Site Level Rema Kalenga

Site-Level Field Appraisal for Protected Area
Co-Management: Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary

Site-Level Field Appraisal for Protected Area
Co-Management: Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary
Prepared for:
International Resources Group (IRG)
Prepared by:
Dr. Abdur Rob Mollah
Dhruba Kanta Kundu
Nature Conservation Management (NACOM)
September 2004
With partners: CODEC, NACOM & RDRS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
i. Table of Contents I
List of Figures IV
List of Tables V
ii. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VII
iii. Acronyms XIV
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Project Background 1
1.2 Information needs of NSP and logical basis for conduction PRA/RRA 2
1.3 Purpose of the Report 4
1.4 Outline of the Report 4
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE 6
3. METHODOLOGY 9
3.1 Developing the RRA and PRA: Issues and Methods 9
3.2 Fieldwork Preparation 17
3.2.1. Selection of RRA and PRA Sites 17
3.2.2 Formation of RRA and PRA Field Teams 19
3.3 Field Implementation Strategies 20
3.3.1. Organization of the RRA and PRA field work 20
3.3.2 Household (HH) interview 22
3.3.3 Key informant (KI) interview 22
3.3.4 Group interview 23
3.3.5 Focus Group Discussion 23
3.3.6 Other PRA tools 24
3.3.7. Direct Observation 24
3.3.8 Secondary Information Collection 24
3.3.9. Reflection and Analysis 24
3.3.10 Triangulation and filtering 25
3.4 Limitations of the Fieldwork 25
4 OUTCOMES AND FINDINGS 26

4.1 Status and Trend in the Forest 26
4. 2 Settlements and its level of stakes with the RF 31
4.2.1 Villages 31
4.2.2 Tea estates 37
4. 3 Stakeholder Assessment 38
4.3.1 Primary stakeholders 38
4.3.2. Secondary stakeholders 41
4.3.2.1 Fuel wood trader 41
4.3.2.2 Furniture shop owners 41
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 26

4.3.2.3 Sawmills owners 41
4.3.2.4. Timber traders 42
4.3.3. Institution/ Organizational Stakeholders 44
4.3.3.1 Forest Department 44
4.3.3.2 NGOs and credit provider banks 44
4.3.3.3 Local community organizations (CBOs) 45
4.3.3.3 Police and BDR 46
4.4. Dependency of the stakeholder on the forest resources 46
4.5 Causes for the decline in Forest and Forest Resources 49
4.5.1 General causes 49
4.6 Exploitation of forest resources 52
4.6.1 Seasonal changes in resource extraction 54
4.6.2 Important resource exploitation 54
4.6.2.1. Fuelwood collection 54
4.6.2.2 Timber extraction 56
4.6.2.3 Bamboo Collection 57
4.6.2.4 House building materials collecion 58
4.6.3 other Resources Collection 58
4.7 Other causes for forest degradation 59
4.7.1 Agricultural Practices 59
4.8 Local Community and Power Structure and Local Governance 59
4.8.1 Local decision makers and influential people 59
4.8.2 Local governance 61
4.8.3 Local conflict, conflict resolution, social adhesion and cohesion 62
4.8.3.1 Sources of conflict 62
4.8.3.2 Conflict resolution 63
4.8.3.3 Conflict with FD 64
4.8.4. Social cohesion and adhesion 64
4. 9 Local Socio-economic context 64
4.9.1 Demographic Profile 64
4.9.1.1 HHs 64
4.9.1.2 Education 64
4. 10 Livelihood analysis 64
4.10.1 Occupation 64
4.10.2 Richness-poverty level 65
4.10.3 Unemployment 65
4.10.4 Credit 66
4.10.5 Income and expenditure profile 66
4.10.6 Skill and skill development opportunities 67
4. 11 Social dynamics (Trend in changes in socio-economics) 67
4.11.1 General Dynamics 67
4.11.2 Seasonal changes in socio-economics of the local people 68
4.12 Local problems 69
4.13 Gender Issue 70
4.13.1 HH decision-making
4.13.2 Outdoor mobility and access to credit and IGA 70

4.13.3 Workload of local male and female 71
4.13.4 Daily work load 72
4.13.5. Education 73
4.14 Local level awareness and behaviour 73
4.15 Legal aspect and law enforcement mechanisms 74
4.16 Status and role of forest villagers and ethnic community 74
5. THREATS ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE PROJECE 76

5.1 Threats to the Sancturay and its Biodiversity 76
5.1.1 Collection of fuelwood, bamboo and other house building 76
materials
5.1.2 Livestock grazing 76
5.1.3 Agricultural encroachment 76
5.1.4 Illegal tree felling 77
5.1.5 Hunting 77
5.1.6 Forest fire 77
5.1.7 Collection of Tree Bark 77
5.2 Issues of Concern 77
5.3 Challenges for the Project 79
5.4 Opportunities 79
6. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 81

6.1 Administrative 81
6.2 Scientific and technical management of the park 81
Summary Activities (pictorial description) 84

Annexure 1 Checklist of questions of RRA for FGD, KI and HH interview 90
Annexure 2 PRA issues 96

List of Figures
Figure Content Page
No. No.
Fig. 1. Map of Rema-Kelenga WS (Human settlements and tea 8
gardens)
Fig. 2. Flow of RRA/PRA Field Activities 21
Fig.3 Rema-Kelenga WS: Land use cover map 28
Fig. 4 Rema-Kelenga WS: Spatial distribution of major wildlife 29
Fig. 5. Rema-Kelenga WS: Settlements and Pressures on forest from 36
neighboring villages
Fig. 6. Relative level of stakes of different villages with Rema- 37
Kelenga WS based on resource extraction
Fig. 7. Scale of activities of various NGOs in Rema-Kelenga locality 45
Fig. 8. Relative level of dependance by major stakes groups 49
(demographically)
Fig. 9. Major direct causes for the degradation to Rema-Kelenga WS 50
Fig. 10. Relative level of fuelwood extraction by different villages 55
Fig. 11. Relative stakes with illegal felling by different villages 57
Fig. 12. Venn Diagram showing power structure of Rema-Kelenga WS 60
Fig.13. The relative level involvement of different institutions 62
Fig. 14. Venn Diagram:Sources of conflict 63
Fig. 15. Venn Diagram: Conflict resolution 63
Fig. 16. Yearly income profile of a village Mongaliabari 66
Fig. 17. Yearly expenditure profile of forest village Mongaliabari 66
Fig. 18. Ven diagram of Family decision making 70
Fig. 19 Daily work chart of men of jamburachara village 72
Fig. 20. Daily work chart of a women of jamburachara village 72

List of Tables
Table Content Page No.
No.
Table 1. Selected RRA Issues for Rema-Kelenga WS, specific activities 10
and tools used
Table 2: PRA Issues, specific activities performed and tools used In 13
Rema-Kelenga WS
Table 3. List of selected RRA spots & Schedule for visitsed in Rema- 17
Kelenga WS
Table 4. PRA spots and schedule for conducting field activities 18
Table 5. RRA Team for Rema-Kelenga WS 19
Table 6. PRA Team for Rema-Kelenga WS 20
Table 7. Summary of performed activities in Rema-Kelenga. 21
Table 8. Status and Trend in Change of Forest Resources in Rema- 30
Kelenga WS
Table 9. Information on inside & adjacent villages having stakes with 32
Rema-Kelenga WS
Table10. Information on outside villages having stakes with Rema- 33
Kelenga WS
Table 11. Information on outside villages having stakes with Tarap Hill 35
reserve Forest (Buffer zone of WS)
Table 12. List of tea estate nearby and adjacent to WS having stake 37
Table 13. Information on the primary stakeholders of Rema-Kelenga WS 39
(based on resource extraction and direct activities in the forest
Table 14. Distribution of surrounding the WS 41
Table 15 Information on thesecondary stakeholders of Rema-Kelenga 43
WS (based on their business and indirect activities in WS
Table 16. NGOs / Banks working in Rema-Kelenga WS area 44
Table 17. Resource wise dependence of different resource users on WS 47
Table 18 Pair wise ranking for identifying main causes for forest 50
destruction
Table 19. Cause and Effect –Ranking (understanding underlying facts 51
for forest degradation)
Table 20 Cause and effect (investigating FD’s management practice and 51
local situation)
Table 21. Information on the resource extraction from Rema-Kelenga 53
WS
Table 22. Seasonal Calendar of Resources Exploitation in Rema-Kelenga 54
WS
Table 23. List of most influential persons in different villages in and 60
around Rema-Kelenga WS
Table 24. Trend in relative changes of occupation in Rema-Kelenga WS 65
Table 25 Trend in changes in some socio-economic 67
Table 26. Seasonal changes in some socio-economic matrix 68
Table 27. Local problem, reason and possible solution 69

Table 28. Pairwise ranking of some local problems 69
Table 29. Information on family decision-making 70
Table 30. Mobility and participation in social events and access to credit 71
and IGA by male and female in Rema-Kelenga area
Table 31. Seasonal workload of male and female for Basulla villages of 71
WS area
Table 32. Seasonal workload of male and female for Tribal villages of 71
WS area
Table 33. Comparison of educational status of male and female in Rema- 73
Kelenga area

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. A two-step rapid appraisal process, initial RRA, followed by subsequent PRA,
was undertaken to make a comprehensive situational analysis of the Rema-
Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary during May-July, 2004, aiming at helping to shape
the future activities for the improved management of the WS within the Nishorgo
Support Project. Specifically, the appraisals focused on the assessment of major
stakeholders, understanding causes for the forest degradation and its underlying
facts, identifying the challenges for the project and exploring the opportunities for
its improved management. In addition to application of various RRA and PRA
tools, like trend and seasonal analysis, venn diagramming, livelihood analysis,
ranking, scoring, resource mapping etc., a series of household and group
interviews, and focus group discussions were also conducted.
2. A total of 36 villages having varying degrees of stake with the WS have been
identified, of them one located inside, 9 at the boundary of the WS and 23 are
located outside of the WS. Of the identified villages, in and adjacent villages (on
the boundary) have major stakes with the WS, as all of its HHs are dependent on
the various resources of the forest. Among outside villages, six villages have
medium stake, 15 villages have minor-medium stakes and five villages have
minor stakes with the WS. The majority of the fuelwood collectors mainly come
from Jamburachara, Krishnanagar, Kabilashpur, Himalia, Alinagar, Basulla,
Borjum, Kholishabosti, Chonkhola and Khatamara and Harinmara, Jaliabosti,
Amirpur, Bhuiyatala and the illegal tree feller mainly come from Alinagar,
Basulla, Kabilashpur, Himalia, Harinmara, and Jamburachara, Atikpur, Amirpur,
Bhuiyatali and Laturgaon. Of the identified villages, 10 are forest villages and
again, 8 of them are tribal villages. Besides, there are about 21 villages outside the
Tarap Hill Reserved Forest (5-8 Km away from Rema-Kalenga WS) which have
minor to medium stakes.

3. There are two tea estates which have stakes with the WS. One of them, Rema Tea
Estate, borders with the WS and has minor-medium level of stakes with the forest,
as some labor from the estate infiltrate the forest for resource collection and also
the estate is used as a route for transporting fuelwood and timber. The other
estate, Hoogli tea estate, has minor stake, as some laborers and unemployed
people are involved with illegal resource extraction from the WS.
4. Based on resource exploitation, a total of 12 primary and 4 secondary SH groups

have been identified in the area. Of the primary SH, fuelwood collector has major
stakes with the WS, while bamboo and building material collectors and
agriculture cultivators have medium level of stakes with the WS and the rest have
minor to negligible stakes. Of the secondary SH groups, fuelwood traders have
medium and the rest have minor stakes with the WS.
5. Forest villagers exploit most resources from the WS, followed by local poor
people, other local users and tea garden labor.
6. About 200-250 (in average about 200 people/day) people enter the WS for
fuelwood collection every day. The collectors are usually male and female,
children. In average, 150-200 monds (37.5 kg = 1 maund) of fuelwood is removed
from the forest each day. However, collection of fuelwood is mainly done during
the dry months. According to local people, about 15-20% inside and adjacent HHs
collect bamboo from the WS.
7. All forest villagers are dependent on the forest for their HH needs for fuelwood
and house building materials. Many HHs also depend partially or entirely on the
collection of fuelwood, bamboo, other building materials, for their livelihood
support. They also collect some vegetables, fruits and other NTFPs from the
forest for their HH needs and also hunt wildlife. Many HHs, mainly the poor,
from the outside villages, entirely or partially dependent on the collection of
fuelwood, timber, bamboo collection. Illegal tree felling from WS is limited as

valued timber trees very less available in the WS. Timber felling mainly takes
place in the reserved part of Rema-Kalenga Reserved Forest.
8. As per local people perception, the forest cover has decreased by only about 15-
20%, compared to pre-liberation period. On the other hand, forest thickness and
abundance of tall trees have decreased approx. by 40%. The abundance of herbs
and shrubs decreased by about 35-40% and sungrass by about 80% primarily due
to over exploitation of these resources. Indigenous bamboo now remains by 50-
60%. Except birds, the abundance of major wildlife has also decreased by more
than 60%. The abundance of medicinal plants has also decreased by about 50-
60%. The abundance of fruit bearing trees have decreased by 60%.Medicinal
plants have decreased by about 60%.
9. By now, many wildlife have become extinct from the forest. Among the extinct
animals, tiger, samba (deer), chitah, goyal (wild cow), titir, kakatua etc. are
notable. Some other wildlife, like small deer (barking deer), bear, meso bagh,
wild dog, gibbon, python, wildfowl, cobra, vultures, turtles etc. have also become
variously threatened.
10. Compared to pre-liberation period, activities like fuelwood collection have

increased by about 80%. On the other hand, collection of bamboo decreased by
about 40%, mainly due to decreased stock of bamboo, and honey by about 80%
owing to unavailability of the resource. Hunting of wildlife has also decreased by
more than 80% mainly due to serious decline in the resource.
11. About 15 different types of resource are extracted from Rema-Kalenga WS. Of
them, fuelwood and bamboo are collected on a large scale, trees as house building
materials are collected at a medium scale, 5 other resource types, including
timber, on a minor scale and the rest are collected on a negligible scale. The main
purposes for resource extraction are meeting HH needs, selling for added
income/and or to support and supplement livelihood. Fuelwood and bamboo

collection, collection of house building materials, hunting, timber felling (limited)
etc. are posing threats to the forest and has a huge impact on forest regeneration
and local biodiversity.
12. Extraction of resources from the forest is season dependant. Fuelwood is mainly
collected round the year, but predominantly during dry season due to easy
accessibility and mobility inside the forest. Bamboos extraction mainly takes
place in drier months that corresponds to local needs for house building and mat
making.
13. Major causes for the degradation to forest in order of magnitude are as follows:
fuelwood and bamboo collection, collection of house building materials, hunting,
tree felling, agricultural activities and grazing by livestock etc. The prevailing
extreme poverty in the locality, unemployment, coupled with weak law
enforcement situation made poor local people to be reliant on the forest resources
for meeting HH needs and added income. Scarcity in the availability of these
resources in the locality are also the underlying causes for forest use. It is unlikely
to prevent the illegal forest extraction activities unless these underlying causal
factors are addressed.
14. FD’s poor forest patrol, easy negotiation with local FD staff and inadequate
manpower of FD is all contributing to illegal timber felling. Increased fuelwood
collection has also been linked to development of transportation system and
marketing opportunities.
15. In addition to local consumption at HH level and by local hotel and restaurants, a
substantial amount of fuelwood is transported to other urban areas. The main
centers for fuelwood trading in the locality are Gazipur Bazar (2-3 traders) ,
Lalmukh Bazar, Sindhur Khan Bazar (2-3 traders), and Chunarughat (5-6 traders).
16. As revealed by limited HH survey, among the forest villages HHs, about 4-5 %
belong to middle class, 70-80% are poor and 16-20% are extreme poor. Among

the outside villages, 2-5% HHs are rich, 10-15% middle class, 60-70% poor and
15-20% are extreme poor. The major primary occupation of the tribal forest
villagers is agriculture day labor, day labor in plantations, mat making and
agriculture, fuelwood collection. The primary occupation of outside and Bangalee
HHs is agriculture (70-75%%), principally paddy cultivation, followed by
agriculture day labor (15-20%), and bamboo, fuelwood collection and timber
felling (5-7%), small business (1-2%), service (1-2%) and overseas employment
(1-2%). The secondary occupation of outside villagers is fuelwood collection,
bamboo collection and day labor etc.
17. The literacy rate is low in the locality, adult literacy is only about 15-20% and
total literacy rate is about 30-35%. Of them, 80-85% people have primary
education, 10-15% have studied in the High Schools and 3-5% studied in the
colleges and above. However, literacy rates among the ethnic community are
lower than the average mentioned above. Among the outside people, about 6-8%
people are unemployed, this figure increases manifold during period of Aswin and
Kartik also Chaitra and Baisakh. Among the forest villagers the unemployment
rate is comparatively higher.
18. The local power structure remains as a crucial issue to the management of the
sanctuary. There are about 27 local influential people, who actually have major
control over the local people and locality and even over local administration. The
local public representatives are very influential and are main sources for local
conflict resolution. The tribal people have their traditional way of governance of
their community. The headman in each forest village is the most influential
person and has a strong command over his community.
19. The major local problems as identified by the local people are poverty,
unemployment, education, road communication, availability of safe drinking
water, lack of electricity etc.

20. There is a mixed ethnic community, dominated by Tipra, located inside the WS
and the reserved part of the forest and have about 165 HHs. They are recognized
as forest villagers and have agreement with the FD. They patrol the forest with
FD staff and plant about 1200 saplings every year each family at their own cost in
the reserved part of the forest. They have skills in mat making and weaving. Many
HHs are involved with bamboo mat making and weaving for supporting their
livelihood. It has been reported that about 60% of land allocated to them by the
FD are leased out to others out of the community on 1-3 years basis. They exploit
most types of forest resources require for their HH needs.
21. The major NGOs that operate in the locality are: ASA, BRAC, PASA, BRDB,
Grameen Bank, etc.. Their major activities are concentrated on health, education
and alternate income generation. Some of them have credit programs exclusively
for the women. There is only one local community organization called Village
Development Program having 64 members, but located outside of the WS.
22. Most NGOs and banks provide micro-credit to local people. Bank loans mainly
given for agriculture. NGOs provide credit mainly for IGA. NGO’s IGA
programs concentrate on small business, poultry, livestock rearing etc. and their
activities mainly focused on the women. Skill development activities by the
NGOs are limited. The tribal people have skills in weaving and mat making.
23. The main sources of conflict among local people include land disputes,
livestock grazing, children affairs, marriage related matters, money lending and
transaction, local election a\nd politics, family affairs, etc. Conflicts are resolved
by arbitration by local elites & public representatives (UP chairman and
members,), headman (in casew of ethnic community) Gram Sarker. If the local
efforts are not fruitful it may lead to filing cases with Thana-police, courts. It is to
be mentioned that conflicts are very less in case of ethnic community.

