisheries resources. It was owned by the Ministry of Land and short term lease was to be given to the highest bidder. In 2001, ownership of TH was transferred to MoEF and subsequently the lease system was banned effectively.
Under the National Conservation Strategy Implementation Project -1 (NCSIP-1), MoEF initiated a pilot project in TH. Under that project, a management plan developed with technical assistance from IUCN Bangladesh in 2000. In 2002, IUCN Bangladesh on behalf of MoEF has developed a proposal titled community based sustainable management of Tanguar Haor to seek donor commitment to fund the project. It was revised again in 2004. This programme proposal is a continuation of the effort of MoEF to obtain fund from donor to initiate a community based management for Tanguar Haor.

Among the donor communities, SDC has come forward and showed keen interest to support this government initiative, while other donors are more interested to see the initial results before committing for funding. Up on an official request from MoEF, IUCN Bangladesh had submitted a proposal on “Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor” to Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in August 2005. The proposal was reviewed by SDC and subsequently Mr. Peter Hislaire was appointed as an independent international consultant to appraise the context of the proposed programme. The consultant had series of meetings with the Government officials, NGO personnel and interacted with the communities living in Tanguar Haor. Based on this experience, the consultant proposed that activities in Tanguar Haor should be divided into following three stages :

Preparatory stage (18 months)
Development stage (36 to 60 months)
Consolidation stage ((36 months)

The current initiative covers only the preparatory stage.

Vision, programme scope and approach

The international conservation values of the Ramsar site guiding the vision of proposed “community based sustainable management of Tanguar Haor” programme in Sunamganj is as follows:
“A co-management body managing natural resources of entire Tanguar Haor that is responsive to livelihood needs of the concerned communities as well as ensures that the resource base is used sustainably and that Ramsar values are maintained.”

The programme aims at building the capacity of the rural communities around Tanguar Haor to share in the management of water, fisheries, forest and reed bed and other resources of Tanguar Haor for generating income from the management, harvesting and selling of these resources.

The programme shall contribute to develop a natural resource information system for Tanguar Haor that allows the management authority to monitor trends and understand the ecological dynamics is in place.
The programme shall contribute to form and functioning of a co-management body (under the district administration of Sunamganj) for the ramsar site- including representatives of local communities and MoEF and local government.

The programme shall also play a facilitative role in formulation of coordination of protection measures, natural resource extraction modalities and measures to facilitate the delivery of social and economic services.

However, for the Preparatory Stage the goal has been set as “to initiate and test a pilot co-management system for Tanguar Haor and obtain necessary policy, administrative and community support to commence a comprehensive co-management system for Tanguar Haor in future”.

Restoring Local Community Participation in Wetland Resource Management:

