Sustainable Forest Management for Poverty Reduction Through Agroforestry Options
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In Bangladesh, the massive growth rate of population has intensified pressure on forest resources throughout the country. The forest coverage of Bangladesh is one of the lowest and the deforestation rate is the highest of any country in the world. In the Hill Tracts area of Eastern Bangladesh, a drastic reduction in the recycling period for slash-and-burn cultivation due to high population growth is contributing to deforestation. Coupled with the process of deforestation, flawed afforestration programmes have seriously exposed Bangladesh to environmental vulnerability. In spite of many policy and project efforts, the afforestration process is still lingers at a low level, overall. Agroforestry is a promising alternative. Project experiences and research, have shown that agroforestry, presents one of the very few options that can protect and sustainably manage the degrading forest resources. It is endorsed by the people themselves and can have good economic returns and may lift the upland farmers out of the poverty trap.
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