24. Major concerns regarding forest biodiversity conservation and
management include fuelwood, bamboo and building materials collection,
hunting, tree felling, agricultural activities, local power and unemployment, local
dependence on the forest resources, weak forest patrol etc. . The challenges for
the project seem to be curbing/stopping resource extraction, reducing local
poverty and unemployment etc.
25. Local people are aware about the RF in Rema-Kalenga, not about the existence
of WS. They know about some restrictions on resource collection. People,
particularly inside villagers, are worried about the decline in forest resource.
Inside people appeared to be very cooperative. The outside villagers showed
curiosity about the project. However, the overall initial response to the project is
good and encouraging.

ACRONYMS
Acronym Detailed name
AGA Alternate Income Generating Activities
ASA Association for Social Advancement
BDR Bangladesh rifles
BO Beat Office
BRAC Bangladesh Rural advancement Committee
BRDB Bangladesh Rural Development Board
BREB Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board
CBO Community based Organization
CODEC Community Development Centre
Dept. Department
DFO Divisional Forest Officer
FD Forest department
FGD Focus Group Discussion
Fig. Figure
FRMP Forest Resource Management Plan
FSP Forestry Sector Project
GD Group Discussion
Govt. Government
HHs Households
IGA Income generating Activities
Int. Interview
IRG International Resource Group
kg Kilogram
KI Key Informant Interview
LGED Local Government Engineering Department
Mat. Material
MP Member of Parliament
NACOM Nature Conservation Management
NGO Non Government Organization
NP National Park
PA Protected Area
PDB Power Development Board
PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal
RDRS Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Development Society
RO Range Office
RRA Rapid Rural Appraisal
SH Stakeholder
TE Tea Estate
Tk. Taka
UP Union Parisad
WS Wildlife Sanctuary

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background

In Bangladesh, natural forests are under constant pressure and have already been
significantly been degraded and fragmented. In an estimate, forest cover in the country
has fallen by more than 50% since 1970.This situation is threatening the value of these
forests as habitat for biodiversity and for provision of vital environmental services. If this
trend continues, it will soon result in a serious ecological catastrophe and a declining
spiral of production and productivity irreversibly detrimental to the livelihood of people
living in and around the WS, historically dependant on them. Therefore, there is an
urgent need to reduce or reverse the detrimental impact on forest biodiversity and
maintain resource sustainability through improved management and creating alternate
livelihood opportunities for people dependent on forest resources.
The concern for biodiversity assets in the country has a long history and Bangladesh has
a strong commitment to the cause of biodiversity conservation from the national, regional
and global perspective as reflected in its endorsement and ratification of many national,
regional and international conventions, treaties, protocols etc. related to biodiversity
conservation.
The alarming situation in forest degradation in the country and the governments
commitment to national and international community, spurred government effort to
designate and establish a number of protected areas, (including National Park, Wildlife
Sanctuary and Game Reserve,) with biodiversity significance under the provision of
Wildlife Preservation Act, 1973. But there has been a little change in the degrading
situation of these PAs with regard to biodiversity and its environmental services. Poor
governance and lack of appropriate and pragmatic management regimes for these PAs
has been linked to the failure in PA management in the country.

Responding to the urgent need to address the forest conservation and related economic
opportunity creation, the US Government and Government of Bangladesh elaborated and
signed a Strategic Objective (SO 6) Grant Agreement to improve management of open
water and tropical forest resources. This agreement sets target for improving forest
management
In the context of the agreement, the Forest Department has worked with USAID to jointly
develop a project, called Co-management of Tropical Forest Resources of Bangladesh., to
accelerate and consolidate protected area management and more active local participation
in forest resource management. The Forest Department and USAID recognize the need
for the continued effort to manage the forest resources of Bangladesh and has set long-
term greater vision with renaming the project as Nishorgo Support Project.
The Nishorgo Support Project (NSP) is to demonstrate a replicable case for establishing a
good governance system that will ensure sustainable management of protected areas of
Bangladesh, while working in a number of selected pilot protected areas. Specifically, the
project is designed to develop, promote and implement forest co-management model, to
halt and/or reverse degrading trend in forest resources and its habitats, reduce
unsustainable practices, bring about changes in policy environment in favor of co-
management, strengthen stakeholders capacity in natural resource management, improve
livelihood of local poor people in order to curb dependency on forest resources.
1.2 Information Needs Of NSP And Logical Basis For

Conducting PRA/RRA
For any project, development or research, information are needed for designing and
planning project interventions, setting implementation strategies, evaluation and
monitoring of project performance and impact. Information at the initial stages of the
project thus helps the project in carrying out its activities effectively and efficiently.

It has been emphasized from the beginning that that NSP will avoid information
overload, rather it will concentrate on collection of relevant information by using
appropriate methodology. Therefore, it was necessary to carefully scrutinize the
information needs and determine its relevance to the project objectives and activities.
The generation of information, in principle, is guided by project objectives and goals. The
NSP is particularly concerned with the establishment of co-management mechanism of
forest resources in one hand and developing a prescription for the technical management
of its resources, on the other hand. Therefore, generation of information is thus centered
on the characterization of local community (stakeholders) likely to be involved with the
project and local resources that are to be managed.
• Co-management -----stakeholders and their activities, socio-economics, behavior,

community power structure, their needs and expectations, conflict, challenges etc.
• Resource management ---- resources and its status, trend and causes for resource
degradation, resource exploitation, threats to local resources and biodiversity
This preliminary assessment of information needs for NSP through scooping exercises
provided precursors for brainstorming for identifying specific information needs that will
be collected through subsequent appraisals. It was thought that at the initial stage of the
project a rapid appraisal would be very appropriate in terms of cost effectiveness,
usefulness, reliability, and overcoming time constraints.
Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)/Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) are packages of

methods and tools for collection of qualitative information about local people, their life,
environment, their resources, activities and living conditions in a short time. The purpose
is to utilize knowledge of the local people in designing and setting implementation
strategies of a project/program and /or to monitor and evaluate project performances and
impact. It is also considered as a process for involving local people in the project
planning and /or implementation and monitoring. In fact, RRA/PRA is thus considered as

an integral part in down-top planning process in many development or resource
conservation projects.
RRA was carried out as an initial activity in the field with primary focus on stakeholder
assessment and also equally intended for generating information that will help to get a
sense of range of key issues and challenges that need to be addressed and be better
informed on the context (social, economic, ecological) in which the project is likely to
intervene.
Built upon the outcome of the RRA, subsequently PRA was planned to collect in depth
information on the identified issues and to ensure greater participation of local people in
information collection.
1.3 Purpose of The Report

The main purpose of the present report is to present a synthesis of all findings from RRA
and PRA exercises. The report also details the methodology and tools used and highlights
the issues and identifies the challenges for the NSP. Finally, the report makes a set of
recommendations for the improved management of the WS.
1.4 Outline of The Report

The site level appraisal report, at first, provides an executive summary which summarizes
the entire ranges of the findings, methods used, issues and challenges identified during
PRA. The report starts with general introduction in Chapter 1 that includes the
background information of the project, information needs of NSP and logical basis for
conducting PRA/RRA, the purpose of the report etc. A brief description of the site is
provided with a site map in Chapter 2.
Chapter 3 sets out the methodology of the study that deals with the approach taken for
the implementation of the fieldwork of RRA and PRA, study team and study period,
objectives and methodology of the study. The chapter also includes study period, setting
RRA and PRA issues and questions, formation of RRA and PRA field teams , selection

of RRA and PRA spots, choice of RRA and PRA methods and tools and the limitation of
the field work. Outcomes of the RRA and PRA exercises are described in chapter 4
which contain major findings and analyses. The findings are mainly presented as
situational analysis of the forest resources, stakeholder analysis, resource and resource
extraction, trend analysis, socio-economical situation of the surrounding area, seasonal
trends in resource extraction, etc. In short, this chapter reflects the current status of the
forest dynamics with social dynamics.
Chapter 5 presents issues and challenges for NSP, an extended section based on
PRA/RRA outcomes, identifying present issues of concern and challenges for NSP and
highlights the opportunities for the project. The final Chapter 6 embodies a set of
suggestions and recommendations regarding the implementation of the project. At last a
number of necessary references of all documents consulted and photographs are
appended as annexure with the report.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE
The Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Gazipur and Ranigaon Unions of
Chunarughat Upazila in the district of Habigonj. The forest is under the jurisdiction of
Habigonj-2 Forest Range of Sylhet Forest Division and is divided into three forest beats,
namely Rema, Chonbari and Kalenga forest beats. The sanctuary lies in between 24006’-
24014’ – N and 91036’ – 91039’ E. The southeastern boundary of the sanctuary lies along
the Indian borders at Tripura State.
Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Taraphill Reserved Forest and was
established through a gazette notification in 1982 and further extended by another gazette
notification in 1996. The Sanctuary covers a total area of 1795 ha.
The sanctuary encompasses several hills fo different elevations and the low laying
valleys. The highest peak of the hills is about 67 m from the sea level. There are a series
of ridges on the hills running in different directions, and valleys, locally known as Lunga
with flowing water during monsoon but dry up during winter. Three main channels with
many tributaries, called Chara, criss-cross the sanctuary.
The hills of Rema-Kalenga are composed of upper Tertiary rocks with sandstone,
siltstones and mudstones. Soils of then sanctuary vary from clay to sandy loam
exceedingly fertile and have low pH. In some cases, soil texture consists of yellowish red
sandy clay mixed with granules of magniferous iron ore. The sanctuary enjoys a most
tropical climate characterized by a period of precipitation from April to September and
five months of relatively dry period from November to March. There are also two
shallow wetlands, locally called jheels.
The forest is semi-/and mixed evergreen, where tall trees are deciduous and the under
storey evergreen. About 76% of the forest is still in natural condition, plantations only
cover about 9% area of the forest. However, the forest has become thin. Paddy is
cultivated in some areas in between the valleys, particularly in the northern part of the

sanctuary and covers only 5% area of the forest. Secondary information collected on the
sanctuary shows that the forest supports about 634 plant species, 7 species of amphibians,
18 species of reptiles, 167 species of birds and 37 species of mammals.
There is one forest village, inhibited by Tipra tribe, located within the sanctuary.
However, there are other forest villages which stands at the boundary between the
reserved forest and the wildlife sanctuary. Most of those are inhabited by tribal
community. Adjacent land use cover includes long-rotational reserved forest, tea estate,
converted agricultural lands and khas land.
Human pressure on the sanctuary is in fact buffered by the adjacent reserved part of the
forest. However, fuelwood collection and collection of building materials by the inside
and adjacent HHs pose a threat to the biodiversity. Land encroachment in the past still
remains as a source of conflict with the FD. Illicit tree felling, agricultural activities,
livestock grazing are also causing threats to the sanctuary.

Map of Rema-Kelenga Wildlife Sanctuary
Settlements in and around the WS
N
(not to Scale)
Hoogli
Parkul T.E
Chimaila
Jamburachara
Kelenga bari
Harinmar Kalibari Hatimara
a Range office Krishnachara
Kelenga BO
Himalia
Wildlife
Lalkear BDR. Camp Tower
Nischintapur Monglibari
India
Puranbari
Muchikandi Chokiberbari
purbapara Chonbari
Barabda
Chonbari BO Debrabari
Basulla
Kabilashpur
Alinagar
Krishnanagar Rema Forest
Village
Khaway River
Legend
Rema B.O
Pressure
Rema T.E
WS boundary
TE boundary
BDR Camp
Tarap hill forest
boundary
India
Kacha road
Purba Pahar
Fig. 1 boundary
3. METHODOLOGY
As mentioned in the preceding section a two-step rapid appraisal strategy was taken.
RRA was conducted as the first in the appraisal process, followed by PRA.
RRA was carried out as an initial activity in the field with a primary focus on generating
information that would help to get a sense of the range of stakeholders, key issues and
challenges that need to be addressed and provide information on the context (social,
economic, ecological) in which the project will operate.
Built upon the outcome of the RRA, a subsequent PRA exercise collected in-depth
information on the identified issues and was designed to ensure greater participation of
local people in information collection.
The overall purpose of the RRA and PRA was to come up with a comprehensive
situational analysis of the Rema-Kelenga WS with a view to understand: -
• Who destroys and how the forest is destroyed
• What are the underlying driving forces for the forest degradation
• Cause and effects of the behavior of local people
• Opportunities for improvement in forest management
3.1 Developing The RRA and PRA: Issues and

Methods
A interactive and consultative planning workshop was organized on 3rd April to 4th April
2004 at NSP north office, Srimongal, to identify, prioritize and finalize the RRA issues
and questions. The type and nature of issues, the research team’s accessibility and
mobility in the area, the behavior of local people and their rapport with the field staff
were all taken into consideration in the design of these methods and tools. The workshop
was attended by specialists and representatives from NACOM, field implementation

partners (RDRS) and local FD staff, who were likely to be involved in the RRA field
exercise. This workshop provided an opportunity to prepare a field protocol, decide and
agree on approaches, methods and tools to be used and also to make and consolidate team
understanding.
The detailed methodology for these activities was embodied in a manual and used in
training workshops with the field teams to give instruction in using the research tools and
to ensure that the methodology remained same across the team and across the sites. A
one-day training workshop was organized for the RRA team members on 8th May 2004.
A similar workshop was also held for PRA on 22th June. The purpose was to give the
RRA and PRA field team instructions in using various tools. The workshop was held at
the BTRI Training Centre, Srimongol, on RRA and PRA, respectively. .
The RRA was mainly based on unstructured and semi-structured household interviews,
KI interviews, group interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). A limited number of
other RRA tools were also used like trend analysis, seasonal analysis, sketch mapping
etc. The issues and activities covered in the RRA are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Selected RRA Issues For Rema-Kelenga WS, Specific

Activities And Tools Used
Sl. RRA Issues Specific activities Tools Used Participants

1 Stakeholder - Identification of settlements, HHs Local HHs
Assessment resource users, local Interview, Local school teacher,
institutions and agencies and KI, FGD, Doctor
organization, community GD, Sketch Community people
organizations etc and their mapping (villagers, elites etc)
roles and activities Local community
people
Local people
2 SH - Settlement wise no. of Secondary Local union parishad
Demographic HHs/population HHs heads/members
profile Info Community people
- HH occupation, education, School/College
forest use, land holding teachers & local public

HH Int., KI, representatives
GD, FGD
Trend
Analysis
3 SH Economic - HH primary and secondary HH Int. HHs heads/members

Activities/ income sources of HH GD
Livelihood - Richness/poverty
Strategies and - Unemployment and its KI Teacher, retired
Human seasonal trend officers, old people
Capital - Credit and alternate income FGD Public representative
Development generating opportunities Seasonal Local elite
- Skill and skill development Calendar Community people
opportunities Forest villagers
- Seasonal workload of male and
female
4 Gender Issues - General impression on living HH Int. HHs heads
standard, education and health GD Women group
status etc. FGD Community people
- Participation in decision KI, Local elites
making (household and PA Direct
management) RRA team members.
- Women mobility in the area observation
- Access to IGA and credit etc
5 Behavior of - Initial response of the local FGD Local community

local people people and FD staff towards GD FD staff
the project
HH int. HHs heads
- Sources of conflict and conflict
resolution
6 Local Level - Awareness and perceptions HH int. HHs heads
Awareness about resource degradation and
conservation GD Local community
- Willingness for resource
conservation FGD FD staff
- Awareness about the existence
of nearby park/game reserve
and reserved forest
- Knowledge about forest and
wildlife preservation acts
7 Resources - Trend in changes in major Trend Local people/FD staff
/resource resource bases
status - Endangered/extinct plant and Local HHs heads
animals FD staff

analysis, Community people
- Causes for the decline in Local educated old,
different resources HH int,
FGD
GD
KI
8 Resource - Major forest resources HH int, Local HHs heads
exploitation collected, including NTFPs: FGD, Public represenatatives
- Reasons and extent of & FD staff
exploitation of different forest GD Community people
resources KI, Local educated old,
- Dependency on the
forest/forest products Trend Local elite and FD
- Seasonal trend in resource analysis, staff
exploitation seasonal HHs interview and KI
- Future risks calendar
- Medicinal plant uses and
reason for not using these
9 Resource - Plantation status in the locality Secondary Secondary data from
regeneration - Problem with natural Information, FD
practices regeneration in the forest FD staff
FGD,
- Plant nursery Community people
GD,
- General land use pattern in the KI, Local elite, teacher
buffer zone
- Major agricultural crop Community people
Seasonal
- Seasonal pattern in agriculture calendar
10 Legal aspects - Access to the forest by locals FGD FD staff and forest
- Forest villagers and land use villagers
agreement GD Local community and
- Conflict and negotiation with local govt. members
FD staff KI Local elites
- Land encroachment/recovery
- Law enforcement mechanisms
in the PA FGD FD staff, community
- Illegal tree felling and forest people
cases
KI Teacher, ex-officers,
11 Power - Local influential and their role, HH int, Local HHs heads
structure local hierarchy
- Nature and sources of power FGD, Local community and
and their domain of influence local govt.
- Conflict and conflict resolution GD, Local community
- Social cohesion and adhesion
KI Local elites
12 Others - Access to areas and HH int, HHs heads

settlements FGD, Local community and
- NGO activities in the locality local govt.
- Challenges for conservation GD, Local people & FD
- Local problems staff
- Mobility in the area KI Local elites
PRA issues and questions were developed by a three-person team of experts on the basis
of field experience and outcomes of the RRA exercise. During the PRA, tools like Venn
diagramming, resource mapping, seasonal analysis, trend analysis, livelihood analysis
etc., were used in addition to interviews, focus groups and more informal discussions.
More than one tool was used to research any particular issue to allow the research teams
to triangulate the information gathered. The issues and activities performed in the PRA
are summarized in Table 2.
Table 2. PRA Issues, Specific Activities Performed And Tools Used