Tanguar haor is located at 25005' - 25012' north/91001' - 91007' East in Tahirpur and Dharmapasha Thanas (smallest government administrative units) of Sunamganj district under Sylhet Division in north eastern Bangladesh. Located at an altitude of only 2.5 - 5.5 meters above sea level, it has an area of 9727 hectares with 50 beels covering approximately 25 - 30 percent of the haor at the end of dry season.
The Author, while had been incharge of IUCN Bangladesh, was involved both in the National Conservation Strategy endorsement process and was providing technical assistance in development of the Tanguar Haor management plan.
The Initial Situation
Apart from habitat destruction, one of the main problems facing the management of most freshwater wetlands in the country is that the fisheries resources have largely fallen into the hands of the elite : wealthy and the politically well-connected. This process, whereby local fishermen are (sometimes forcefully) divorced from their resource base invariably leads to impoverishment. The process is also often linked to over-utilisation of natural resources, which is fueled by the fact that the rural poor have to make ends meet on an ever-dwindling resource base, while the elite myopically focus on making handsome profits in the short - term.
The main issues at Tanguar Haor are :
• decline of fisheries production,
• depletion of other natural resources, such as reed lands and swamp forest,
• numbers of migratory waterfowl are dropping
• increased soil erosion/siltation
• last vestiges of swamp forest are under threat
• increased non-fishery activities leading to resource depletion
• against this backdrop of declining resources, there is a growing conflict over resources between the local community and the leaseholder of the fisheries
• lack of community participation
The Change process
The Tanguar Haor Management Plan is the first attempt in Bangladesh to combine sustainable resource management and biodiversity conservation in a freshwater wetland in a planned manner. The strategy of this plan is to restore participation of the local community including women in resource management on the one hand, while at the same time introducing sustainable forms of management, and investing in habitat restoration activities. The plan does not attempt to change or undermine the status quo, as this would be futile, given the existing political and economic sentiments.
The emphasis in this Management Plan has been on creating incentives for stakeholders to partake in sustainable management and conservation efforts, and on effective monitoring as the latter especially has been conspicuously deficient.
People of Tanguar Haor
Once this plan is successfully implemented and is replicated in other hoar systems throughout the country there will be a bright future for BangladeshÕs inland wetlands. One whereby natural resources benefit both local communities and the elite, and whereby the long-term survival of the unique biodiversity of these areas is guaranteed.
The key stakeholders of the Tanguar Haor resources and their management, had been, besides the i) local community and the ii) fisheries leaseholder, i) District Administration ii) Ministry of Land, iii) Department of Fisheries iv) Forestry Department v) Thana (Sub-district) Administration vi ) Water Development Board.
The key actors in bringing required change for sustainable and community based haor resource management had been : - (i) Ministry of Environment and Forest (ii) NCS Implementation Project Management (iii) IUCN (iv) District Administration (v) Local Community (vi) Department of Fisheries (vii) Department of Forest.
The major and prime mover interest in bringing about changes in the haor management had been the interest and commitment towards sustainable resource use for the benefit of the community. Ministry of Environment and Forest took the lead initiative and the implementation responsibility for bringing about change.
The Outcome
The outcome of the exercise had been the development and adoption of the Management Plan for Tanguar Haor in a participatory process, which very much involved all stakeholders including local community.
The Management Plan involves :
i. Involvement of local villagers in commercial fisheries;
ii. Providing access of local villagers to non-commercial fishing resources such as monsoonal subsistence fishing, livestock grazing, duck keeping, grass and reed collecting;
iii. Establishing regulations to limit excessive use of these natural resources (based on consensus within the community, rather than on imposition of levies or threats);
iv. Community development projects, to improve health and alleviate rural poverty;
v. Restoration of the natural environment (e.g. replanting of swamp forest and reed beds, and re-stocking of fish); and
vi. Clear-cut roles for monitoring and implementation.
The implementation of the plan in its short and medium term horizon of around five years, will pave the way for the envisaged long-term option of community-based management. The rationale-which has been generally accepted world-wide-is that local communities are likely to be the best caretakers of the environment, as it is primarily in their own interest to manage these resources sustainable.
The Management Plan aims to involve local people in the commercial fisheries, and have them regain their rightful access to other haor resources, by means of reaching a trade-off agreement with both the local community and the leaseholder. The leaseholder will be bound by a new lease agreement to involve local people in the fishery enterprise (target percentages and dates fixed) and immediately cease with the illegal withholding of access rights. In return, the leaseholder is to receive a consolidated lease agreement for the all waters in the hoar, and receive a longer lease-term.
The trade-off for the local community is that they will regain access to natural resources and benefit from a poverty-alleviation programme, in return for which they have to abide by regulations for proper resource use, and curb certain activities, such as expanding the area under rice cultivation and bird hunting/trapping. With free-access to natural resources restored to the local community, there is the threat that this already degraded system will be further over-exploited. Therefore, the local community, together with an environmental NGO and development NGO, are to develop a set of regulations for sustainable resource use.
The Development NGO and the Local Community are to jointly formulate a "Development Plan" for the villages at Tanguar Haor, aimed at poverty alleviation. Poverty alleviation will be achieved to some degree by involving local fishermen in the commercial fisheries, restoring access to other haor resources, and by establishing village fuelwood and timber plots. In addition, the programme is to include the establishing of fishponds, replanting of species (now rate or absent), construction of latrines and tubewells (at least one per village), vocational training, and provision of low-interest or interest-free loans.
Without monitoring, the Management Plan stands little hope of success. The current Management Plan therefore sets clear targets, where possible, such as hectares of percentages, plus target dates, which are verifiable indicators of achievement. Also provided is a clear set of instructions as to whom is responsible for managing which activities. Overall responsibility lies with MOEF, but there is a balanced set of checks and periodic evaluations, and clear reporting procedures, which are likely to identify any significant deviations from the plan.
Apart from the Local Community and the Fisheries Leaseholder, the following stakeholders are recognised as being principle actors in the implementation of the Management Plan :
• Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), which is to be responsible for overall implementation of the Management Plan taking initiatives to ensure implementation by involving other ministries, and selecting suitable NGOs for assisting implementation.
• DCÕs Office/Ministry of Land (MoL), which is responsible for the issuing of the Jalmohal(waterbody) lease.
• Department of Fisheries (DoF), which is responsible for fisheries management.
• Forestry Department (FD), which is responsible for forest and wildlife management.
• National Environment NGO, which is to be involved for developing resource sue guidelines, monitoring of wildlife, training of FD field staff, and awareness campaigns.
• National Development NGO, which is to be responsible for monitoring of socio-economic activities, developing resource use guidelines, and the poverty-alleviation programme (Development Programme).
• International Environmental NGO, which is to perform external monitoring and evaluation.
• Tanguar Haor Monitoring Team (THMT), a new body which is to be chaired by the District Commissioner, Sunamganj, and include representatives from DoF, FD, MoL, and the two national NGOs
The expected impacts of the plan, once implemented, include i) sustainable management of the haor ecosystem and its natural resources to ensure equitable distribution of benefits leading also to the resources being enjoyed by future generations ii) community involvement at various stages of implementation (as it was in the case of development and adoption) in ensuring protection of their interests and the best possible care of natural resources iii) the plan to serve as a model for replication in similar situations.
The Lessons Learned
The unique thing about drawing of the management plan for Tanguar Haor, had been its being the first of such exercise and being participatory even at the grassroots level. It was a practical exercise, not an academic one and targeted for the real benefit of both the ecosystem and the stakeholders, the local community in particular.

