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Mgmt of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry II - n/a Environment: Forestry, Energy & Environmental Services Bangladesh 2003 - 2007 USAID |
Continuing Support for Wetlands Management
RATIONALEThe floodplains of Bangladesh form one of the world's most important wetlands. They are home to hundreds of species of unique plants, fish, birds and other wildlife. The wetlands provide a critical habitat for migrating birds and most importantly a source of income and nutrition for millions of people in Bangladesh. The floodplain fisheries play a vital role in cushioning rural poverty and supplying animal protein to the poor and are an integral part of the culture and lifestyle of the Bengali people. Recognizing the need for new approaches to floodplain and wetlands resources management, the Governments of Bangladesh and U.S. jointly developed the Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) project. The first phase of the MACH project (MACH I) ended October 28, 2003, after five years of implementation. In order to continue the activities of this very successful project and allow sufficient time for its achievements to become sustainable, USAID awarded Winrock a four-year continuation project, MACH II, which ended on June 30, 2007. The Government of Bangladesh used local currency to fund the Investment Support to MACH (ISM) project through June 2008, which supported physical intervention activities to support improved wetlands and aquatic resources management and increased incomes of the rural poor.
OBJECTIVES
The goal of MACH has been to promote ecologically sound management of floodplain resources (fisheries and other wetland products) for the sustainable supply of food to the poor of Bangladesh. MACH II continued the work of MACH I to increase productivity, improve resource management, and increase involvement of the community in managing their resources.
ACTIVITIES
MACH has established a community based co-management of three large wetland systems covering in total about 25,000 ha of wet season wetlands (about 4,600 ha of water in the dry season). The key elements of the MACH approach have been establishing community organizations and then embedding within them institutions for sustainable use of wetland resources, formally linking these with the existing local government system, and through this making interventions to restore wetland habitats and their productivity and to improve the livelihoods of poor people dependent on these wetlands. Where possible it has also addressed poor land use practices in the watersheds of these wetlands that adversely affect the downstream wetland ecosystems. MACH II focused on implementing the successes of MACH I by engaging and developing solutions with the stakeholders, as well as strengthening local institutions to carry on the work initiated by MACH I.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The results below are cumulative for MACH I, MACH II, and ISM: Environmental: Improved management and ecological condition of more than 20,000 ha of wetlands, increased the yield of fish, established new sanctuaries, and helped RMOs lease water bodies. Utilizing local currency Government of Bangladesh ISM funds, the project converted more than 550 ha of wetlands from seasonal to perennial water habitat. The program planted more than 600,000 tree saplings and reintroduced 1.2 million rare native fish into restored water bodies. Cumulatively, MACH I and II placed 25,042 fish aggregating structures in permanent sanctuaries. In partnership with DFID and EU supported projects, MACH developed and extended improved technologies for dyeing in selected textile factories which had been polluting the Turag-Bangshi site.
Institutional: Formed 250 Resource User groups (RUGs) with representatives from 5202 families, 1/3 of the members are women. Provided 1,325 training courses for 24,891 RUG participants. Through the groups, 14,829 loans have been made totaling about 30 million taka. Formed and strengthened 16 Resource Management Organizations (RMOs) that manage 20,000 ha of wetlands including 33 jalmohals and more than 60 sanctuaries.
Policy: Proposed new policy and policy changes to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to recognize and reduce lease rates for jalmohals that include sanctuaries, make contour planting of pineapple in hill areas mandatory, and arrange for endowment funds at Upazila level to continue support for local government committees and small scale resource management after the project. MACH was successful in getting the Government of Bangladesh to release a leased fishery over to the local wetland communities to manage as sanctuaries for all time.
External Recognition: The successes of MACH have been recognized internationally by various organizations. The MACH project was selected as the Energy Globe Award national winner for Bangladesh for 2009. In 2008, MACH project was recognized for its innovation and impact when it was highlighted as a case study in the World Resources Institute's publication World Resources 2008: Roots of Resilience - Growing the Wealth of the Poor. Http://www.wri.org/publication/world-resources-2008-roots-of-resilience. MACH was also highlighted in a Global Water Partnership publication in the chapter entitled Wetlands in Crisis: Improving Bangladesh's Wetland Ecosystems and Livelihoods of the Poor who Depend on them. Winrock produced an article entitled Community-based Wetland Co-Management in Bangladesh, which is part of the SANREM Knowledgebase (SKB). The Government of Bangladesh recognizes the importance of the MACH approach and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MACH partner NGOs (three local NGO that served as subcontractors to Winrock) through 2010.