In Rema-Kelenga WS
Sl. Issues Specific activities Tools used Participants

1 Forest make up -observation on forest physiography and Transect walk PRA Team
dynamics topography and forest make up KI Local elite,
FD staff
-land use cover, resource exploitation and Resource FD staff and

regeneration areas, animal distribution mapping village
Secondary headman,
data, FGD,KI forest
villagers.
-changes in forest cover, thickness, Trend
vegetaion, settlements, animals and analysis Local people
availability of resources and FD staff,
forest
villagers
2 Local governance - Decision makers--- influential people Venn diagram Community
system and - people
community - Local community organizations and Ven diagram Community
structure and institutions and their linkages
functions - Local conflict and conflict resolution Venn diagram As above
- Social cohesion and adhesion
- Collective action FGD/GD As above and

- Local problem, cause and possible FGD & GD local elite
solution and Ranking
3 Livelihood Income and expenditure sources, Wealth Women group

strategies Livestock, Richness and poverty ranking and local
HH interview people
4 Gender issue - Family decision making Decision Women group
making
- mobility Women group
Chart
- workload Women group
Mobility map
- Education and access to credit Women and
Daily and local educated
people
seasonal work
chart
HHs Int. &
FGD
5 Fuel wood - Information on collector FGD & GD, Fuel wood
collection - Purpose and driving force for seasonal collector,
collection analysis community
- Dependence on the extraction for their people, local
livelihood and its extent hotel and tea
- Uses and marketing channel of the stall owners
resource
- Level of extraction and seasonality
- Conflict with FD or other people over
the extraction
- Negotiation for carrying out the
activity
- Alternate source for the collection of
the resources
- Needs and expectation of the collector
- Impact on the forest and future risks
for the collector
6 - Information collector FGD, GD and Illegal timber
Illegal timber - key people behind the activity and KI feller, FD
felling network staff and
- Purpose and driving force for community
collection people,
- uses and marketing channels and teacher and
dependence local elite
- What encourages them to take up the
activity

- Anybody protect them, if they are in
problem
- Protection by FD or by any other
agencies (e.g. Police etc.)
- conflict and negotiation with FD or
other people Seasonal
- needs and expectation of the feller calendar and
- impact on the forestand future risks trend analysis
for the illegal feller
- Seasonalities and trend in timber
extraction
7 Collection of - Information on collector FGD, GD and Community
trees as building - purpose and reasons for collection KI people, FD
materials - uses of the resource and extent of staff , , forest
extraction villagers,
- dependence on the extraction and local public
marketing representative
- conflict and negotiation with FD or and elite
other people over the extraction
- alternate source for the collection of
the resources
- needs and expectation of the collector
- impact on the forest and future risk for
the collector
8 Bamboo and cane - Information on collector FGD, GD Bamboo and
collection - purpose and reasons for collection cane collector,
- uses of the resource and extent of community,
extraction people and
- dependence on the extraction and FD staff
marketing
- conflict and negotiation with FD or
other people over the extraction
- alternate source for the resources
- needs and expectation of the collector Seasonal Bamboo
- impact on the forest and future risk for calendar and collector and
the trend analysis local people
- seasonal changes and trend in
abundance
9 Information on - Distribution of forest villager’s & FGD Forest
Forest villagers ethnic communities settlements villagers,
& Ethnic Ethnic
Community - Registered and actual number of forest Secondary Community
villagers data and
- Compliances to FD agreement FD staff
- Present economic activities FDs villagers
- Resources exploitation and register

dependence on forest resources
- land encroachment by the forest
villagers or by their dependant
- relationship and conflict with FD
- internal governance system
- needs and expectation
10 Lemon - distribution of Lemon yards within FGD Lemon
cultivation and approximation of its number cultivator
- historical perspective of flourishing
the activity in the area GD FD staff
- information on cultivator
- ownership of land GD Local
- dependence on the activity community
- Impact on the forest resources
- Conflict with FD
Each PRA tool was used to collect information about more than one issue, as shown
below:
Venn diagramming: local power structure, local community organizations, local

institutions and agencies, local conflict and conflict resolution, family decision making,
mobility of women & men, local NGO/CBOs
Seasonal calendar: fuelwood, bamboo and timber collection, unemployment, workload,

accessibility to forest, transportation problem, brickfield/sawmill operation, forest patrol,
agricultural activities, collection of building materials, hunting, vegetable collection,
damages by elephant, sand collection, sungrass extraction.
Trend analysis: forest cover, forest thickness, tall trees, herbs and shrubs, forest use,
unemployment, local solvency, land encroachment, settlement/population
solvency/income, livelihood expenditure, literacy, unemployment, use of forest for
income, use of forest for HH needs, transportation and mobility, homestead plantation,
food scarcity, credit and IGA, occupation, damages by elephant, wildlife, hunting, illegal
tree felling, fuel wood collection, bamboo and cane collection, fruit bearing trees in the
wild, livestock, turtles and tortoises, agricultural activities, medicinal plants.

Ranking and scoring: local problem ranking, wealth ranking, and livelihood analysis
Transect walk: Soil, vegetation, land use, elevation, crops, wildlife, human activities etc
Forest resource mapping: forest land use cover, resource zones, resource exploitation
zones, animal distribution, settlements.
3.2 Fieldwork Preparation
3.2.1. Selection of RRA and PRA Sites
On the basis of information provided by local FD staff and the field implementing NGO
(RDRS), various sample locations were selected for the purpose of information
collection. These locations are hence called RRA and PRA spots. The selection of
locations was based on a number of selection criteria. The selection process was
completed during planning workshop. While the number of sites visited during the RRA
was limited, the team focused on gaining an overview of issues covering the whole of the
Reserve Forest area. However, because of the size and geographical location of the RF, it
became clear there would have to be a trade off between the size of the study area and the
depth and quality of the information collected. Therefore, a decision was made that the
PRA would focus on only issues and stakeholders relating to the management of forest
within the Rema-kelenga WS area. A list of the selected RRA and PRA spots for Rema-
kelenga WS is given in Tables 3 and 4.

Table 3. List Of Selected Rra Spots & Schedule For Visited In Rema-Kelenga WS
Date Name of spots (villages) visited Remarks

08/05/2004 Team arrived
Orientation and Location
Srimangal on 07
briefing session May, 2004. Stayed at
on RRA field Tea board rest house
exercise at Tea
Board
16/05/2004 Appointment were
Rema Beat and Villages adjacent to
made prior to visits
Rema forest WS.
village
17/05/2004
Kalenga Beat Villages adjacent to
and Kalenga and outside of WS, to
forest villages the north eastern side
of the WS
18/05/2004 Went to these
Jamburachara Villages adjacent to
villages from
village and the WS, to the Srimangal
Hooglechara northeast of the WS
Table 4. PRA Schedule, Spots And PRA Activities In Rema-Kalenga WS
Date Beat Village/ Performed activities Remarks

Location
29/6/04 Rema Rema Forest FGD (1) FGD with Tribal & muslim community to
village HH interview (3) know illegal timber felling, fuel wood
(Balumara) Social Mapping & collection, forest dynamics, and problem-
Forest Resource ranking etc. and HH interview with female
Mapping participants.

30/6/04 Basulla GD (1), KI (1), GD with local community, KI with gram
HH interview (4) sarker head, HH inter view with female
Social Mapping participants.
1/7/04 Kelenga Kelenga bari FGD (1) FGD with FD staff KI with headmen, HH
forest village KI (1) inter view with female participants.
HH interview (4)
Social Mapping &
Forest Resource
Mapping
Chakidarbari FGD (1) FGD with villagers Social Mapping with
Social Mapping headman and other Participants.
3/7/04 Chonbari Mongoliabari FGD (1) FGD with tribal community HH interview
HH interview (4) with female Participants. social mapping
Social Mapping & with headman of the village
Forest Resource
Mapping
Chonbari FGD (1) FGD with tribal community HH interview
HH interview (3) with female Participants. social mapping
Social Mapping with headman of the village
Debrabari FGD (1) FGD with tribal community, social
Social Mapping mapping with headman of the village
04/07/04 Kelenga Jamburachari GD (1), GD with community group, KI with
KI (1) headmaster of primary school jamburachari
HH interview (4), HH interview with female participant
Social Mapping
Hatimara FGD (1), FGD with tribal community group, KI with
KI (1), headman of the village,
3.2.2 Formation of RRA and PRA Field Teams
The RRA field teams were formed with representatives from NACOM, RDRS and FD
local staff, having biological and sociological background. The teams make up for the
RRA and PRA field exercises are provided in the table 5 and 6. During RRA two
separate RRA field teams were formed, each team consisting of 4-5 members. And
during PRA, three separate PRA field teams were formed, each team consisting of 2
members. The teams worked simultaneously in the field, but at different locations.

Table 5. RRA Team for Rema-Kalenga WS
Team 1 Team 2
Name Duties/Organization Name Duties/Organization
Mr. Dhruba Team Leader, Mr. Shiba Prasad Team Leader,
Kanta Kundu NACOM Kar NACOM
Mr. Raihanul RDRS Mr. Md. Abdul RDRS
Islam Jalil
Mrs. Hellen Report Writing, Mrs. Lutfun Nahar RDRS
Rahman NACOM
Mr Haresul Islam RDRS Mr. Delowar FD
Hossain
Mr Sobhan NACOM - -
Table 6. PRA Team for Rema-kelenga WS
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3
Name Duties/ Name Duties/ Name Duties/

Organization Organization Organization
Mr. Dhruba Team Leading and Mr. Haresul Coordinating all Mr. A. Social
Kanta Kundu field exercise with Islam teams, RDRS Sobahan Mapping GD,
all teams NACOM FGD with
female group
NACOM
Mr Raihanul Trend analysis, Mr. Md. Conduct GD, Mrs. Lutfun Gender issues,
Islam Transect work, Abdul Jalil & FGD, KI with Nahar (HHs
RDRS Mr. Ataur different SH , interview,
Rahman RDRS formats fill up
with female
group) RDRS
MA Mannan Technical Person, NACOM Kate Studd Technical Person, NACOM

The RRA field exercise was conducted between 16th and 19th May 2004, and the PRA
exercise between 29th June and 4th July 2004. The detailed time schedule for the field
activities are provided in Tables 3 and 4 respectively.
3.3 Field Implementation Strategies
3.3.1. Organization of the RRA and PRA field work
The organization of field exercises involved a series of logical steps. The field teams
always made efforts to adhere to those steps. The flow of activities is shown in the
following flow chart.
Opening Protocol
Information Gathering Activities

More general activities moving towards more specific
Preliminary Analysis
Review and interactions
Information Gathering Activities

Usually very focused activities
Final Protocol/Village feedback
Triangulation and Filtering
Synthesis and Report Writing
Fig. 2. Flow of RRA/PRA Field Activities (3-4 days)

During RRA exercise, a total of 20 HHs interviews, 2 group interviews, 4 key informant
interviews, and 2 Focus group discussions (one with forest villagers of Tipra para forest
village and another with FD staff) were conducted. The other RRA tools were applied
during above mentioned interviews and discussions. Similarly, during PRA a total of HH
22 interviews, 6 Group interviews, 11 resource & social mapping and 2 focus group
discussions, 2 key informant interviews were conducted. This is summarized in Table-7.
Table 7. Summary Of Performed Activities In Rema-Kelenega WS
Appraisal Village/ Beats FGD GD KI HH Transect Forest Resource

Settlement interview and social
covered mapping
PRA 9 3 7 2 4 22 11
RRA 4 3 3 2 5 5 2
The other PRA tools were used either during the above exercise or in separate exercises
dedicated for this purpose. Further details on the implementation of the fieldwork
methods used are provided below.
3.3.2 Household (HH) interview
• Individual/HH interviews were conducted with randomly selected

interviewees, typically visiting one household at each stop.
• Both male and female respondents were considered.
• Typical HH interview last for about 1 hr – 1:30 hr
• The interviewees were not treated as respondents to a questionnaire, but active
participants in an unstructured/semi-structured interview. A checklist of issues
was used as a basis for questions, not necessarily addressing all questions in
each interview and sometimes departing from basic questions to pursue
interesting, unexpected or new information, relevant to the project and
situation.

3.3.3 Key informant (KI) interview
Key informants are local people who have extensive knowledge on the local
environment, situation and events. The purpose of this interview was to utilize them in
collecting information from them relevant to the project needs.
• KI interview was by prior appointment. A local guide helped in making
appointment with the KI. The interview was taken by paying visit to Key
informant HH or by inviting him to the team base
• A preliminary discussion with local FD staff, NSP field partner staff and
interview of local people gave adequate clue for selecting KI. Preferably
local schoolteachers, retired officials, local elites or local public
representatives would be selected as the KI.
• A typical KI interview lasted for about 1.5 hrs. The entire team took part
in the interview taking session
• As with HH interview, a similar checklist of questions was used for the
purpose of KI interview.
3.3.4 Group interview

• The purpose of the planned Group Interviews was to collect some information on
the locality and local situation based on the consensus of the local people.
• Interviews were conducted at places, preferably at local tea stalls, road junctions
and other local community places, where local people gathered spontaneously. No
formal invitation to the local people were made for participating at the group
interview.
• Mapping, seasonalities, ranking and scoring exercises, whenever possible, were
done in such group interviews.
• Typically a group interview lasted for about 1-1.5 hrs
• At least one group interview was held each day
• This was basically an unstructured interview and a checklist of issues was used as
a basis for questions

3.3.5 Focus Group Discussion
Focus Group Discussions were carried out with different professional groups, resource
user groups, local public and government representatives with a view to collect
information on specific areas.
• During PRA, FGDs were principally conducted with different stakeholder groups,
mainly with local FD staff, forest villagers, local public representatives etc. other
professional groups, like fuelwood collector, sawmill owner, etc.
• The FGDs were conducted by invitation and a local guide was used to invite the
people.
• Senior project personnel /or senior personnel from the partner NGO /and or senior
FD Official and/or experts were usually present in the FGD sessions.
3.3.6 Other PRA tools
Other PRA tools were either incorporated into the interview and discussion processes
outlined above or carried out through separate exercises dedicated for this purpose.
Resource mapping, Venn diagramming, seasonal calendaring, trend analysis, ranking,
scoring etc. were done usually in separate sessions dedicated to these activities. However,
sometimes, these exercises were also performed during group, focus group and key
informant interviews. The participants were either invited local people or local people
instantly gathered at places.
3.3.7 Direct Observation
The team while walking through the project area, talked to local people, discussed many
things and made observation on the resources, people’s behavior and their activities, etc.
These observations and informal discussions helped to triangulate collected information
and generate new questions for interview or discussions.

3.3.8 Secondary Information Collection
Some demographic data was collected from the relevant local Union Parishad sources.
The report on secondary information collection on the RF prepared under NSP was also
consulted, whenever necessary.
3.3.9. Reflection and Analysis
After each day of fieldwork, the team sat together for about 1 ½ hours for team
interaction and triangulation. The activities performed during the session included:
Reviewed information gathered that day and made summary of the
information, triangulated whenever necessary. The person designated
for report writing took note of discussions
Planned the next day’s activities
Methodological review
3.3.10 Triangulation and filtering
A single in formation may be collected by using several tools or from several sources.
The team cross-checked their results and accepted the most logical analysis. During these
feedback sessions and subsequent data analysis, team members were required to use their
own judgment to ensure the most reliable analysis of the situation was presented.
3.4 Limitations of the Fieldwork
The main limitation of the field work was that it took place during the rainy season. This
made working conditions difficult, and in particular meant that the traditional PRA
approach of participants working together to complete large scale matrices on the ground
was impossible, and researchers recorded information in note form and by completing
matrices themselves either during the group discussion or afterwards. Therefore this work
does not match the usual requirements of a PRA where information is analysed and

owned by the participants. Conditions were particularly constraining for the PRA field
team in Rema-kelenga where flooding and bad roads meant access to remote areas was
really difficult. The difficulty of access and the time required to travel to the actual sites,
meant that time actually collecting data was often limited to 4 or 5 hours a day. These
difficult conditions also meant that accessing the forests to undertake transect walks, was
also frequently impossible due to bad weather and impassable tracks.
Another limitation was that local people are not aware about the demarcation between the
reserved part of the forest and the wildlife sanctuary, as these two make a single
ecosystem. People could not distinguish between the resources and resource protected
areas. As such the researchers had to use their own judgment at arriving at many
decisions. Sometimes, overlap in information was detected later and could not be
segregated.

4. OUTCOMES
4.1 Status and Trend in The Forest
The Rema-Kalenga WS has an area of about 1795 ha and most parts of which still
support the natural vegetation. Some small areas are, however, covered by long rotational
plantations, bordering with the reserved part of the forest, while agriculture occupies
some areas, particularly in the northern part of the WS. However, as can be seen from
Fig. 3, the high forest is located in a number of small places. Most vegetation covers are
represented by high-low scattered forest, followed by low thick forest and low scattered
forest.
Secondary data collected on the forest show that there are about 7 species of amphibians,
18 species of reptiles, 167 species of birds, 37 species of mammals in the WS (NACOM
2003). Floral composition is highly diverse representing about 634 species of plants. The
dominant trees are awal, kakra, naur, hargaza, ghandgarai, hortoki, boira, jam, amloki,
dumur, kanthal, kaw, kadam, rata, chikrashi, chapalish, neem, arjun, karaoi, pahariam etc.
The major wildlife are squirrel, wild boar, barking deer, fishing cat, jungle fowl, jungle
cat, wild dog, hill moyna, hoolock gibbon, honuman, porcupine, parrot, bear, etc. As can
be seen from Fig. 4 that the major wildlife species are concentrated along the Indian
borders.
Table 8 shows the changes in forest make up, forest resources and resource extraction
related activities. According to local people perception, there has been a little changes in
forest cover. Compared to pre-liberation period the cover decreased only by 15-20%.
However, the forest thickness and abundance of tall trees decreased by about 40%.
Undergrowth herbs and shrubs have also decreased by about 35 –40%. Except bird,
wildlife have decreased by about more than 60%. Bamboo has reduced by about 50-60%.
Medicinal plants have decreased by about 60%.

Many wildlife have become extinct locally by now, including kakatua, tiger, titir, goyal,
samba deer etc. from the forest. Similarly, a number of species have become variously
threatened locally and notable of them are barking deer, bear, fishing cat, wild dog,
gibbon, python, wild fowl, porcupine, cobra, vultures, turtle etc.
Compared to pre-liberation period, activities like fuelwood collection has increased by

80%. On the other hand, bamboo collection decreased by about 40% due to decline in
bamboo stock. Agricultural activities have also flourished by about 50-60%. Hunting of
wildlife and honey collection have decreased by more than 80% due to serious decline in
the resources.