A special report on tanguar haor

Published On: 2008-12-27
A simple matter of the environment
Farida Shaikh bores into an issue of public concern

A world heritage site, Tanguar Haor is one of the largest freshwater inland wetlands; it is important and is of national significance, was designated as the second 'Ramsar' site, and was released from the 1930 leasing system on January 20, 2000. Earlier the government of Bangladesh designated 59,600 hectares of the Sundarban Forests as the first Ramsar site.

Tanguar Haor is now managed by the district administration of Sunamganj .The Ramsar Convention proposes involving the local people in the ownership of haor resources. However, much remains to be done for the implementation of this policy.

Tanguar Haor is also significant for its biological diversity and is also 'a unique habitat for the largest number of waterfowl population in the country.'

In February 1971, the Ramsar Convention was adopted in the city of Ramsar in Iran. Its 'Wetland of International Importance' list by 2003 consisted of the names of 138 countries, with more than 1310 wetlands covering 111 million hectares. 'The broad objective of this convention was to stop the progressive encroachment and loss of wetland, to recognize the fundamental ecological process and their economic, scientific and recreational values.'

Tanguar Haor occupies an area of 100,000 hectares with nearly 46 villages, which are home to an extremely poor population. These people are the direct stakeholders of the water body. The adjacent river Patlai and Rarti flood every year before the wet season, causing damage to agricultural products. The villagers depend on the haor for fishing, grazing, farming and firewood. The haor area also provides the winter crop of rice.

The total area of the wetlands in the country has been estimated at 7-8 million hectares, consisting of 'rivers, streams, freshwater lakes and marshes including haor, baor, and beels ,cultivated fields, estuarine systems with extensive mangrove swamps.' Mostly found in the northeastern part of the country, in the greater Sylhet and Mymensingh district, it is collectively known as haor basin and covers an area of nearly 24,500 sq.km. That is about 50% of the country's land surface.

Haors are bowl-shaped depressions subjected to seasonal flooding every year and remain under water for several months. Tanguar Haor consists of nearly 50 beels of various sizes. Many are uninterrupted, in a near natural state with flood tolerant trees Hijol and Koroch.

This is a village based study to 'access the economic importance of Tanguar Haor resources' and community participation in the management of the haor. More specifically, the study makes a review of the physical conditions of the haor, importance of its biological resources and its connection to economic activities, constraints and opportunities for participation. To access future direction, the study also makes an appraisal of the implementation status of the Ramsar Declaration in comparison with national level policy and laws.