N
Wildlife watching tower
Debrabari
Forest
Village
BDR Camp
Chara
Fig. 3
N
Area of higher
Area of lower densities of
densities of wildlife
Wildlife (e.g Junglefowl,
Wildboar,
Monkey, Moyna,
Small dear, Meso
bagh, wild dog,
srigal, hoolock
etc.)
Fig -4

Table 8. Status and Trend in Changes in Resources in Rema –Kalenga WS
Issue Pre-1971 15 years Present Cause of changes

ago Future
Risk
Forest Cover 00000 0000 0000 Small scale illegal felling, over Mediu
exploitation of fuelwood, bamboo, m
building and agricultural practice etc
Forest 00000 000 000 Over exploitation of fuelwood, High
Thickness bamboo, building materials, small
scale illegal felling,
Tall trees 00000 0000 000 Illegal tree felling, natural mortality High
etc.
Undergrowth 00000 0000 000 Illegal felling, over exploitation of High
trees fuelwood bamboo and building
materials etc.
Herbs and 00000 0000 000 Excessive collection of fuelwood, Mediu
Shrubs bamboo and building materials. m
Wildlife 00000 000 00 Habitat loss, food scarcity, lack of Very
safety, hunting in the past, high
disturbances by resource collectors
Hunting and 00000 00 0 Prohibition, and unavailability of Minor
Trapping game animals and birds
Fuelwood 0 000 00000 Traditional practice of local people High
collection for HHs consumption, local poverty,
unemployment, easy access.
Bamboo and 00000 0000 000 Bamboo and cane stock decreased High
cane due to over exploitation for HHs
consumption and sale.
Fruit bearing 00000 000 00 Natural mortality, few illegal felling, Mediu
trees in the absence of fruit trees plantation for m
wild regeneration in WS area.
Medicinal 00000 000 00 Habitat destruction, over Mediu
plants exploitation of fuelwood m
collection, grazing.
Livestock 00 000 0000 Live stock increase for alternative Minor
income
Agricultural 00 000 0000 Cultivation of various agricultural Minor
activities species to recover food scarcity, new
variety cultivation.
Sun grass 0000 000 0 Over exploitation, claiming land Mediu
sunglass bed, m
Vegetables 0000 000 00 Habitat destruction, over Minor
exploitation, grazing.
Fodder 00000 000 00 As above Mediu
m
Honey 0000 00 0 Decreasing of fruit bearing trees, High
habitation destruction of natural
forest area.

4. 2 Settlements In And Around Rema-Kalenga WS
And Its Level Of Stakes With The WS
4.2.1 Villages
A total of 36 villages having varied degree of stakes with the WS has been identified. Fig.
5 shows the location of the identified villages in and around the WS. The villages belong
to 4 Unions of Chunarughat and Srimongal Upazila. In Rema-Kalenga WS, only one
village (namely Debrabari of Tribal community) is located inside the WS and another 9
forest villages at the boundary of the WS and the reserved forest and the rest are located
outside of the WS. The outside villages are in the range of 2-5 km as the WS is
immediately bordered by Tarap Hill Reserve Forest is in west and northern side of the
WS. Table 9 provides information on the inside and adjacent villages HH number, its
location and level of stakes with WS.
Identified inside and adjacent villages (on the boundary) have major stakes with the WS,
as all of its HHs are dependent on the various resources of the forest. Among outside
villages, six villages have medium stake (namely Jamburachara, Harinmara, Jalia bosti,
Amirpur, Bhuiyatali and Laturgaon), 15 villages have minor-medium stakes (namely,
Atikpur, Kalikapur, Borjush, Jibdorchara, Himalia, Amtala, Alinagar, Basulla,
Kabilashpur, Gazinagar, Cheganagar Borjum, Kholishabosti, Chonkhola and Khatamara)
and five villages (Nishchintyapur, Lalkear, Barabda, Chamaltoli, Krishnanagar) have
minor stakes with the WS (Table10). The majority of the fuelwood collectors mainly
come from Jamburachara, Krishnanagar, Kabilashpur, Alinagar, Basulla, Himalia and
Harinmara, Jaliabosti, Amirpur, Bhuiyatala and the illegal feller mainly come from
Alinagar, Basulla, Kabilashpur, Himalia, Harinmara, and Jamburachara, Atikpur,
Amirpur, Bhuiyatali and Laturgaon.
Besides, there are about 21 villages outside the Tarap Hill Reserved Forest (5-8 Km away
from Rema-Kalenga WS) which have minor to medium stakes with the reserved forest as
some of for fuelwood and illegal timber felling (Table 11).

Fig. 5 shows the human pressure on the different areas of the WS that arise from various
settlements. All HHs of the inside and adjacent settlements mostly depend on the WS for
their every day HH needs of fuelwood, building materials, vegetables, and others, while
some of them carry out these activities for added income. Some unemployed and poor
people from the adjacent tea estate also infiltrate the WS, mainly for collection of
fuelwood and housebuilding materials. Some of them are, however, involved with illegal
felling.
Table 9.Information On Inside And Adjacent Villages Having Stakes With Rema-
Kalenga WS
Sl. Name of HH Location Union,Thana Level of Type of stakes

No. village Nos. stake
1 Kelenga bari 97 Adjacent to Ranigaon, Major Mainly involved with paddy
(Forest boundary of Chunarughat cultivation and collect
village) WS fuelwood, house build. mat.,
(Bangalee) vegetables and other NTFPs,
2 Kalibari 07 Adjacent to Ranigaon, Major Same as above
boundary of chunarughat
WS (Tribal)
3 Mongolia bari 53 Adjacent to Ranigaon, Major Mainly involved with paddy
boundary of chunarughat stake WS cultivation, bamboo collection,
WS (Tribal) fuelwood and house build. mat.
collection etc
4 Puranbari 08 Adjacent to Ranigaon Major As above
boundary of chunarughat stake WS
WS (Tribal)
5 Chakidarbari 24 Adjacent to Ranigaon Major As above
boundary of chunarughat stake WS
WS
((bangalee)
6 Chanbari 15 Adjacent to Ranigaon Major Mainly involved with
boundary of chunarughat stake WS agriculture practice in forest,
WS (Tribal) some involved with bamboo
collection for chatai making and
selling for their livelihood
7 Debrabari 18 Inside Ranigaon Major Mainly involved with
(Tribal) chunarughat stake WS agriculture practice in WS,
fuelwood collection, bamboo
collection for handicrafts
making etc.

8 Rema forest 26 Nearer to Gazipur Major Mainly involved with
village boundary of chunarughat stake WS agriculture practice in the
(Balumara) WS (Tribal) forest, and fuelwood collection
both livelihood and HHs use,
building materials collection
9 Hatimara 12 Adjacent to Sindurkhan, Major Mainly involved with fuel wood
boundary of srimongal stake WS collection from WS and few
WS (Tribal) with agriculture practice.
10 Krishnachara 26 Adjacent to Sindurkhan, Major Same as above
boundary of srimongal stake WS
WS (Tribal)
Table 10.Information On Outside Villages Having Stakes With Rema –Kelenga WS
Sl. Name of HH Locatio Union, Level of Type of stakes

No. village Nos. n Thana stake
1 Harinmara - Outside Ranigaon, Medium Mainly involved with fuel
of WS, Chunarughat wood and other resource
inside collection
of RF
2 Atikpur 400-500 Outside Ranigaon, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat to
medium
3 Kalikapur - Outside Ranigaon, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat to
medium
4 Borjush - Outside Ranigaon, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat to
medium
5 Jibdorchara - Outside Ranigaon, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat to
medium
6 Himalia 200 Outside Mirashi, Minor- Involved with fuelwood
Chunarughat Medium collection and illegal
felling
7 Amtala 200 Outside Mirashi, Minor- Same as above
Chunarughat Medium
8 Jalia Bosti 30-40 Outside Mirashi, Medium Same as above
Chunarughat
9 Amirpur 80-90 Outside Mirashi, Medium Same as above
Chunarughat
10 Bhuyatali 50-60 Outside Mirashi, Medium Same as above
Chunarughat
11 Laturgaon 60-70 Outside Mirashi, Medium Same as above
Chunarughat

12 Nichintapur - Outside Mirashi, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat
13 Lalkear - Outside Mirashi, Minor Same as above
Chunarughat
14 Barabda - Outside Mirashi, Minor Mainly involved illegal
Chunarughat tree felling and also with
fuelwood collection
15 Chamaltoli - Outside Sindurkhan, Minor Same as above
Srimongal
16 Alinagar 500-600 Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly involved illegal
Chunarughat Medium tree felling and also with
fuelwood collection
17 Krishnanagar 50-60 Outside Gazipur, Minor Mainly involved with
Chunarughat fuelwood collection
18 Basulla 600-700 Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly involved illegal
Chunarughat Medium tree felling and also with
fuelwood collection
19 Kabilashpur 160 Outside Gazipur, Minor- Involved with both tree
Chunarughat Medium felling and fuelwood
collection
20 Gazinagar - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
Chunarughat Medium collection, illegal felling to
some extent
21 Cheganagar - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
Chunarughat Medium collection
22 Borjum - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
Chunarughat Medium collection, some illegal
felling
23 Kholishabosti - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
felling
24 Chonkhola - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
felling
25 Khatamara - Outside Gazipur, Minor- Mainly fuelwood
felling
26 Jamburachara 500 Near to Ranigaon, Medium Mainly involved with
WS Chunarughat fuelwood collection and
some with illegal felling

Table 11.Information On Outside Villages Having Stakes With Tarap Hill Reserved
Forest (Buffer Zone Of WS)
Sl. Name of Location Union, Thana Level of Type of
No. village stake stakes
1 Omarkhata do Mirasi, Chunarughat do do
2 Adarshagram do Mirasi, Chunarughat do do
3 Sakuntala do Mirasi, Chunarughat do do
4 Noabad do Mirasi, Chunarughat do do
5 Akhajura do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
6 Rajakuna do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
7 Islampur do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
(monipur)
8 Goromchori do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
9 Nasirabad do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
10 Salamer Tila do Ranigaon, Chunarughat do do
11 Kamargaon do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
12 Hamidpur do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
13 Hoogli do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
14 Tilagaon do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
15 Nihar Nirala do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
16 Buri Bosti do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
17 Kharirlama do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
18 Simailat do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
19 Tupur Tila do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
20 Shahitala do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do
21 Durganagar do Sindurkhan, Srimanagal do do

Map of Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary
Human Settlements and Pressure on WS N
(not to Scale)
Hoogli
Parkul T.E
Chimaila
Jamburachara
Kelenga bari
Harinmar Kalibari Hatimara
a Range office Krishnachara
Kelenga BO
Himalia
Wildlife
Lalkear BDR. Camp Tower
Nischintapur Monglibari
India
Puranbari
Muchikandi Chokiberbari
purbapara Chonbari
Barabda
Chonbari BO Debrabari
Basulla
Kabilashpur
Alinagar Rema Forest
Krishnanagar Village
Legend
Khaway River
Pressure
Rema B.O
WS boundary
Rema T.E
TE boundary
Tarap hill forest

BDR Camp
boundary
India Kacha road
Purba Pahar
boundary
Fig. 5
Sayada
baj
Chimai
lot
Borjush
Horin Inside and
Hoogli
Chimail Amtala mara adjacent forest chara
tali Villages Jambur
achra
Jaliabos Hima
ti Lalkar
lia
Barabd
Nichintap a
ur Rema-
Bas
ulla
Kalenga WS
Krishnag
ar
Alin
Kholishab
agar Krishnan
osti agar Rema TE
Borjum
Gazinaga
r
Khatamara
Chonkho
Chegan
agar
Fig .6 Relative level of stakes of different villages with Rema-Kalenga WS based on resource
extraction
4.2.2 Tea estates
There are 3 tea estates around the WS, of them one, namely Rema Tea Estate, borders
with WS and has minor-medium stakes as some of its inhabitants infiltrate into the WS
for collection of fuelwood, building materials and some of them are involved with illegal
tree felling (Table 12). This estate is used as a route for transporting fuelwood and
timbers. The Hoogli Tea Estate is located nearby the reserved forest. The other estate,
namely Pakrul Tea Estate, is away from the WS and thus has negligible stake.
Table 12. List of tea estates nearby and adjacent to WS having stake
Sl Tea Estate (TE) Location Level of stake

1 Rema TE South-West and adjacent to Minor-
the WS medium
2 Hoogli TE East of the WS but adjacent Minor
to the reserve forest
3 Purkul TE North-west of the WS but Negligible
nearby to the reserve forest

4.3 Stakeholder (SH) Assessment
At least 3 categories of stakeholder groups could be recognized in Rema- Kalenga WS
,such as
• Primary stakeholder- involved with direct extraction of resources from the forest
or their activities directly affect the forest
• Secondary stakeholder – indirectly linked with the forest, involved with trading or
exert influences on the forest
• Institutional stakeholder- involved with developmental activities and
administration of the adjoining areas
4.3.1 Primary Stakeholders
Table 13 provides information on stakeholder type & category, stakeholder description,

their activities, dependency, relative level of stakes with the WS and their influence.
Based on resource extraction, a total of 12 different primary stakeholder types have been
identified. Of them, 1 SH group (fuelwood collector) has major stakes with the WS and has
major role in WS degradation, while 3 SH gropus have medium level of stakes (bamboo
collector, house building materials collector and agriculture cultivator) and the rest (8 SH
groups) have minor stakes with the forest.
Most of the primary stakeholders are poor people from the inside forest villages and as
well as from identified outside villages and labor from tea estates. Old, unemployed
adults (male and female) and also children collect fuelwood from Rema-kelnga WS.
Adult people carry out illegal felling of timber trees and usually they are poor. Usually,
the rich and middle class people are not involved with direct extraction of forest
resources. However, they buy many forest resources, including fuelwood and bamboo,
and other products form the primary stakeholders.
The forest villagers, as being located inside the forest, have major stakes with the WS as
they exploit most types of forest resourcess for their HH needs and also for commercial
purposes, followed by poor people from identified outside villages and other outside
resource users and tea garden workers.

Table 13. Information On The Primary Stakeholders Of Rema -Kelnga WS (Based On Resource Extraction And Direct Activities In The Forest)
Sl. SH name SH types SH description Role / Description of Dependency Level Remarks

no. Activities of SH of
stake
01 Fuelwood Primary Local poor people, Collect dead trees, small Many HHs Major Fuelwood collector
collector Forest villagers trees, non-timber trees, and sometimes coolect
Tea garden labor youngest of timber trees, dependent for HH vegetable
(mainly men and tree branches etc. Cut, Tribal people collect
women) chop, bundle and carry use bamboo shoot
away as shoulder or head Pay taka 5/- for each
load, sometimes use entry
Many HHs sell for
bicycle, van.
live hood support,
entirely or partly
02 Bamboo Primary Forest villagers, Collect bamboo from forest Some forest Mediu Planted bamboo
collector local poor people for domestic and villagers and m beds are also
commercial use some local poor auctioned and clear
people are entirely felled
dependent on it. FD gets revenue
from auction
03 Timber poacher Adult male from Selectively fell the valued Entirely or partly Minor They are organized
Primary different villages, few timber trees. Usually enter dependent on this gangs. They mainly
unemployed people the reserve forest activity for their involve in RF area,
from tea estates. sometimes in WS at night. livelihood but sometimes they
Mostly poor. Reduce forest cover, thus enter into WS area
destroy habitat for illegal felling
04 House Building Primary Forest villagers and Collect various materials as Forest villagers are Mediu
material adjacent and per need for HHs building. fully and others are m
Collector surrounding people partly dependent on
it
05 Agriculture Primary Forest villagers, Paddy cultivation, Dependent on this Mediu Restricted to a
cultivator outsider vegetable cultivation activity for their m designated area used
livelihood support by forest villagers
06 Vegetable Primary Forest villagers, poor Collect vegetables, like, Meet HH needs Minor Forest villagers and

collectors people, mainly kachu, deckishak, only most people from
fuelwood collector and kasurshuk, bon aita, Not dependent, also outside villagers
occasionally the outside gondugi etc. met from
villagers homestead gardens
07 Fruits collector Primary Mainly forest villagers, Mainly collect Not dependent Negligi
some local poor people chamkanthal, kaw, jam, ble
latkan, dumur,hortuki etc
and hampered on
regeneration of natural
trees.
08 Honey collector Primary Local people, mainly Collect from forest Mainly for HH Negligi Usually it is not an
poor people, forest seasonally and occasionally consumption, sell ble intended activity
villager surplus, but not
dependent
09 Medicinal plants Primary Some local people and Some limited species, not Local people are Negligi Sometimes local
collector forest villager on a large scale not dependent but ble kabiraj collect it
forest villagers are
partly dependent
10 Hunter/trapper Primary Basically forest Mainly hunt game birds, Minor Forest villagers
villagers, sometimes wild fowl, wild boar, small traditionally used to
elite and rich from the deer, Hill Moyna and others Not dependent hunt every type of
area and outside the for HH consumption and wildlife. Presently
area, recreation their activity is
limited
11 Bark collector Primary Some local people Not dependable Negligi
ble
12 Sun grass Primary Forest villagers, local Harvest and bundle and Meet household Minor Mainly forest
collector poor people carry as head load or needs, some sell for villagers and people
shoulder load. supplementing of adjacent villages
income during
harvesting season.

4.3.2 Secondary Stakeholders
A total 4 secondary SH groups has been identified (Table.15). They are not directly involved
with forest resource extraction from Rema- Kalenga WS, but are linked with its processing,
trading, and utilization. A brief description of these stakeholders and their roles are given
below.
4.3.2.1 Fuel wood Trader
A number of fuel wood traders has been identified that have in direct minor stakes with the
WS as they buy fuelwood from the local collectors for trading. There are about 2-3
fuelwood traders at Gazipur bazaar, about 2-3 at Sindurkhan and 5-6 at Chunarughat bazaar.
Several trucks of fuelwood are transported everyday from this area and a substantial quantity
of it come from WS area. The traders procure fuelwood from the individual collectors, stack
them and sell a substantial quantity is sold to local consumers, while the are transported it by
trucks, train etc. to Hobighonj, Brahamanbaria, Comilla,Srimongal, Moulavibazar etc. and
other local markets.
4.3.2.2 Furniture Shop Owners

There are about 25-30 furniture shops nearby bazaar, mostly located in Chunarughat.
Furniture from the area goes to different parts of the country, including Dhaka. Sometimes,
these furniture are checked by the FD check post, get it passes through the check post
anyway. Furniture shops owner have good links with the sawmills and sometimes with
timber trader or illegal fellers as well. However, it appears that as limited quantity of
timbers come from the WS they have little stake with the WS.
4.3.2.3 Sawmill owners

Sawmills owners have also a minor indirect stake with the WS. A total of 15 saw mills have
been found in operation nearby the WS area
Table 14. Distribution of sawmills surrounding the WS
Sl Location No. of sawmills
1 Gazipur bazar 01
2 Chunarughat 12
3 Sindurkhan bazar 02
Total 15

There are 1 sawmill at Gazipur 2 sawmills at Sindurkhan and 12 at Chunarughat which are
bit away from the Rema-Kalenga WS. Some influential people of the locality own these
mills. These sawmills usually receive both legal and illegal timbers for sawing into the logs.
The sawmill owners buy illegal timbers at a cheaper rate. Overall, sawmills have minor
stakes with the WS.
4.3.2.4. Timber Traders

There are about 15 to 20 timber traders in the area, mainly located at Gazipur area, Nalmuk
bazaar, Sindurkhan bazaar--and Chunarughat bazaar, involved with timber trading. Many of
them have no valid license for the trading of timber. They usually receive sawed timber
from sawmills and trade locally. It is alleged that they sometimes receive illegally felled
timber from poachers and get sawed and sell it and thus encourage illegal felling of timber.