The study is distributed into 10 chapters with 9 major tables, figures and pictures to explain more. On the human resources side, Chapter 6 is on the people of Tanguar Haor, which is located in two upazillas, namely, Tahirpur and Dharmapasha. The population of the area was 18,231 in 1981, 23,395 in 1993 and is at present about 50,000-60,000 There has been outward migration of the population in the past on account of natural calamities. In recent times migration from Kishoreganj /Mymensingh to the area has been common. Predominantly the population is Muslim, with small ethnic numbers of Garo and Hajong in the northern villages of the haor area.

The chapter further elaborates on the resettlement of the local people, socio-economic profile of the respondents in terms of household size, occupational status, physical assets, land ownership and status and predicament of Tanguar Haor

People's Reliance on Wetland Resources, in chapter 7, deals with natural resources, economic activities of the local people, the annual activity calendar, dependence on Haor resources and economic potential of the area.

Community Participation in Haor Conservation, in chapter 9, is the most elaborate of the study. It deals with information sources on Haor degradation, awareness raising activities, local people's participation in conservation practices, people's interest in participation, potential nature of participation, people's activity preference, and benefits of local people's participation and constraints of local people's involvement.

A useful reading is chapter 2 on wetland; the least understood ecosystem and chapter 3 on wetlands of Bangladesh. Chapter 4 is on Tanguar Haor and its description as a diversified wetland. The closing chapter is on the major findings and possible future direction.

The bibliography consists of nearly 100 citations; of these directly related are the draft final report, 2002, Ministry of Environment; and IUCN Bangladesh 2004 report on introduction to community based Haor and Flood Management.

The Daily Star in February and September 2004 carried write-ups on Tanguar Haor. The same year the subject was covered in Prothom Alo, Daily Jugantar, Inqilab, Naya Diganta and Sangram.

The study on Tangaur Haor by the two social scientists deserves the attention of erudite readers. It is a commendable work on the environmental aspects of the country, which are the most important area of study after that of poverty alleviation. However, the study methodology applied to the survey and participatory rural appraisal turned out to be short on analysis and interpretation.

The next edition of the book may take that into consideration to further improve this useful study.

Workshop on “Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor Program (CBSMTHP)”

26 February 2009, 03:30 BDT
IUCN Bangladesh Country Office organised a one-day workshop on the “Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor Program (CBSMTHP)” on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at the Shurma Hall of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka.
Dhaka, 26 February 2009 (IUCN) – IUCN Bangladesh Country Office organised a one-day workshop on the “Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor Program (CBSMTHP)” on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at the Shurma Hall of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka.

IUCN Bangladesh on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is implementing the program with financial support from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). In consideration of its global and national significance, Tanguar Haor has been declared an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) of Bangladesh, and the country’s second Ramsar site.

At the beginning, Dr. Ainun Nishat, Country Representative, IUCN Bangladesh delivered an overview of the project. He mentioned that the government is also contributing its own resources to develop a management system to ensure and improve the livelihoods of the communities who directly or indirectly depend on Tanguar Haor.

Mr. A H M Rezaul Kabir, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest was present at the workshop as the Chief Guest during the inaugural session, while Mr. Joseph Guntern, Head of Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Bangladesh was present as special guest.

In his speech, Mr. Kabir appreciated IUCN’s effort to provide technical support to develop a co-management system for Tanguar Haor.
He also mentioned that MoEF has made a groundbreaking decision approving the benefit sharing mechanism between the community people and the Government on benefits arising from resource harvest and use in the haor. This program has not only supported the conservation and regeneration of natural resources in the haor (ecology) but also ensures the sustainable and responsible use of those resources (economy and livelihoods).
He further applauded SDC for their active involvement and financial support in implementing this model initiative.

As the special guest of the event, Mr. Guntern said that the project is in line with the SDC’s goals for employment and income, and local governance domains. The project is developing the technical and life skills of community members for improving their income and participation in co-management, and in establishing their access rights to the wetland. SDC also appreciates the initiatives made by the Government of Bangladesh.

SDC hopes the newly formed Government of Bangladesh will take more initiatives to ensure this phase is fruitful. SDC will give its full support to conserve and maintain this ecologically rich area, he added.

The technical sessions of the workshop include presentations on: Institutionalization of a Ramsar Site: Experience and Learning in Tanguar Haor; Participatory Mapping (GIS based) of Tanguar Haor; Census of Tanguar Haor, Fish Resources of Tanguar Haor, Marketing extension experience in Tanguar Haor; Socio-economic profile of Tanguar Haor; and Legal context of co-management of wetlands in Bangladesh.

A lively discussion was held after the presentation session. Participants from different government ministries, NGOs, academics, research organizations, local representatives from the haor region and media were present at the workshop.

As the chairperson of the this event Mr. Joynal Abedin Talukder Joint Secretary (Dev.), Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) and National Project Director of this project lauded the whole process of co-management in Tanguar Haor and thanked the distinguished guests and participants for their valuable contributions in this workshop.

A charming drama was also staged at the end of the workshop performed by local people of the Tanguar Haor region.
Dr. Nishat facilitated the workshop.
For more information on the Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor project, please contact raquib@iucnbd.org or rezaul@iucnbd.org
*** ENDS ***
Notes to editors
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
• Raquibul Amin , Programme Coordinator, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
raquib iucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/
• AFM Rezaul Karim, Project Manager, CBSMTH, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
rezaul iucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/

• Mahbubur Rahman Masum , IUCN Bangladesh Communications Officer, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
masum iucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/
Photos are available at http://www.iucnbd.org/photogallery.html
More information available at: http://www.iucnbd.org/
About the World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Created in 1948, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) brings together 81 States, 120 government agencies, 800 plus NGOs, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. The Union ’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
The Union is the world's largest environmental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. The Union is a multicultural, multilingual organization with 1,000 staff located in 62 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland , Switzerland .
More information can be found at http://www.iucn.org/

Dharampasha upazila

Dharampasha Upazilaধরমপাশা

Division: Sylhet

District : Sunamganj

Government:
- MP (Sunamganj-1) Moazzem Hossain Ratan (Awami League)

Area:

- Total 496.03 km2 (191.5 sq mi)

Population:
- Total 164,131

- Density:
331/km2 (857.3/sq mi)

Time zone:
BST (UTC+6)

Postal code:
2450
Dharampasha (Bengali: ধরমপাশা) is an Upazila of Sunamganj District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Geography:
Dharampasha is located at 24°54′00″N 91°01′00″E / 24.9000°N 91.0167°E . It has 28368 units of house hold and total area 496.03 km². It is located on the banks of the Kangsha River close to the haor areas.The largest haor of Bangladesh called "Tanguar Haor" is located in this upazilla and its neighbouring upazilla Tahirpur.This haor is one of the world heritage sites.

Demographics:
As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Dharampasha has a population of 164131. Males constitute are 51.41% of the population, and females 48.59%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 80347. Dharampasha has an average literacy rate of 20.8% (7+ years), and the national average of 32.4% literate.

Administrative:
Dharampasha has 10 Unions/Wards, 182 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 313 villages.

School and Colleges:
1. Dharampasha Janata High School (oldest one)
2. Dharampasha Girls School
3. Dharampasha Degree College
4. Dharampasha Model Primary School
5. Badshaganj Public High School
6. Badshaganj Degree College
7. Khoda-Box Public High school
8. Joysree High School, Joysree
9. Modhyanagar B.P. High School and College
10.Bongshikonda Momin High School
11.Moheskhola High School
12.Camardani High School
13.Patkura Govt. Primary School
14.Rouha Govt. primary School

Friday, April 9, 2010

Huge information about Madhyanagar


Madhyanagar is a land dominated by floodplains with seasonally flooded tectonic depressions known locally as haors and smaller water bodies known as beels. TANGUAR haor, Buala , Saldigha Beel, Shonir haor are notable. People’s livelihoods and culture are largely dominated by the haor economy where agriculture & beel fisheries play very vital role. Although the beel has a wide range of resources, the people at large have not been able to benefit from them. 
Launch ghat of Madhyanagar Bazar
Madhyanagar is in Sunamgonj district under Sylhet division of Bangladesh and six miles away from India. The river Sumeshwori runs through it.
Madhyanagor (SUNAMGANJ district) with an area of 496.03 sq km, is bounded by Meghalaya State (India) on the north ,DHORMOPASHA upazila on the south, TAHIRPUR and JAMALGANJ upazilas on the east, KALMAKANDA and Barhatta upazilas on the west.


Annual average temperature: maximum 33.2°C and minimum 13.6°C; annual rainfall 3334 mm. There are many haors and beels in Madhayanagar.