Table 15. Information On The Secondary Stakeholders Of Rema -Kalnga WS
Sl. SH name SH types SH description Role / Description of Dependency Level of Remarks
no. Activities of SH stake
1 Fuelwood Secondary Local people/ Purchase fuel wood from Partly dependable Medium The fuelwood that
Trader outsider/Individual/ fuel wood collector at on WS for their are Purchased
Group trading centre called business purpose from fuel wood
wholesale market and collector come
stock that for further sale from both WS and
RF ( buffer zone of
WS)
2 Furniture Secondary Local people/ Have a good link with Not dependable Minor
shop owners Individual/ Group illegal feller and on WS but on RF
encourage illegal tree (buffer zone of
felling by purchasing WS)
illegal timber mainly
from saw mills
3 Sawmill Secondary Local people/ Help in conversion of Same as above Minor
owner and Individual/ Group illegal timber and
operator encourage illegal tree
felling and trading
4 Timber Secondary Local people/ Related with legal, illegal Same as above Minor
trader outsider/Individual / timber business. They
Group have a good link with
illegal feller and
encourage illegal tree
felling by purchasing
illegal timber.

4.3.3. Institution/ Organizational Stakeholders
Besides the primary and secondary stakeholders, there are a number of institutions
and organizations that are involved with safe guarding, management and welfare of
the local people and thus have varying degrees of stakes with the WS. The major
institutions/organization having some degree of stakes with , most involved
organizations are described below.
4.3.3.1 Forest Department
The FD has the overall responsibility for management, conservation and development of the
WS through patrolling and guarding the forest resources and undertaking forest development
and management activities. There are 25 local forest staff (3 Beat officers, 3 Attached
officers, 13 Guards and 6 Mali in 3 beats) and are inadequate for its management. There is
no check post under Rema–Kalenga WS.
4.3.3.2 NGOs and credit provider Banks
Among the other institutions, NGOs and banks have direct stakes with the people living
around the WS. The major NGOs & bank that operate in the locality are: BRAC, ASA,
PASA, Grameen Bank. Besides, Krishi Bank and BRDB also operate in the area. But the
above organizations and banks have very limited activities in inside and adjacent villages.
The major activities of the NGOs are concentrated on health, education and alternate income
generation. Some of them have credit programs exclusively for the women. Several NGOs
and banks provide micro-credit to local people (Table.16) for bringing improvement in
livelihoods of the local people. These institutions provide micro- credit to local people for
undertaking activities for income generation, such as agricultural activities, small business
and other IGA activities.

Table16. List of NGOs / Banks Working In Rema-Kalenga WS Area
Name of
NGO/ Banks Location Activities
BRAC Chunarughat Micro credit programmes, education, poultry and livestock
development
ASA Sindurkhan, Micro credit for agriculture, small business, poultry and
chunarughat livestock
BRDB Chunarughat Credit programmes, training on agriculture and other IGA
Krishi Bank Sindurkhan Loan for agriculture in limited area
Grameen Sindurkhan Credit programmes for small business, poultry,livestock
bank Chunarghat
PASA Chunarughat Credit programmes
Overall, NGO activities are insufficient to improve livelihoods conditions the inside,
adjacent and the surrounding village people of WS. More IGA supporting initiatives are
required to bring changes in the livelihood of the local people. Skill development trainings
by the NGOs are also very limited. Fig.7. Shows the NGOs relative influence of different
NGOs in the area.
ASA
BRAC
Gramee
NGO activities in
the localities of n Bank
Krishi WS area and in
bank forest villages
PASA
BRDB
Fig.7 Scale of activities of various NGOs in Rema- Kelenga area

4.3.3.3 Local community organization (CBOs)
There is only one CBO in the locality, namely VDP (Village Development Programme),
based at Basulla, Gazipur, deal with local problems and welfare and promoting cultural
activities.. They have 64 members, but not organized and have little influence on the local
community.
4.3.3.4 Police, BDR and local administration
Local Police and BDR patrol in the area to maintain overall law and order situation
including enforcement of forest protection laws. It was claimed by local people as well as by
the FD staff that sometimes police develop a process of negotiation with the illegal tree
fellers and other resource users.
There are two BDR check posts inside and adjacent to WS. BDR patrols along the border
area and this helps to safe guard the forest resources, particularly against the insurgent
across the border. In most cases, BDR’s role is highly conducive to forest protection., while
that of local police is not.
4.4. Dependency of The Stakeholders on The Forest

Resources
Traditionally, forest villagers and the local people are used to collect various resources from
Rema-Kaenga WS and adjacent Tarap Hill RF and thus have become dependent partially or
entirely on the forest for their HH needs as well as for livelihood support. .
Forest villagers, inside or outside, are entirely dependent for the fuelwood and building
materials for meeting HH needs on the forest. It seems that there is no alternate source for its
supplies for them. They also collect vegetables, fruits and hunt some wildlife. But they are
not dependent on these resources for earning their livelihood. The forest villagers are mainly
dependent on the day labor (agriculture and forest) agricultural activities, fuelwood and
bamboo collection in the WS and RF area for their livelihood support.
Local timber traders, sawmills and furniture shop ownesr depend to some extent on the
illegal timber from the WS and RF. However, their livelihood is not dependent on the supply
of timber from the WS. Similarly, forest villagers are not dependent on timber for their
livelihood support but they partially dependent for their house construction and some poor
people who are involved with illegal felling are also partially dependent on illegal timber
extraction.
Table17. Resource Wise Dependence Of Different Resource Users On Rema-Kalenga

WS
SL Name of Users Causes Extent Dependency Future risk

resources
01 Timber Forest Household use, Less Negligible Moderate
villager, local building materials
people
Timber trader Commercial use Very Not dependant
less
Furniture Commercial use Very Not dependant
Shops, less
Saw mill Commercial use Very Not dependant
owner less
02 Fuel wood Forest commercial use High 70-80%(inside and High
villager (selling for adjacent villagers)
livelihood) and
HHs consumption
Local people Mainly Medium 30-40% mentioned
commercial use villages and some
(selling for outsider
livelihood) and
HHs consumption
(small amount)
Local Burning Less 15-20%
restaurant, tea
stall
03 Bamboo Forest Mat/chatai Medium 100% High
villager making, fencing,
basket making, as
building
Local people As pole, Minor- 5-10%
handcrafts, Medium
fencing, building
materials etc.
Outside users As above Very Negligible
less
04 Building Forest For house Medium 65-70% forest Medium
materials villager, local building villager, 5-10%
collec. people construction local people
05 Cane Local people Basket binder, Less Negligible Less
other purpose
06 Medicinal Forest As medicine Less 25-30% Less
Plants villager, local
people, a few
Kabiraj
07 Honey Forest Food, medicine Very Not dependant Less
villager, local less
People
08 Herbs Forest As vegetables Very Negligible Less
villager, local less
People
09 Wild life Forest For meat (wild Very Not dependant Medium
villager fowl, ghughu, less
(indigenous wild boar), moyna
people) , as hobby.
local People
10 Sun grass Forest Cattle feeding, Less Negligible Less
villager, local house roofing
people
11 Fruit Forest Food Very Not dependant Less
villager, Less
Local People
12 Vegetables Forest Food Less 50%(Inside and Less
villager, local adjacent villagers)
People
13 Grass Forest For Cattle feeding Less 30%(Inside and Less
villager, local adjacent villagers)
People and others few
14 Bark Local People For commercial Less Minor Less
purpose
15 Orchid Local People For commercial Less Negligible No risk
purpose
A large number of HHs of the identified villages depend on the extraction of fuelwood and
building materials from the forest. It is the poor who collect these resources, mainly for their
HHs consumption and also for selling.
The poor people from the neighboring tea estates collect fuelwood and other NTFPs from
the forest. Some HHs sell these for added income. Some of them involved with illegal
felling of timber and thus are dependent on forest extraction activity.
Table 17 shows the dependence of different stakeholder groups on different resources for
their HHs needs and supporting their livelihood. Almost, all HHs of forest villages are

dependent on the fuelwood and house building materials, vegetables from the WS for their
HH needs and also collect these for commercial purpose.. As revealed from FGD that about
3-5% HHs completely or partly depend on selling of fuelwood. Almost all-illegal tree feller
sells timber and many of them are completely dependent on it, while others do it for added
income.
Fig.8 shows the relative level of dependence of different groups of people on the forest. i.e.
the pressure exerted by the stakeholders on the forest. Forest villagers are most dependent
on the forest and are thus cause most harm to the forest, followed by local poor people, other
local users and tea garden labors.
Forest
villagers
Local
Dependence on
Other local users Rema- Kelenga poor
WS
Tea garden labors
Fig. 8.Relative Level of dependence of major stakeholders groups (demographically) on the forest
4.5 Causes for the Decline in Forest Resources
4.5.1 General cause
Based on the perception of the team developed through discussions with different cross-
sections of people in the area, a venn diagram is constructed on the major causes for the
degradation to the forest and its biodiversity and is shown in Fig.9.The major causes for the
decline in forest resources in order of magnitude are as follows: fuelwood collection,
bamboo collection, collection of house building materials, illegal tree felling, hunting,
agricultural practice, live stock grazing, etc

Bamboo
Fuelwood collection
collection
Buildim
Causes for
g
degradation
Hunt of Rema- material
ing Kalenga WS
Illegal
felling
Agricultur
al practice
Fig.9. Major direct causes for the degradation to Rema-KalengaWS
Pair wise ranking (Table.18) exercises showed that presently fuelwood collection and
bamboo collection are the major causes for the decline in forest biodiversity, followed by
illegal timber felling, building material collection. Presently, hunting contributes less to
forest degradation as the activity is very limited. However, it was the major cause for decline
in forest biodiversity in the past.
Table 18. Pair Wise Ranking For Identifying Main Causes For Forest Destruction
Illegal Fuelwood Building Bamboo Hunting
felling collection Materials collection
collection
Illegal felling. ----- Fuelwood Building Bamboo Illegal
collection Materials collection felling
collection
Fuelwood Fuelwood ----- Fuelwood Fuelwood Fuelwood
collection collection collection collection collection
Building Building Fuelwood ----- Bamboo Building
Materials Materials collection collection Materials
collection collection collection
Bamboo Bamboo Fuelwood Bamboo ------ Bamboo
collection collection collection. collection collection
Hunting Illegal Fuelwood Building Bamboo ------
felling. collection Materials collection
collection
Total score 2 8 4 6 0
Rank 4 1 3 2

In order to investigate the underlying factors responsible for undertaking of these forest
degradation activities by the local people cause and effect ranking was done and the
outcomes are shown in Table 19 and 20. The exercises revealed that local poverty and
unemployment are the main driving factors for the extraction of forest resources, followed
by additional income needs and squeezed income opportunities.
Table 19. Cause And Effect –Ranking (Understanding Underlying Facts For Forest
Degradation)
Name of resource Timber Fuelwood Bamboo Hunting

to sell collection & cane
Identified sell
Poverty 00 0000 000
Unemployment 00 000 000
Additional income needed 0 000 00
Lack of house building mat. 00
Forest cases 0
Income opportunities squeezed 00 0
FD’s poor forest patrol, easy negotiation with local FD staff, poor strength of local FD and
emergence of increased local influential people are all contributing to illegal timber felling.
Fuelwood collection has been linked to development of transportation system and marketing
opportunities (Table19.).
Table 20. Cause And Effect (Investigating FD’s Management Practice And Local
Situation)
Practice/management Timber Fuelwood Bamboo Land Hunting

practice to sell collection and cane encroachment
collection.
Poor forest patrol 00 0 0
Easy negotiation 00 00 0
Poor strength of FD 00000 0
/increased local
strength
Transportation dev. 00 000 0
Traditional practice 0 000 000 0
Increased role of local 00 - - 0
influential people

4.6 Exploitation of Forest Resources
A summary of information collected on resource exploitation from Rema- Kalenga WS is

provided in Table 21. A total of 15 different types of resource are extracted from the forest.
Of them, fuelwood and bamboo are extracted on a large scale, building materials on a
medium scale, timber, wildlife, fruits, vegetables, etc. on a minor scale, while honey, cane,
medicinal plants, sungrass on a negligible scale.
The main purposes for resource extraction include meeting HH needs, selling for added
income/and or to support and supplement livelihood.
Fuelwood and bamboo collection, timber felling, collection of house building materials,
hunting etc. all are posing threats to the forest and its biodiversity through bringing
qualitative and quantitative changes in the habitat.
Local poor people, forest villagers and unemployed tea garden labors are the major
categories of resource user groups.

Table 21.Information On Resource Extraction From Rema-Kalenga WS
Sl. Name of Resource collector Purpose Extent Impact Future Destination

No resources Risk
1 Timber Local poor people from For selling Minor Reduce selectively large High Local timber trader,
adjacent villages, unemployed tree and forest thickness, sawmill, furniture
people, sometimes some forest loss of habitat and shop, urban areas
villager biodiversity
2 Fuelwood Local poor people, forest For HH consumption Large Loss of habitat, loss of High Locsal HHs, local
villagers, people from tea selling and HH comp forest biodiversity, markets, brickfiled,
estates , selling transported to urban
areas
3 Bamboo Forest villagers, some local Meet HH needs, Handicraft Wild stock already heavily Moderate Local HHs
poor people from neighboring making, selling for added Large depleted, further extract Local and nearby areas
villages income aggravate the situation
4 Wildlife Forest villagers For consumption, Minor Stock heavily depleted High Local HHs
Occasionally outsider as hobby
5 Building Forest villagers Meet HH needs, Medium Reduce abundance of small Medium Local HHs
materials Local poor people selling for added income trees, loss of habitat, loss of Local markets
wildlife
6 Honey Forest villagers,local people Own consumption Negligible None Negligible -----
7 Cane Forest villagers, local people HH use Negligible Little collected as they are Presently FD has many cane
not much available negligible plantations
8 Fruits Forest villagers, local people, Own consumption, few for Minor Hamper forest regeneration Little
children and women sale in the locality to a little extent
9 Vegetable Mainly forest villagers and Collect number of species of Minor No apparent impact Negligible
s local poor people vegetables
10 Sunglass Local people, forest villagers Collect as house building mat. Negligible Reduce forest biodiversity Negligible Removed in the
process of plantations
11 Medicinal Few local people, forest Occasionally collect some Negligible Negligible Minor Presently restriction
plants villagers selective species has been imposed
12 Herbs Few local people, forest As vegetable Negligible Negligible Minor
villagers
13 Grass Few local people, forest For cattle grazing Minor 30%(inside and adjacent) Minor
villagers and others few

4.6.1 Seasonal changes in resource extraction
Table 22 shows sesonal trend in forest resource exploitation in Rema-Kalenga WS and

the adjoining RF. The exploitation of resources from the forest is season dependent. Most
of the timbers are illegally felled during the rainy season, as forest patrol is poor during
that period. Fuelwood is mainly collected during dry season due to easy accessibility and
mobility inside WS during that time. Bamboo extraction mainly takes place in drier
months that corresponds to villagers and local needs for mat and handicraft making and
house building. Medicinal plants, vegetables and some other forest resources are
extracted to some extent mainly during rainy season. A little amount of honey is also
extracted during summer (Chaitra-Jaistha).
Table 22. Seasonal Calendar Of Resources Exploitation In Rema –Kelenga WS
Name of Bais- Jaista Ashar Shra- Vadra Ashin Katrik Agrah- Poush Magh Falgun Chaittra
Resources hak bon ayan
Timber 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fuel 0000 000 000 000 000 000 0000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
Wood
Vegetables 0 00 000 000 000 0 0 00 00 00 0 0
Bamboo, 00 0 0 0 0 00 00 000 000 000 000 000
building
materials
Medicinal 0 0 00 00 00 0 0 0 00 00 00 00
Plants
Fish - 00 00 00 00 00 - - - - -
Wildlife 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 00 00 00
Honey 000 0 - - - - - - - - - 0
4.6.2 Exploitationof Important Forest Resources
4.6.2.1 Fuelwood collection
Fuelwood collection is a major resource extraction activity in the WS that poses a threat
to the forest biodiversity. This is a major and very visible activity in the WS. It is a year
round activity, but major extraction occurs during the dry seasons. Fuelwood is collected
both for household consumption and commercial purposes.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS I

Most of the collectors are adolescent boys and adults; both male and females and some
are children. Most collectors are poor and many of them supplement their income by
selling fuelwood. According to local people, 150-200 maunds ( 1 maunds = 37.5 kgs) of
fuel wood extracted for commercial purpose and another 40-50 maunds for household
consumption every day from the WS and the RF.. Each male can carry or collect 2 Bhar
(one shoulder load mean 1 Bhar equal to 2 boza or bundle that contains about 1 mounds
of fuel wood), while a female can collect 1 Bhar per day.
Hoogli
Harinmara TE
Himalia
Jalia Jamburachara
bosti Nischita
Laturgao pur
n Bhuiyatal Inside &
Lalker adjacent
a
Fotest
Kabilashpur villages
Basulla
Krishnagar Rema-Keglenga
WS
GazinagaAlinagar
r
Rema TE
Borjum
Kholisha
bosti Chegana
gar
Khatamara
Chonkhola
Fig.10. Relative level of fuelwood extraction by different villages
An estimate made by local people, about 200-250 people from forest villages, tea estates
and outside villages enter into the WS for fuelwood collection both for commercial and
HH consumption purposes. As shown in Fig.10 that the collectors are predominantly
from few villages such as Alinagar, Basulla, Gazinagar, Borjum, Chonkhola,
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS II