People and population:


Madhyanagar has a population of 1,68,669; male 50.89%, female 49.11%.
Density of population is 1266 per sq km. Literacy rate is 35.9%.
Religious context is Muslim 63.62%, Hindu 35.95%, others 0.43%
Madhyanagar Bazar
There are also some 6,643 ethnic affiliation of Garo and Hajong , in Moheshkhola of north Bongshikunda.


Educational Institutes:


The major schools of Madhyanagar are:
Madhyanagar B.P. high School & College
Madhyanagar Girls Junior School
Madhyanagar Govt. Primary School
Bongshikunda Momin High School
Chamardani High School
Moheshkola High School.
.
Unions:


Madhyanagar comprises 4 unions:
Madhyanagar Bazar
Chamardani
South Bonshikunda
North Bongshikunda


Notable Personalities:
Biplobi Lal Mohan Rai

Shahed Ali, author and novelist
Momin Talukder
 Mustak Ahmed, Associate Professor Dept. of Civil Engineering, SUST,
Amena Khatun, Lecturer Dept. of Anthropology, SUST


Archaeological heritage:


Chamardani jame Moshjid
Moheshkhola Kalibari Mondir


Other Factors:


Main occupations Agriculture 47.01%, fishing 3.99%, agricultural labourer 27.05%, wage labourer 2.79%, commerce 7.17%, service 2.09%, others 9.9%.
Land use Arable land 20287 hectares; fallow land 142 hectares; single crop 80%, double crop 10%, triple crop 10%; cultivated land under irrigation 85%.
Land control Among the peasants 32% are landless, 29% small, 25% intermediate and 14% rich; cultivable land per head 0.13 hectare.
Value of land Market value of first grade arable land about Tk 5000 per 0.01 hectare
Main crops Paddy, potato, onion, garlic, chilli, mustered seed, tisi (linseed) and vegetables.
Main fruits Mango, black berry, jackfruit, banana, papaya, Guava,olive, watermelon.
Fisheries, dairies, poultries Fishery 50, poultry 200, dairy 3.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 1.5 km, semi pucca 3 km and mud road 60 km.
Traditional transport Palanquin, bullock cart. These means of transport are nearly extinct.
Manufactories Flour mill 32\, ice factory2, saw mill 2, auto rice mill 1.
Cottage industries Bamboo work 500, goldsmith 15, blacksmith 30, potteries 470, wood work 700, welding 10, tailoring 400.
Hats bazars and fairs Total number of hats and bazars are 14; fairs 5.
Main exports Paddy ,fish and dry fish.
NGO activities Grameen Bank, BRAC, ASA, Anirban Sanchay O Sarbik Unnayan Samiti .
Union family welfare centre 2.


External links


http://www.sunamganj.co.uk
http://www.sunamganj.com
Banglapedia article on Sunamganj District
Amader Jhigli


Thursday, April 8, 2010

some scenery of Madhyanagar area


প্রাইমারী সমাপনী পরীক্ষা শেষ করে হল থেকে বের হয়ে আসছে ক্ষুদে  ছাত্র-ছাত্রীরা
 সুমেশ্বরী নদীতে সূর্যাস্ত
এই সেই জাঙ্গাল যা ভেঙ্গে গিয়ে মধ্যনগরের মানুষদের অথই জলে ফেলে দিয়েছিল