Kholishabosti, Khatamara, Cheganagar, Jalia Bosti, Bhuyatali, Laturgaon, Krishnanagar,
Kabilashpur, Lalkear, Nichintapur, Himalia, Harinmara, Jamburachara and all Forest
villages.
According to local people, about 3-4% outside villagers are entirely dependant on this
for their livelihood, and a much larger number of families undertake it to supplement
their household income. Some forest villagers are completely dependent on fuel
collection from WS for their livelihood support.
Usually the fuelwood collectors enter into WS individually but occasionally they also
enter by groups consisting around 15 to 20 peoples. After collecting a bundle of
fuelwood, they carry it on their shoulder or head to the nearby convenient place from
where they can transport or carry it easily to their selling place. Local people reported
that they pay TK. 5 as a levy to the FD for entering the forest to collect fuelwood. Access
to the forest for collecting fuelwood is not restricted, if the levy is paid.
The collectors are allowed to collect dead branches of trees. However, in practice,
sometimes they cut some young trees, chop and bundle it. Sometimes, they leave a cut
tree to get a dead appearance to justify its collection. They also cut the young valued
timber trees and small bushy trees.
Among the fuelwood collectors about one third are females.
Besides the local household use, local tea stalls/ restaurants use this fuelwood for burning
in their kitchen.
Fuelwood, collected for commercial purposes mainly transported by cycle, truck or as

shoulder loads to three markets where it is sold to fuelwood traders or to the local
consumers; one wholesale market called Gazipur from where fuelwood is transported to
Madabpur, Brahamanbaria, Hobigonj, etc. by truck. The other two wholesale markets are
Chunarughat and Sindurkhan, from where fuelwood goes to local consumers.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS III

4.6.2.2 Timber extraction
Although timber is extracted on a limited scale, its extraction is regarded as one of the
causes for the destruction of Rema-Kalenga WS. Some people from the surrounding
villages are directly involved with the illegal extraction of timber from the WS and its
adjacent Tarap Hill RF. The villages such as Alinagar, Basulla, Himalia,Harinmara
Jamburachara are more involved. The medium to less involved villages in timber
extraction is Krishnagar, Kabalishpur, Gazinaga, Borjum, Khatamara, Kholishabosti,
chonkhola, Chaganaga, Barabda, Lalkear, Nichintapur, Amirpur, Laturgao. The peoples
who are involved with illegal felling of trees, most of them are poor. Some unemployed
labors from two tea estates , such as Rema tea estate and Hoogli tea estate, are probably
involved in timber extraction. As per local people, this activity provides cash income of
taka 100-200 per day. The illegal fellers have linkage with various agencies, like police,
administration, and local powerful political leaders, FD etc.Illegal timber is sold in the
local markets, such as Gazipur, Chunarughat, Nunmuk bazaar, Sindurkhan bazaar,
Srimongal directly to the sawmill owners and illegal timber traders. The illegal timber
may be transported to the various places of the country, mainly to Brahamanbaria,
Bhairab, Asugonj, Comilla, and Dhaka etc by truck, bus and train, along with legally
felled trees.
Sayadab
aj
Hoog
Harinmara li TE
Amir
pur Nischita
Himalia
pur Jamburachara
Latu
rgao
Barabdar Lalkear
Rema-Kalenga
Kabilas WS
Basull
a
Krishna
Gazi
Alinag
nagar Rema
ar
Khalishabosti TE
Borju
m Cha
gan
Chonkhola Kathamara
agar Fig.11. Relative stakes of different
villages in illegal felling
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS IV

4.6.2.3 Bamboo extraction
The process of the extraction of bamboo from the WS is similar to that of timber
extraction.. Natural mooli and tegra bamboo were highly abundant in the WS. Due to the
over exploitation, the stocks of mooli and tengra bamboo become depleted to a great
extent. Mooli bamboo is extensively collected both for household use and also for sale.
People from distant villages are also used to come for bamboo collection from the WS.
Almost 15-20% of tribal HHs are completely dependent on bamboo collection for their
livelihood, while most of the HHs are partially dependent on bamboo collection. Bamboo
is mainly collected during dry season. As reported for collecting bamboo illegally,
collectors pay Tk.10 as a levy to the FD. The forest villagers also pay TK.100 per month
during harvesting period of bamboo. Access to the forest for collecting bamboo is not
restricted, if the levy is paid. The bamboo is used as building materials, chatai/pati
making, fencing for house and vegetables gardens.
4.6.2.4 Collection of House Building Materials
House building materials includes the small indigenous trees, young timber of valued
trees and also bamboo and others. These area collected at a medium scale from the Rema-
Kalenga WS. The inside and adjacent HHs (forest villagers) obtain their entire building
materials from the WS. These are mainly collected during the dry season.
4.6.3. Other Resource Collection
The other resources that are collected on a minor scale include cane, fruits, vegetables,
honey etc. These are predominantly collected by HHs of inside and adjacent forest and
other villages. The vegetables collected are mainly bamboo shoots (manthana),
dhekishak, kachushak, bandhugi, banaita, banana’s thor, banana’s muchi, ramkala,
thankuni, aorai kalai, karam, gantha, muia, palong shak kachu, kachur lati, etc., mainly
during rainy season, also in dry season. Major forest fruits that are collected include
kow, jam, hill mango, lata mango, chamkathal, latkon, dumur, hill banana, amra, hortuki,
boira, tera, jambura, kanthal, cane fruits etc. Fruits are collected mainly for HH
consumption. A few of them sell these fruits to their neighbors or to markets for
additional income. In addition, there is irregular hunting and trapping of jungle fowl and
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS V

wild boar, hill moyna parrots, shalik etc. by the indigenous people for HH consumption.
The forest villagers and some some outside villagers also collected fodder and sungrass
from the WS. Some people collect orchids an commercial activity.
4.7 Other Causes For Forest Degradation
4.7.1 Agricultural Practices
Forest Department allocated some lands to the forest villagers. Some areas have further
been encroached by the local people. These lands are mainly situated in between hills in
valleys. Some people have extended their plots into the forest lands. The lands have been
converted to agricultural plots and extensively used for paddy cultivation. Some allocated
land of the forest villagers are leased out to local Bangalee people for a period of 1-3
years. For agricultural purpose, the people have to come across the WS. Besides, they let
their cattle free in the WS. In addition to their normal movement through the forest, they
also chase various wildlife or create disturbances to them. Further, the establishment
ofthese agricultural plots have contributed to the fragmentation of wildlife habitats. In
this way the agricultural practices causes harm to the WS.
4.8 Local Community and Power Structure and Local

Governance
4.8.1 Local decision makers and influential people
A total of 27 influential people have been identified in the locality (Table-23). Besides,
there are several outsiders who also have influence on the local people and their
activities. Mostafa Shahid, Mp, is the most powerful person in the area. Hazi Samir
Hossain, Md Abdul Jabbar , Dorbesh Mia, Abdul Jalil Mia, Md.and Abdul Gafur , have
very strong linkages with MP. Some of the UP chairmen and members also have good
relation with the MP. A few of the UP chairmen seem to have involvement with illegal
timber trader informally (Figure.12). Within the forest villages, Hazi Md. Mofizullah, as
a headman of Kalenga forest village is influential and have a good relation with FD staff.
More exploration and observation is needed to get the whole picture of the power
structure of the area.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS VI

Golam
Mostafa
Shahid, MP
Akmel
miya
Hossain
Abdul Faruk
Md
Hossain Jahangir Abdul Ahmmed
Abdullah
chowdhur Kaptan UP
y Ch i Nobo
Abdul Chandra Jallal
Abdul Deb Uddin
Hai
Gafur Hazi Samir Shaker
Hossain
Sarafat Ali
Hazi Abu Taher (Babul)
Md. Abdul Md.Mofiz
Abdul Kadir Aiub Ali
Jabbar Laskar
Abdul
Abdul Kashem
Ad. Abul Jalil
Hossain
Rema-kelanga Md.
WS Noor
Abdur
Moktar Jalil
Abdur mia
Noor
Talukdu
Darbesh
Jahangir Abdur Mia
Rashid
Table 23.
Khan, UP
Fig.12.Venn diagram showing power structure of Rema-Kalenga WS area
Table 23. List of most influential persons in different villages in and around Rema-
Kalenga WS
Sl no. Name of influential persons Designation Village/ Location

1 Golam Mostafa Shahid MP Chunarughat, Madabpur
2 Faruk ahmed UP chairman Ranigao
3 Hossain Md. Abdullah UP Chairman Sindurkhan (Srimongal
Upazala)
4 Hazi Samir Hossain Mahalder Chunarughat
5 Abdul Hai do do
6 Abdul Kaptan do do
7 Akamal Mia do do
8 Abul Hossain do do
9 Abdul Kadir Laskar Political person do
10 Jahangir Chowdhury villager do
11 Abdul Jabbar Political person do
12 Abdul Gafur Political person do
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS VII

Sl no. Name of influential persons Designation Village/ Location
13 Jahangir Chowdhury UP Chairman Gazipur
14 Abdur Rashid Ex-UP Member Alinagar
15 Abdur Jalil UP Member Rema TE
16 Abdur Noor Talukder Local elite Gazinagar
17 Darbesh Mia Local elite Alinagar
18 Mokter Mia Local elite Krishnanagar
19 Advocket Abul Hossain Political persons Krishnanagar
20 Hazi Md. Mofizullah Head man Kalenga bari forest village
21 Aiub Ali Ex Chairman Lalkear
22 Abu Taher UP chairman Jamburachara
23 Sarafat Ali(Babul) Political persons Srimongal
24 Md Nuruzzaman Elite Jamburachara
26 Abul kashem Elite Jamburachara
27 Abdul Jalil Head Master Jamburachara
4.8.2 Local governance

Local Union Parishad is the lower level local government entity and look after local
welfare and development of the locality. It has also emerged as the main center for
conflict resolution. The UP members, who are elected from different areas of the Union,
look after their respective areas. The local public representatives are consulted whenever
there is a local issue. There is also a new local organization, the Gram Sarker (Village
Government), in each ward (village) and deal with all local issue, including welfare,
development and dispute and conflict.
Police administration at Upazila level is the local law-enforcing agency and is involved
with maintaining local law and order situation. The police at Chunarughat Upazila are
very active and powerful. They are the authority to make arrests of warranted person by
forest cases.
The tribal people have their traditional way of governance of their community. They are
very organized community having respect to their community leaders. Forest villagers
have governance system of their own. In each forest village, there is a community leader,
called Headman, recognized by the FD. Fig.13 shows the relative involvement of
different Government and Non-Government organizations in the locality for local
welfare, development and administration
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS VIII

Union
Thana Parishad
Police
Bank
NGO
Interested
Thana groups of
Co-
operative
LGED
Upazila
Educati
BDR
Social welfare Dept
Fig.13. The relative level of involvement of different institutions
4.8.3 Local conflicts, conflicts resolution, social adhesion and

cohesion
4.8.3.1 Sources of conflict
The main sources of conflicts among local people are land dispute, children affairs,
livestock grazing, marriage related affairs, family affairs, money lending, local politics,
local elections etc. Conflicts are very limited in tribal community. Major conflicts are
represented by land dispute, children affairs, livestock grazing etc. Fig. 14 shows the
relative level of the causes for conflict in the area.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS IX

Fig. 14. Venn Diagram: Sources of conflicts
Livestock Children’s
affairs
grazing
Land dispute Marriage

related
affairs
Local
conflict of
Rema
Kelenga Money
lending and
transaction
Family matters
Political Local
conflict election
4.8.3.2 Conflict resolution
Most cases, conflicts are resolved by arbitration by local elites & public representatives (
UP chairman, members), Gram Starker in Bengalis. If the local efforts are not fruitful, it
may lead to filing cases with Thana-police, ending up in courts. But in Tribal community
Headman or FD Staff resolves conflicts. Fig. 15 shows the conflict resolution process in
a village..
Fig.15. Venn diagram: Conflict resolution
Elites/
head man UP
chairma
n/FD
Local conflict
Local resolution of Gram
MP Rema- sarker
Kalenga WS
Court Thana
case
police
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS X

4.8.3.3 Conflict with FD
There is a conflict between FD staff and Bangalee people, particularly from different
outside villages. Sometimes, it takes the shape of a direct conflict, particularly with tree
feller during patrolling, leading into exchanges of fire. However, such conflict happen
with tribal and forest villagers.
4.8.4. Social cohesion and adhesion
There are many social activities that maintain social adhesion and cohesion among the
Bengali villagers. Some of them are Eid ul Azha, Eid ul Fitre, Waz, Mahfil, marriage
ceremony, religious functions, collective action through local community organizations,
etc.
4.9 Local Socio-economic Context
4.9.1 Demographic Profile
4.9.1.1 Households (HHs)
There are about 10 forest villages within the WS and adjoining reserved part of the forest.
These villages altogether have about 286 HHs, most of them are ethnic community HHs.
The HH data for some of the outside villages have also been collected and given in
Section.
4.9.1.2 Education
About 80-85% adult people (over 30-35 years of old) are illiterate in the area. Now-a-
days, in an average, literacy rate is about 30-35%, of them 80-85% have primary
education, 10-15% are high school passed and about 3-5% studied in the colleges and
above. However, this picture is much poor in case of inside villages.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XI

4.10 Livelihood Analysis
4.10.1 Occupation
Most of the people of the locality whether inside or outside villagers are involved with
agriculture as their main occupation. The major primary occupation of Bangalee forest
villagers and outside villagers are agriculture (70-75%), principally paddy /HYV
cultivation, followed by labor including agriculture and day labor (15-20%), fuelwood
and bamboo collection and timber felling (5-7%), small business, service (1-2%) and
overseas employment (1-2%). The major secondary occupations of the villagers are
fuelwood and bamboo collection, followed by day labor. Earlier the majority of the tribal
HHs were engaged with agricultural activities. In most cases, the occupation now has
shifted to to day labor, handicraft making and business and fuelwood collection etc. The
settler’s occupation changed from day laborer to agriculture over time. Table 24 show the
trend in changes in occupation in the area with time.
Table 24. Trend in Changes in Occupation People Living in and around Rema- Kalenga WS
Sl Occupation Before 1971 Before 15 Years Present

01 Agriculture 00000 0000 000
02 Day Labourer 000 0000 00000
03 Business 0 00 000
04 Fuel wood Collector 00 000 00000
05 Illegal Poacher/tree feller 00 000 00000
06 Service Negligible 0 00
07 Timber Trader 0 00 0000
08 Carpenter 0 00 0000
09 Sawmill operator 0 00 0000
4.10.2 Richness-poverty level
There are no rich people within the forest villages, but about 4-5% people belong middle
class, 70-80% people are poor and about 15- 20% are very poor. Among the outside
villagers, the economic condition is a bit better than forest villagers. In the outside
villages, about 2-5% people are rich, 10-15% belong to middle class, 60-70% people are
poor and 15-20% are extreme poor.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XII

4.10.3 Unemployment
Among the forest villagers seasonal unemployment is high as they mainly involved with
agricultural activities during the rainy season and remain unemployed in the dry season.
However, some of them have work round the year as forest day labor. Among the outside
villagers, about 5-8% people remain unemployed round the year, but become increased
almost to double during wet and autumn seasons.
4.10.4 Credit
There are credit facilities are very limited in the area. However, some NGOs operates
AIG program through skill development activities. BRAC and ASA operated some credit
programs within the inside villagers, mainly involving women for HH income generation.
However, some villagers have formed their own cooperative and operate small-scale
credit program within their members., but not in all villages. .Among the outside
villagers, Krishi Bank, Grameen Bank, BRAC provide loans to local people for
agriculture, small business, livestock rearing and undertaking other IGA activities.
4.10.5 Income and

expenditure profile Yearly income profile of a forest
village: Mongaliabari
Fig.16 and Fig. 17 present data on income Live Stock
5%
and expenditure profile of a typical HH in Agriculture
15%
a forest village, Mongaliabari, As shown Handicraft
25%
main source of income of the village
comes from day labor including Weaving Day Labour
3% 52%
agriculture labor and labor in plantation in
Fig.16
forest, followed by handcraft making,
agriculture farming, fuelwood collection, weaving etc.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XIII

On the other hand,
% of Expenditure of forest village: Mongoliabari the expenditure
profile shows that
Others people spend mjor
15%
part of their
Agricture
Cultivation incomefor
5%
Religious purchasing food,
3%
Fooding
Marriage 50%
followed by
8%
clothing marriage,
Education
3% health care,
Health care
6% cultivation expenses
Colthing
10%
etc..
Fig..17
4.10.6 Skill and skill development opportunities
Local people, particularly the tribal, have got some skills, like bamboo basket and mat
making, weaving etc. Raw materials are also available there. Besides, there are
opportunity for cattle fattening, goat rearing, handicraft making etc. However, the NGO
activities regarding skill development is very limited.
4.11 Social Dynamics (Trend in changes in socio-

economics)
4.11.1 General dynamics
Table 25 shows changes in some key socio-economic factors and local activities with
time. Compared to 1971 situation, there has been an increase in population; the
expenditure of local people has increased with corresponding decline in solvency. The
cause behind this that people’s income has increased but at the same time livelihood
expenses also have increased. Although, literacy rate has increased, unemployment rates
have also increased. During this time, use of the forest for both as HH needs and income
generation has increased. However, local food scarcity has reduced while opportunities
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XIV

for alternate income has increased. But in case of tribal people food scarcity and
unemployment rate have increased due to lack of income generating activities.
Table25. Trend In Changes In Some Socio-Economic Matrices with time in the
Rema-Kalenga WS area
Issue Pre- 15 years Present Causes for change

1971 ago
Settlement/population 00 000 0000 Population growth,
Solvency 00000 0000 000 Livelihood expenditure
increased, lack of added
income and unemployment
Livelihood 00 000 00000 Increased price of goods, use
expenditure of increased commodity
Literacy 0 00 000 Awareness raising, increased
educational opportunity
Unemployment 0 00 00000 Cultivated land is given to
mortgage to outsider, case in
forest villagers, population
growth, resource depletion
Use of forest for 00 000 0000 Poverty, unemployment
income
Use of forest for HH 00 000 00000 Poverty, Population growth,
needs easy access and no alternate
source
Transportation and 0 00 000 Development of road
mobility communication and transport
Homestead plantation 0 00 000 For income generation, HHs
consumption, awareness
Food scarcity 00000 0000 000 Increased employment
opportunity and agricultural
development
Credit and IGA - - 0 Increased GO, NGOs credit
and IGA programs
Occupation 0 0 00 Increment of IGA and small
business,day labour in forest
Note: 5 circles to indicate highest abundance/intensities/
4.11.2 Seasonal changes in socio-economics of the local people
Table 26. provides information in changes in some socio-economic parameters and some
resource extraction activities in different periods of the year. Unemployment is higher
during Agrahayan-Chaitra. Timber felling is more during wet season, while fuelwood
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XV

collection is more during dry seasons. In summary, except timber felling, most forest
resource extraction and related activities take place during dry months.
Table 26. Seasonal Changes In Some Socio-Economic Matrices in Rema-Kalenga WS Area
Baish Jaisth Asha Shraban Vadr Ash Karti Agra Poush Mag Falgu Chai
ak ya r a yin k haya h n tra
n
Unemploymen 00 0 0 0 0 0 00 000 000 000 000 000
t
Accessibility 000 00 00 00 00 00 000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
to forest
Transportation 00 000 0000 00000 0000 000 00 00 00 00 00 00
problem 0
Brickfield/saw 00 00 0 0 0 0 00 000 0000 0000 0000 000
mill operation
Forest patrol 0000 000 00 00 00 00 000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
Agricultural 000 0000 0000 00000 000 00 0 0 0 0 0 00
activities 0
Timber felling 00 000 000 000 000 000 000 00 00 00 00 00
Fuelwood 0000 000 00 00 00 00 000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
collection
Bamboo 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 000 0000 0000 0000 000
Building 000 00 0 0 0 0 00 00 000 000 000 000

materials
Hunting 0 0 0
Vegetable 000 000 000 000 00 00 00 0 0 0 0 0
collection
4.12 Local Problems

Problem ranking exercise (Table 27) was performed to identify and understand the local
level problems and its causal factors. The causes of the problems and its possible
solutions were also investigated. The major problems, according to the magnitude, are
poverty, unemployment, education, roads communication, electricity, drinking water, etc.
Table 27. Local Problem and its Causes And its Possible Solutions
Name of Problems
Reason Solutions
Poverty Over population, unemployment, lack of
Creation of opportunities for
capital to initiate IGA, lack of new IGA and providing of
alternative income generating activities,
credit without interest, skill
lack of skills. dev. training, more NGO
activities
Unemployment Lack o f sufficient work, population Same as above
pressure, Lack of education,
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XVI

Education There is no sufficient educational Establishment of new technical
institution & NFE schools, awareness,
and financial support
Road Road communication is not well in Local government and other
communication some area, most of the case, become concern agencies should give
difficult during rainy season proper attention
Drinking water Lack of deep tube well and fresh water Need Government and NGO
efforts to provide tub well and
technology for safe water.
Electricity Lack of electricity supply that hampers Electricity should be supplied
public life. through REB or PDB or
introduce solar energy system
A collation of problem rankings carried out during the PRA showed that poverty is seen
to be the main problem, followed by unemployment and income needs (Table 28).
Table 28. Pairwise Ranking Of Some Local Problems
Identified Povert Unemployme Food Incom Fuelwood Scarcity of

problems y nt security e scarcity house build.
needs mat
Poverty ------ Poverty Poverty Povert Poverty Poverty
y
Unemployme Povert --- Unemploy Incom Unemployme Unemployme
nt y ed e nt nt
needs
Food security Povert Unemployme ------ Incom Food security Food security
y nt e need
Income needs Povert Income needs Income ------ Income needs Income needs
y needs -
Fuelwood Povert Unemployme Fuelwood Incom House build.
scarcity y nt scarcity e -------- mat
needs
Scarcity of. Povert Unemployme House Incom House build. ----------
H. build mat. y nt build. mat e mat
needs
Total 10 06 02 08 01 03
Rank 1 3 5 2 6 4
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XVII

4.13 Gender Issue
4.13.1 HH decision-making
Table 29 shows the role of different family members in taking HH decisions and Fig. 18
shows their relative influence in decision making. In Rema- Kelenga WS area, husband
takes the major HH decisions, followed by wife. But in Bangalee family the husband
takes the major HH decisions, followed by wife, sons and daughters.
Table 29. Information On Family Decision-Making
Name of Wife Father Mother Elder Younger Son Daugh

decision Husband* Brothe Brother ter
r
Marriage 00000 00
Sowing crops 00000 00
Land purchase
Land mortgage 00000 00
Treatment 00000 00
Education 00000 000
Tree selling
House making 00000 000
Cattle Purchase 00000 00
Loan 00000 00
Savings 00000 0000
General 00000 00
expenditure
Resource 00000 00000
extraction
** Husband is the head of the family; N.B. 5 circles have used to indicate highest intensities
Husband
HHs decision-
Wife making
Fig. 18. Venn diagram relative influence of the HHs members in decision
4.13.2 Outdoor mobility and access to credit and IGA
Table 30 shows that the women of the area have moderate mobility. Participation to social
events comparatively much less than males. However, women have much higher access to
IGA and credit. Women are moderately discriminated in case of employment in jobs,
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XVIII

business etc. But among the tribal community, the picture is different, the tribal
community women are more involved in income generation activities.
Table 30. Mobility And Participation In Social Events And Access To Credit And IGA By
Male And Female In Rema- Kelenga WS Area.
Outdoor Participation in Access to Access to Education Employment

mobility social events credit IGA
Male 00000 0000 Negligible Negligible 00 00
Female 000 00 0 0 0 0
4.13.3 Workload
In geneneral, in Bangalee community, man has more work during Baishakh to Bhadra
and again during the winter months. Females have more work during Ashwin to
Agrahayan and Falgun to Chaitra. However, in the tribal community (Table 31 and 32),
women have more work than men during Ashar- Kartik, for the rest of the time man and
woman have equal workload.
Table 31. Seasonal Workload Of Male And Female For Basulla Village Of Rema-
Kalenga WS Area
Baishakh
Months
Jaistha
Ashar
Shrabon
Bhadra
Ashwin
Poush
Magh
Falgun
Chaitra
Agrahay
Kartic
an
Sex
Male 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 000 000 000 000 000 00 00
Female 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 000 000 000 000
Table 32. Seasonal Workload Of Male And Female For Tribal Villages Of Rema-
Kalenga WS Area
Baishakh
Months
Jaistha
Ashar
Shrabon
Bhadra
Ashwin
Poush
Magh
Falgun
Chaitra
Agrahay
Kartic
an
Sex
Male 00000 0000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
Female 00000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 000 000 000 000 000
4.13.4 Daily work load
Fig. 23 and Fig. 24 show the daily work chart of male and female in a Bangalee family
in Rema- Kalenga WS area. The females are typically involved with the household
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XIX

work and also outdoor work. The males mainly do the outdoor works related to income
generation.
-woke up from sleep -work at field-

- wash hands & mouth -fuelwood collection
- saying Prayers
- take breakfast
- wash cattle
-go to field for work -take bathe
-go to forest for fuelwood collection-take food
- go to market -take rest
- take care of cattle
- wash hands & mouth -go to market

- say prayers -work at field
-go to -chatai making/day labour
- take care children -Fuelwood collection
-take food - HHs work
- sleep -take care cattle
-wash hands and mouth
-go to market
Fig. 19. Daily Work Chart of Men of jamburacharaVillage
--wake up from sleep -go to forest for fuelwood

- wash hands & mouth collec.
- Say prayers -washing plates
-washing plates -cooking lunch
-sweepings house
-bring water
-sweeping households
-making breakfast
-supply food to the HHs -take bath
-supply food to the family
-teaching the children -take rest
-Supply food to the family - bring water
members -washing plates
-Taking food - house clearing
-Watching TV -take care of children
-Weaving -live stock taking in case
-Arrange sleeping bed -cooking dinner
l i
Fig. 20. Daily Work Chart of Women of jamburachara Village
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XX

4.13.5. Education
The overall literacy of male and females is more or less equal. In the recent years the
number of school going girls are higher than the boys. However, in case of higher studies
girls are behind the boys (Table 33). Overall, females are less educated than the male.
The overall higher education receiving rate is very low in the area. But in this case the
women have no access.
Table 33.Comparison Of Educational Status Of Male And Female In Rema-

Kelenga WS
Overall literacy Educational level (based on students)

(based on adult) Primary Secondary Colleges Above Informal
Male 000 000 00 0
Female 00 0000 0 Negligible
4.14 Local Level Awareness and Behavior

Overall, initial response of local people and FD staff was positive towards the project.
Local people know the forest as a reserved forest and are not aware of the existence of
the Rema- Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Very few of them know about rules and
regulations and activities of WS. They know that there are some restrictions in resource
exploitation. However, some of them can enter into the forest by paying 5-10 taka for
each entry and collect fuelwood and other forest resources in a bunch as head or shoulder
load. Local people, particularly the inside people are worried about the degradation in the
forest resources. Inside villagers are well behaved and appeared to be cooperative. The
outside village people are also good. But some of them showed their extreme curiosity in
the project activities. Most of the villagers welcomed the project when they heard about
scope of forest conservation and IGA through the project. The local people also
emphasize that FD, Police and BDR should have real intention for protecting forest and
there should not have any negotiation with them and illegal tree feller. People are aware
of forest resource and forest cover degradation and about its adverse impacts. In this
regard, they are willing to conserve the forest resources.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXI

4.15 Legal Aspect and Law Enforcement Mechanisms
Forest villagers have an agreement with FD for their settlement. Once FD did these
agreements to increase the forest patrolling, plantation activities and they were provided
some agricultural land beside their HH. However, the land area provided to them is
different from place to place (6 to 9 acres) as the forest villagers mentioned. There might
have a chance of land encroachment with this statement. Out side villagers have conflicts
with FD staff as most of them try to enter into the forest illegally for their fuelwood
collection and sometimes for illegal tree felling from the forest. There are very little
conflicts between FD and forest villagers. According to the FD staff in most of the cases
the villagers help them to guard the forest but now a days, some of the bangalees
villagers are acting as helper to the illegal tree feller by providing them information.
Law enforcement is insufficient and forest patrol is inadequate in the forest. According to
the FD staff, there are very few FD guard to monitor and safeguard the vast forestland
with a few obsolete arms. The activity of BDR helps bit in forest protection, particularly
in preventing intrusion across the borders. The activity of police is not conducive to
forest protection. Forest cases are comparatively less than Lawachara NP and Satchari
RF.
4.16 Status and Role of Forest Villagers and Ethnic

Community
There are 10 forest villages within and very adjacent to the WS, of them 8 are inhabited
by mixed Tipra tribe. The other two are inhabited by local Bangalee. Altogether, total
HHs of forest villages are about 286, out of which ethnic community has 167 HHs.
The forest villagers are recognized by the FD, has an legal agreement with them. Long
back FD allocated them lands for settlement and agriculture in the range of 6-9 bigha to
each HH. In return, they help FD in forest patrolling and plantation. Unlike other areas,
the forest villagers need to plant about 1200 saplings for plantation in the forest at their
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXII

own cost. The forest villagers seems to comply to the agreement. The ethnic community
depends on many resources for their HHs needs and added income. These include
fuelwood, bamboo, house building materials and others. They also collects fruits,
vegetables, medicinal plants, fish, wild animals.
Their all time presence inside the forest is not conducive for the forest dwelling animals.
As per their statement that they can not increase the HH number beyond the registered
number.
The forest villagers informally leases out to other people. The leasing rate is Tk. 500 for a
year/bigha. Sometimes, if they take more than Tk 1000 then the leasee will enjoy the as
long as the leased money is returned and eventually the land may be grabbed by the
lease.
The forest villagers and the ethnic people have their own governance system. There is a
headman in each forest village and deal with his community matters. He is very powerful
man in the community.
The occupation of the forest and ethnic community has changed over time. Earlier they
mainly faremer, but presently many of them have become agricultural day labor.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXIII

5. THREATS, ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE
PROJECT
5.1 Threats to the Sancturay and its Biodiversity
5.1.1 Collection of fuelwood, bamboo and other house building

materials
This is the major threat to the biodiversity of the WS. Fuelwood is collected extensively
both for HHs needs and commercial purposes. Almost all the inside and adjacent HHs
collect fuelwood predominantly from the sanctuary area. Collector mainly collect the
young plants, less valuable and fruit trees. In this way, regeneration process of the forest
is severely hampered leading to reduced biodiversity of the sanctuary. Bamboo is also
extensively collected for purposes and has led to the serious depletion in bamboo stocks.
Similarly, many types of indigenous non-commercial tree species are collected for
building their houses. All these activities adversely affect the forest regeneration and
contribute to poor abundance of these exploited species and at the same time also
contribute to habitat loss for wildlife.
5.1.2 Livestock grazing
Livestock, mainly cattle and buffalos, grazing is widespread within the sanctuary area,
particularly in the north. The cattle brows on seedling and undergrowth and thus interfere
with natural regeneration of the forest.
5.1.3 Agricultural encroachment
A number of narrow valleys are present in the sanctuary. The valleys harbor wild animals
and facilitate corridor from one place to another. These areas have been either allocated
to or encroached by forest resident and outsiders. In course of time they further
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXIV

penetrated into the forest. Conversion of land and agricultural activities inside the forest
cause harm to wildlife and regeneration of forest.
5.1.4 Illegal tree felling
Although, illegal felling is not widespread within the sanctuary areas, as valued trees is
very less abundant within the sanctuary area, still a small number of indigenous timber
trees are felled and this remain as a minor threat to the forest.
5.1.5 Hunting
Although, not widespread the local people, particularly the ethnic community hunt trap some
wildlife, the important species sought are wild boar, small deer, jungle fowl and some species of
birds and the population is highly declined. Thus hunting remains as threat to the wildlife of the
forest.
5.1.6 Forest fire
Occasionally forest fires are found in he sanctuary area and done intentionally, mainly for
hunting and for facilitating extension of sungrass beds. This process interferes with the
regeneration process.
5.1.6 Collection of Tree Bark

Tree bark is extensively collected from the sanctuary area, mainly from Hargaza tree
for commercial purposes. It is reported that bark from the particular tree is used in
mosquito coil. Presently, about 90% tree of the particular species is affected, resulting
in the death and reduced growth.
5.2 Issues of Concern
The following are the major problems that need to be addressed in order to sustainable
management of the Rema-Kalenga WS:
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXV

Reduced forest regeneration: Mainly caused due to fuelwood collection, cattle
grazing and forest fires.
Agricultural encroachment: Leads to habitat fragmentation and causing

disturbances to wildlife.
Over- and unsustainable resource exploitation: Mainly include collection of

fuelwood, bamboo, building materials etc. and pose threats to abundance to the
resources.
Local dependence on the forest resources: Almost all inside HHs (mainly
ethnic community) and many HHs from nearby settlements depend on fuelwood,
bamboo and other building materials for HHs needs and many HHs depends on it
for their livelihood. Thus this emerges as an issue of concern for the project.
Poor forest management by the FD and lack of specific GR management

action plan: As became apparent from the appraisal process that the forest is
poorly managed by the FD., primarily due to lack of adequate and skilled man
power for GR management, lack of logistics and incentives. Besides, the poor
morale of local FD staff has been identified as a major cause for illegal use of
forest. Most importantly, there is no specific management action plans for the GR
and therefore these are important issues for consideration.
Local poverty and unemployment: Local poverty and unemployment have been
identified as the driving forces for the illegal forest use by the local people.
Unless the problem is reduced it is unlikely to achieve success in the
implementation of the project and therefore draws particular attention addressing
the issue.
Presence of forest villagers inside the forest: As discussed earlier that the forest
villagers, mainly they are ethnic people, dependent on forest resources for their
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXVI

livelihood and HHs needs and this the major threat for biodiversity. Therefore,
this is issue of concern for the project.
Lack of awareness among local people about biodiversity conservation: There

is serious lack in understanding about benefit of biodiversity conservation and
need for sustainable management among the local people. It seems that
enhancement local level awareness could help in the implementation f ten
projects.
5.3 Challenges for the Project

Stopping fuelwood, bamboo and building material collection:
As there is little alternative source for these resources in the
locality and as livelihood of many HHs are dependent on this, it
will be difficult to make a ban on the collection of these resources.
Therefore there will be a huge task in addressing the issue.
Reducing local poverty and unemployment: Unless the issue is

not addressed the illegal use of forest resources may not stopped.
However, probably, it will be a difficult job for the project to
address this issue..
Establishing co-management regimes for biodiversity

conservation: Approach for resource management involving the
various stakeholders is new in the country. It will be a huge task
for the project in bringing the parties, particularly the local
community on board could be a difficult job and to ensure their
participation in all stages of project implementation.
5.4. Opportunities
• Positive responsiveness of the local people: The general people showd

interest in the project. This aptitude of local people could utilized to ensure
their participation in the project and thus will help in establishing co-
management.
• Ecotoursim development: The sanctuary is bit remote and little visited by

visitors. However, the area has beautiful landscapes and could be attractive, if
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXVII

necessary infrastructure is developed. Already, some infrastructure was
developed in this regard. There some additional infrastructure development
could help to attract the visitors. If infrastructures are developed this will
attract more visitors and ecotourism could be planned accordingly.
• Buffer zone plantations: There are huge denuded and clear felled forest areas
within and surrounding the WS and adjoining reserved part of forest. There
are also khaslands besides reserved forest. This land could be brought under
social afforestation schemes and could be used as sustainable resource
exploitation zones. This scheme may reduce the dependency on the RF
resources.
• Scope for alternate income generation activities: There are a good scope
for undertaking various AIG activities, such as basket making, handicraft
making, lemon cultivation, poultry, cattle fattening, weaving, fish culture etc.
This will help to reduce dependence on forest uses.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXVIII

6. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Administrative
Poor forest management by the FD has been identified as one of the major causes for the
forest degradation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthening the local FD at the
sanctuary with adequate and skilled manpower and to capacitate them in dealing with co-
management of Protected Areas. Specifically the FD may strongly consider the
following:
o adequate staffing, particularly for forest patrol under a skilled PA
management manager
o Capacity building training for all local forest managers on sustainable

management of forest resources and biodiversity conservation
o Providing appropriate logistics, like vehicle and modern arms and

ammunitions to local FD
o Provision for providing incentives to local FD staff to make the job

lucrative
o Steps for improving the morale of FD local staff and make them dedicated
to biodiversity conservation
o Erection of fencing at strategic places of the park
o Provision for strong monitoring and supervision of local activities by a

central cell.
6.2 Scientific and Technical Management of the park

An appropriate, site specific and technically sound management Action Plans should be
developed with consultation of local people. The action plan, among others, should have
the following provisions:
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXIX

• a plan of actions for re-introduction and rehabilitation of endangered and
plants and animals species
• a plan of actions for habitat restoration and rehabilitation
• a plan of actions for protection and sustainable uses of forest resources

and biodiversity
• a long term monitoring program to track the changes in local biodiversity

so that necessary actions could be taken to maintain the biodiversity status
of the WS.
Some Specific suggestions