Beel

Little boys of village go to Beel for catch fish
Beel  a large surface waterbody that accumulates surface runoff water through internal drainage channels; these depressions are mostly topographic lows produced by erosions and are seen all over Bangladesh. The term beel is synonymous to baor, and familiar in greater comilla, faridpur, dhaka and pabna districts. Beels are small saucer-like depressions of a marshy character. Many of the beels dry up in the winter but during the rains expand into broad and shallow sheets of water, which may be described as fresh water lagoons.
Beels can be formed due to many causes. In some cases a string of them is found along a line of drainage, suggesting that they are the remains of some great river, which centuries ago deserted its channel in favour of a new one somewhere else. In other cases, they are probably due to the action of rivers, which by centuries of silt deposits have raised their beds and marginal banks so high that they flow above the level of the surrounding area. The land between a pair of parallel rivers thus forms a kind of trough in between. The rivers, on the other hand, cannot overflow their banks into these depressions as they themselves are locked within their channels by high levees.
In the active floodplains of the Surma-Meghna, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, and the Ganges-Padma river systems, there are several large and small beels. In Bangladesh, there are thousands of beels of different sizes. Some of the most common names are chalan beel, gopalganj-khulna beel and arial beel. Most of these large beels have shrunk quite considerably in recent decades. For instance, in the early 19th century Chalan Beel used to cover an area of about 1,085 sq km but it was reduced to 368 sq km in 1909, of which only 85 sq km remains underwater throughout the year. It has since shrunk to only 26 sq km.
In the deeper beels nothing is to be seen but water, often dotted with chars or enclosed by high lands with villages and trees on them. Many of the villages are completely isolated during the monsoon, when the only mode of transport is a boat. Not surprisingly, these beels form a serious obstacle to transport by land as roads can be constructed across them only at a great expense. The roads again have to be strong enough to withstand the pressure of water, which may be as much as 3.05m in depth.
Beels are mainly fed by surface runoff water. A few larger ones are fed by floodwater during the wet season from the parent river channel. Regionwise, in the northwest some beels of considerable sizes are Bara Beel at pirganj, Tagrai Beel at kurigram, Lunipukur at rangpur, Bara Mirzapur Beel at narail and Keshpathar at bogra. The old river course of atrai is marked by some beels, viz Chakchaki, Sabul, Ghugri, Kanchan, Manda, Utrail, Hilna, Kumar and Shona. In the southern region, important beels are Boyra, Dakatia, Bara, Kola, Patla, Chatal and Srirampur. In the central part, Katla, Chatal, Nagarkanda, and Chanda are important beels. In eastern areas, such beels are small in size. In the northeast, beels of Haor Basin (Sylhet Basin) area merge together in the wet season appearing like vast bodies of water. Normally, beels remain deeply flooded for most of the wet season and the rims are primarily used for either boro cultivation or deepwater rice. Like baors, beels are also important wetlands and regarded as valuable fish and wildlife habitat. [Mohd Shamsul Alam and Md Sazzad Hossain]

something about haor


Tanguar Haor
Haor bowl-shaped large tectonic depression. It receives surface runoff water by rivers and khals, and consequently, a haor becomes very extensive water body in the monsoon and dries up mostly in the post-monsoon period. In Bangladesh haors are found mainly in greater Sylhet and greater Mymensingh regions. During monsoon a haor is a vast stretch of turbulent water. The word haor is a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word Sagar (sea). In Sylhet and northeast Mymensingh, the people pronounce the Bangla letter ৸স৹ (sa) as ৸হ৹ (ha), and some times ৸গ৹ (ga) as ৸হ৹ (ha). Thus sagar is sounded haor.
The haors are of tectonic origin and possibly connected with the rise of madhupur tract. beels do not subside but haor basins do. In its original form, the haor basin comprising the floodplains of the meghna tributaries would have consisted of a rich mosaic of permanent and seasonal lakes and ponds with abundant aquatic vegetation. But through gradual sedimentation, the basin becomes shallower leading to the formation of reeds and sedges. This resulted in providing enough food and shelter for fish and other aquatic, fauna and attracted the migratory birds which, in their turn, added to the fertility of the waterbodies by their excreta promoting rich growth of phytoplankton and macrophytes thus partly contributing to the process of eutrophication.
The haor basin is bounded by the hill ranges of Meghalaya (India) on the north, the hills of Tripura and Mizoram (India) on the south, and the highlands of Manipur (India) on the east. The basin includes about 47 major haors and some 6,300 beels of varying size, out of which about 3,500 are permanent and 2,800 are seasonal. Numerous rivers rising in the hills of India provide an abundant supply of water to the plains and cause extensive flooding during the monsoon upto a depth of 6m. Small permanent water bodies within the haors are called beels, which occupy the lowest part of the depressions. During the dry season, most of the water drains out leaving one or more shallow beels which become mostly overgrown with aquatic vegetation or completely dry out by the end of dry season exposing rich alluvial soils extensively cultivated for rice.
The surma and kushiyara in association with other minor hilly streams like manu, khowai, Jadhukata, piyain, Mogra and Mahadao form the dense drainage network of the haors. The rivers are primarily responsible for providing inputs - rainwater and sediment load to the plains including haors. The plains remain flooded for about 7 to 8 months. During the rainy season, the haors turn into a vast inland sea within which the villages appear as islands. Occasional high winds during July to September generate large waves in the haor, which may cause considerable damage to homesteads.
The entire Sunamganj district, major portion of Habiganj district, some parts of Sylhet Sadar upazila and Maulvi Bazar district are covered by many haors. In greater Sylhet the most prominent haors are Saneer haor, Hail haor, Hakaluki haor, Dekar haor, Maker haor, Chayer haor, tanguar haor, and Kawadighi haor.
The haors are considered the most productive wetland resources of Bangladesh. The basin supports a large variety of wetland bio-diversity and works as natural reservoir as it plays a key role in basin water resources by regulating water flows of the Meghna river system. Also, the haors are noted sanctuaries of both permanent and migratory birds. With the recession of floodwater, a large variety of small fishes, oysters, water snails and bivalves, and pasture spread over the surface attracting a large number of migratory birds. These birds use the haor as temporary resting and roosting ground before moving elsewhere. The swamp forests, which were once dominant with the flood tolerant tree species like hijal (Barringtonia acutangula) and Koroch (Pongamia pinnata), have been reduced to a few small patches. The haors are also important fishing grounds of the country. In the past century or so, when the population pressure was less, most of the rim-lands of the haors remained as cultivable wasteland and was used for extensive grazing in the dry season. As population increased, boro cultivation expanded onto these marginal lands leading to a large area being drained. Thus, the very existences of these wetlands are now threatened. [Mohd Shamsul Alam and Md Sazzad Hossain]

 

Information about tanguar haor

Tanguar Haor

Tanguar Haor a large haor lies within Sunamganj district extending over 10 mauzas of Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of the district. The mauzas covering the Tanguar haor are (1) Jagadishpur, (2) Bhabanipur, (3) Lamagaon, (4) Ramsinhapur, (5) Mahajampur, (6) Maindag, (7) Mayajuri, (8) Bhangachara Purba, (9) Noagaon, and (10) Tanguar Haor. The haor consists of 120 beels of various sizes. The area of Tanguar haor including 46 villages within the haor is about 100 sq km of which 2802.36 ha is wetland.
Amazing beauty
The haor is an ideal place for the migratory birds. Every winter about 200 types of migratory birds come to this haor and make their temporary habitat here. Once upon a time the zamindars of Sunamganj area used to make cruise into this haor with large Pansi boats for hunting birds.
The haor is an important source of fisheries. More than 140 species of fresh water fishes are available here. Among them the notables are Air, Gang Magur, Baim, Tara Baim, Gutum, Gulsha, Tengra, Titna, Garia, Beti, Kakia etc. In the 1999-2000 fiscal year, government earned Tk 70,73,184 as revenue only from fisheries of the haor.
Hijal (Barringtonia acutangula), Karach (Pongamia pinnata), Gulli, Balua, Ban Tulsi (Ocimum americanum), Nalkhagra (Phragmites karka) and some other important threatened species of freshwater wetland trees are available in this haor.
Most of the inhabitants of the Tanguar haor are landless or marginal farmer. As the haor allows single crop throughout a year, seasonal unemployment problem is very acute here. But the farmers harvest high yield because of the richness of the soil though the lands are single cropped.
The haor is cyclone prone as it located at the foothills of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills and a number of hailstorms also occur. Therefore at times crops get damaged. Except the levee or the kanda areas of the haor the other lands of the haor are used as pastureland. In the past the levees were deeply covered with trees. But afterwards the areas were deforested widely to meet the demand of additional lands for settlement and cultivation, which caused environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity of the haor.
In the past few decades the total environmental settings of the Tanguar haor has degraded a lot. In consideration of its environmental importance and heritage, the government has decided to save the large haor by symbolizing it as an internationally critical environment area and listed the haor as a 'Ramsar area' under Ramsar Convention. In accordance with this, the government has taken massive plan to restore the natural environment and heritage of the Tanguar haor by conserving its water, improving agriculture and fish production, and making the haor secured zone for birds and animals. The government has also decided not to allow any developmental or commercial activity within the haor area that is harmful for the sensitive environment of the haor. Besides these, the government has banned on digging any well for gas or oil within the 10 km area of the haor. The natural beauty of the Tanguar haor attracts the tourists and the haor can be turned as an important tourist place.

 

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