• As the forest has become thin in many places, as a short time strategy, plantation
with indigenous fruit bearing trees could be done. Priority should be on the
species (e.g. fig, banyan, dewa etc.) on which the local wildlife are dependent for
shelter and food.
• A rehabilitation scheme should separately be considered for the non-human

primates, the most important component of the Rema-Kalenga WS ecosystem, To
this end the following could be considered:
o re-establishment of habitat continuity between the fragmented habitats

of the primates
o plantation scheme with food trees suitable for the non-human primates
o Considering the local dependence on the forest resources, sustainable

use of some resources, like vegetables, honey, medicinal plants and
other non-timber forest products may be allowed. This requires a
change in the policy.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXX

o Fuelwood, bamboo and some other major building materials collection
should be stopped on a short term basis, but may not be a success as
long as there is a scarcity of its supplies remains in the area. However,
once the stock is recovered these may allowed to exploit on the basis
of principle of sustainable use. Therefore, project should strongly
consider the following:
o Collection of tree bark must be stopped.
o establishment of a buffer sustainable resource use zone around the PA

with provision for fuelwood plot, woodlot and other plantations
required for house building purposes
o providing resource substitution (for example, commercialization of

fuel made of rice husk and others)
o promotion of fuel efficient stoves in the locality
o promotion of homestead plantations

The encroached land, whether legal or illegal, at least for some strategic places,
should be brought back under FD control with provision for trade off with owner
and/or encroachers.
Poor resource users, particularly those who are dependent on the forest for their
livelihood, should be identified and brought under AIG program with provision that
they give up the unsustainable use of forest resources. The possible AIG opportunities
include, cane and bamboo based handicraft, ginger cultivation, weaving, dairy and
fish culture, poultry etc.
Approach should be taken to bring the local elites on board with the concept of forest
protection.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXI

Awareness activity should be done on priority basis in the area to make the people
understand how the people could be benefited out of this project
Project should also make provisions for generating scientific and social
knowledgebase on the sanctuary. On an immediate basis a comprehensive faunal
inventories should be made. Investigations in to the threatened categories of plants
should be made on an priority basis and a management scheme for their protection
and rehabilitation should be developed.
Project should make effort to negotiate with local development partners for extending
social welfare services to the area.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXII

Pictorial Description: Rema-Kelenga WS
A boy carrying fuelwood from Rema- Agricultural plot established by local people
Kalenga WS within the WS
Clear felling of trees by auctioneer in the Bamboo materieals are dried for preparing
reserved part of the forest mat in jambura chara village
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXIII

Bamboo mat made by ethnic community- raw Rema tea garden - adjacent to WS
material comes-from the forest
Ceased timber at the premises of Rema beat Clear felled trees (through auction ) are
office waiting for auctioning stacked beside the trail for subsequent
transportation
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXIV

FGD with FD staff at Rema beat office FGD at Jamburachara village with Tipra people
Chopping and bundling of fuel wood inside the Collected fuelwood being carried to nearby bazar
WS
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXV

FGD with Kalenga forest villagers Group discussion with forest villagers in Rema
beat
Group discussion with villagers Group discussion with villagers
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXVI

Key informant interview Transportation of fuelwood to urban areas- an
usual everyday scenery in the area
Collection of vegetables for HHs consumption Stumps of illegally felled tree near Rema beat
(within reserved part of the forest)
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXVII
A forest villager demonstrating how they drive A transect walk through Rema-Kalenga
away the insurgent from Indian borders WS
Illegal log being carried through the Basulla village
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXVIII

Annexure-1
Checklist of questions of RRA for FGD, KI and HHs interview
a. Checklist of questions for FGD

I. Stakeholder Assessment
1. What are the settlements/villages from where the people come to the forest and
collect resources? Please indicate its location on the map.
2. What are the different categories of people who collect different resources from
the forest?
3. At what extent the local people depend on the resources they collect from the
forest for their livelihood, please specify for each category of resource users
group?
4. What are the local organizations/institutions which are involved with the
development /management of the forest or its control or its resource
exploitation/and or degradation? What are the activities of these
institutions/organizations?
5. Please indicate how the different resource users and other stakeholder groups
interact with each other or inter-linked with each other.
II. Resources and resource status

6. Which plants and animals have disappeared from the forest in the recent past?
7. Which plants and animals in the forest have been declining very rapidly?
8. What are the causes for the decline of these animals and plants-Ven diagramming
9. What are the major shifts in the abundance of various resources over time?
Compare between pre-liberation and present status? ---Trend analysis
III. Power structure and local conflict

10. What are the sources of conflict among local people?---ven diagramming
11. Whom do the local people go for conflict resolution?
12. How the local conflicts are resolved?
13. What are the events that bring the local people together?----ven diagramming
IV. Resource exploitation

14. What are the various resources that are collected from the forest and who collect
what? Please indicate on the format. ---use format
15. Exploitation of which resources is posing threat to its future availability?
16. Please indicate how exploitation of different resources varies with different
seasons? ---------- Seasonal analysis
17. Which animals and plants are collected more and which are collected less?
18. When there is scarcity of fuel wood in the locality and indicate how it varies with
season? –seasonal calendar
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XXXIX

19. Do the local people collect medicinal plants from the forest? Are they available
now a day?
V. Demographic profile
20. What are major occupations of the people of the locality? Please rank them.
21. Are there many illiterate people in the locality? Do many people go to High
school, college, and universities? Please rank them and indicate on the format
22. Do you think that the occupations of people in the locality have changed over past
(30-50 years)? Please indicate the shift in occupation local people over time?
Format, in which occupation the shifting have occurred (Trend analysis).
VI. Socio-economic activities/livelihood strategies

23. What are the major activities for earning of the local people and rank them
according to their importance?
24. Are there many people who have no land?
25. Are there many people in the locality who have no work to do?
26. Please indicate how the availability of work changes with seasons?
27. What the local people do when there is less or no work for them to do
28. Do many people in the locality take loan from, bank NGO or other organizations
and please mention the reasons for taking loans?
29. Do the local people get income generation training from various organizations?
VII. Gender issues

30. How do the roles of men and women differ in this community?
31. What are the different thing men and women do concerning the forest and forest
products?
a. Does the male and female are equally educated in the locality?
b. Who take the decision for HH purchase, undertaking income generation
activities etc. - male or female?
c. Do the females have access to loan and IGA as the male have?
d. Is the female are associated with forest management?
e. Please indicate on the format, what daily works are done by the male and
what daily works are done by the female?----- Chart
IX. Others
32. What are major the NGOs operating in the locality? Please indicate their activities
on the format?
33. What are major challenges for the conservation of forest resources?
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XL

b. Checklist of questions for Key Informant (KI) interview
Stakeholders Assessment
1. What are the organizations/institutions, which carry out any type, work in the
forest?
2. What are the villages from where people come to forest for collecting resources?
Please tell which villages are more involved and which are less involved?
3. What are the different categories/groups of people who go and collect various
resources from the forest?
4. Who are the other people who don not use forest resources but have linkages with
resource exploitation and development of the forest?
5. Are there any people who can be important for the conservation of the forest and
its resources?
Power structure and local conflict

6. Who are the more influential people in your locality? Tell who more and who are
less influential among them
7. What are the sources of conflict among local people
8. Whom do the local people go for conflict resolution
9. How the local conflicts are resolved
10. What are the events that bring the local people together
11. Have the local people any conflicts with Forest Department? If yes, what are
those?
Resources and resource status

12. Which plants and animals have disappeared from the forest in the recent past?
13. Which plants and animals in the forest have been declining very rapidly?
14. What are the causes for the decline of various animals and plants?
Resource exploitation and dependency on forest

15. What are the various resources that are collected from the forest? Which are
collected more and which is less?
16. What are the reasons for collection of these resources?
17. Which category/group of resource users are dependent on the collection of these
resources?
18. What proportion of HHs benefit from the forest?
19. Collection of which resources likely to pose a threat to those resources/
availability in the future?
20. Do people collect and use medicinal plant from the forest?
Demographic profile
21. How many households are living in this community/thana? How many adults?
22. What are the major occupations of the local people?
23. What proportion of local people are illiterate and what proportion of people have
read upto school, colleges and above.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLI

24. How have the occupations of people in the locality have changed over past (30-50
years)
Socio-economic activities/livelihood strategies

25. What are the major activities for earning of the local people?
26. What proportions of local people are very poor (have food shortage), poor, middle
class and rich?
27. Are there many unemployed in the locality? What proportion?
28. In which season(s) there is scarcity of work in the locality?
29. From which source the local people take credit?
30. What are the different organizations, which operate credit in the locality?
31. Do many people in the locality take loan from , bank NGO or other organizations
32. Have the local people skills that can be utilized for undertaking alternate income
generation
33. Is there any work/economic opportunities that requires special skill that the local
people don’t have?
Legal aspects
34. Can anybody can go to the forest and collect any thing?
35. Is there illegal tree felling? Is it at large scale? Does it affect forest health? Are the
feller local or come from outside?
36. What are the main reasons for tree felling?
37. Do you think that the forest department people are protecting the forest resources?
38. Is there any issue of forestland encroachment? What are problem with recovery of
these land?
Gender issues
39. Does the male and female are equally educated in the locality?
40. Who take the decision for HH purchase, undertaking income generation activities
etc. - male or female?
41. Do the females have access to loan and alternate income generating activities as
the male do have?
Others:
42. What are the major threats to the forest habitat and its resources
43. What would be major challenges for the conservation of biodiversity and
restoration of its habitat?
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLII

c. Checklist of questions for HH interview
1. Govt. has plans to preserve the forest biodiversity and to improve the socio-
economic condition of the people ---- what do you think (Actually team will gave
a statement on the purpose of their visit and on the project)
2. Do you know that the forest is a park/wildlife sanctuary/reserve
3. Do you know what are allowed and not allowed to do in the
park/reserve/sanctuary
4. Do you think that the forest resources should be preserved/conserved ?
Stakeholders
5. What are the villages from where people come to forest for collecting resources?
Please tell which villages more involved and which are less involved?
6. What are the various groups of people who collect different types of resources
from the forest?
7. Who are the people who do not use forest resources but are involved with the
forest or has control over the forest
8. What are the organizations/institutions which carry out any type of work in the
forest
Resources and resource status

9. Which plants and animals have disappeared from the forest in the recent past
10. Which plants and animals in the forest have been declining very rapidly
11. What are the causes for the decline of these animals and plants
Resource exploitation and dependency on forest

12. What sorts of things do you use from this forest?
13. Does your household collect it/them, or do you obtain from someone else?
14. If yes, do you collect those for selling or for consumption?
15. Of those things you get from the forest, which ones won't be available in 5 or 10
years?
16. Do you use medicinal plants from the forest?
Power structure and local conflict

17. Who are the more influential people in your locality? Tell who are more and who
are less influential among them
18. What are the sources of conflict among local people
19. Whom do you go for conflict resolution
20. How the local conflicts are resolved
21. Have you or your neighbors any conflict with forest department? If yes, what are
those?
Demographic profile
22. What is your primary and secondary occupation?
23. How many people in your HH are educated upto School, how many in the
colleges and above and how many are illiterate.
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLIII

Socio-economic activities/livelihood strategies
24. What is your HH primary and secondary source of income
25. Do you have land of your own (home stead/agricultural)?
26. Is your HH income adequate to meet your family expenditure or you having
surplus?
27. Have many people in the locality no work?
28. Have you work to do in all seasons? In which season/seasons people of the
locality have little/no work
29. What do you do when you have no work opportunities locally?
30. Have you taken loan from, bank NGO or other organizations? Was it easy to get
the loan
31. What are the different organizations, which operate credit in the locality?
32. Have you any skill to do a particular work but you don’t do? Why don’t you do
it?
Resource regeneration practices

33. Are there many plant nurseries in the locality?
Legal aspects
34. Can anybody can go to the forest and collect any thing?
35. Do you know that there is tree poaching in the forest? If yes, from where they
come (villages)?
36. Do you think that the Forest Department people are protecting the forest
resources?
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLIV

Annexure-2
PRA issues
PRA will build upon the RRA findings and is intended for collecting in depth information
on the identified issues.
Understanding the forest make up and dynamics
Transect map : Necessary for understanding the present forest physiography and
topography. A few transects across the forest will give an idea on overall make up of the
forest. This exercise will also provide the opportunity for learning about the historical
trend in changes in the forest make up in different areas of the forest. It will also provide
the opportunity to learn manything about the forest while walk with a key informant.
The transect map should indicate
land elevation (high/low
land cover/use pattern (trees/bush/grassland/agric. land/marshy land etc.).
A similar transect map should be drawn based on the condition of the
forest 30-40 years back.
Should carry GPS to track the transect walk/take coordinate reading at
intervals
Should be accompanied by a key informant and learn about the changes
over time in the forest
Trend analysis in forest dynamics: changes with time of the following: forest cover and
thickness, abundance of tall trees and herbs and shrubs, settlements, population
Resource maps (on the forest): Helps in the understanding the distribution,
concentration of different major resources of the forest, resource exploitation and
regeneration areas. Also will show
- internal walkways, footpath trails, access roads
- encroached land areas
- settlements
- pressurized areas
- areas for plantation, agricultural and other resource regeneration
- areas for major resource exploitation
- distribution of various resources
Understanding the land encroachment process: Important for Teknaf and Chunati
- historical perspective and trend
- who and how
- uses and transformation
- legalization process
- causal factors
- impact on forest
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLV

Understanding local governance system and community structure and functions
- decision makers--- influential people
- hierarchy set up
- local community organizations and institutions and their linkages
- local conflict and conflict resolution
- social cohesion and adhesion (which brings them together)
- collective action
PRA ISSUES
Fuelwood collection/collector
Information to be collected:
¾ who collect (adult, boys or girls/ women, poor or rich/ employed labor,
gang/armed gang, local/outsider if possible mention the settlements from
where they come etc.)
¾ purpose of collection (for selling,HH consumption or both)
¾ what compels them to extract the resource
¾ do they depend on the extraction for their livelihood (partially/entirely,
supplement income), at what extent and how
¾ What encourages them to take up the activity
¾ What are various uses of the resource
¾ if commercial-where do they sell, who buys, where does it go, who are the
traders and where, prices at various levels
¾ Quantity collected/day/person
¾ any conflict with FD or other people over the extraction
¾ any negotiation or arrangement to carry out the activity
¾ any alternate source for the collection of the resources
¾ needs and expectation of the collector
¾ impact on the forest, as the participants see
¾ Risk for the collectors as the collector see, if the activity is carried out at
this rate
Illegal timber felling
¾ Who collect (adult, boys or, poor or rich/ employed labor, gang/armed
gang, local/outsider etc. if possible mention the settlements from where
they come etc.)
¾ at individual or group level
¾ Who are behind the activity and indicate the network
¾ Purpose of collection (for selling,HH consumption or both)
¾ reasons for the activity
¾ uses of the resource at various levels
¾ what compels them to fell the timber
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLVI

¾ Do they depend on the activity for their livelihood (partially/entirely,
supplement income or for added income), at what extent and how
¾ Anybody protect them, if they are in problem
¾ If commercial-where do they sell, who buys, where does it go, where are
the traders-indicate the chain
¾ how the protection is provided by FD or by any other agencies (e.g. Police
etc.) and at what stage
¾ any conflict with FD or other people over illegal felling
¾ any negotiation or arrangement to carry out the activities
¾ needs and expectation of the feller
¾ as seen by the feller, impact on the forest due to the activity on forest and
its resources
¾ Impact on/risk for the collector, if the activity is not allowed
¾ Seasonalities and trend analysis
Collection of trees as building materials

¾ who collect (adult, boys or girls/ women, poor or rich/ employed labor,
¾ carried out at individually or in group
¾ purpose and resons for collection (for selling,HH consumption or both)
¾ uses of the resource
¾ do they depend on the extraction for their livelihood (partially/entirely,
¾ any negotiation or arrangement to carry out the activity
¾ needs and expectation of the collector
¾ impact on the forest, as the participants see
¾ Risk for the collectors, as the collector see, if the activity is carried out at
this rate
Bamboo and cane collection

¾ who collect (adult, boys or girls/ women, poor or reach/ employed labor,
¾ purpose of collection (for selling,HH consumption or both)
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLVII

¾ Do they depend on the extraction for their livelihood (partially/entirely,
¾ What are various uses of the resource
¾ any negotiation or arrangement to carry out the activities
¾ Needs and expectation
¾ Impact on the forest, as the participants see
¾ Risk for the collector, if the activity is carried out at this rate
Information the Ethnic community:

Distribution of ethnic community settlement in and around the forest
Probable No. of HH in each settlement
Present economic activities
Resources (plants and other NTFPs) they extract and reason for extraction
(consumption/selling or both)
dependence on the forest resources and its impact on the forest
land encroachment by them
relationship with the local people or agencies
internal governance system
conflict with FD or other agencies or other people on thre use use of the forest
needs and expectation
reaction to the project
Information on Forest villagers:

Distribution of forest villager’s settlement in and around the forest
No. registered and approx. present number of HH in each settlement
Privileges under FD agreement
compliances to agreement
Present economic activities
Resources (plants and other NTFPs) they extract and reason for extraction
(consumption/selling or both)
dependence on the forest resources and its impact on the forest
settlementalization processes and land encroachment by the forest
villagers or by their dependant
relationship and conflict with FD
Forest villager management / or internal governance system
needs and expectation
reaction to the project
Marketing chains and mechanism
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLVIII

Understanding the land encroachment
Historical perspective and trend
Who encroaches and reason for encroachment and what drives to
undertake the activity
Legalization of process
Conflicts and negotiation process
Uses and transformation of encroached land
What encourages them to encroach land
Local mechanisms/system or traditional practice for land encroachment
Trend in the changes in the intensity of the activity
FD’s forest management regimes

Forest patrol, check post operation etc.
Activities of other organization in relation to the forest protection
Any special management efforts for the NP/WS/Reserve etc.
Forest cases and punishment
Is the present regime effective in protecting the forest
Prevailing unlawful extraction and uses
If not effective, what are the causes for the poor management of the forest
(lack of manpower and logistics/ accessibility and problem in movement/
fear of bandits/ local people more powerful/ little help from the higher
authority/ low morale of FD staff/ intervention by the local public
representative or political elite etc.)
FD’s plantation strategies

Area under plantation
Species planted (information on clear felling etc.)
Plantation practices
Nursing and care (thinning etc.)
Impact on the wilderness
Information on Brickfield/ Brickfield owners (Rema-Kelenga)

Nos. and distribution
Owners and their influences
Compliance to forest laws
Period of operation
Sources of fuelwood (from the forest concern or from elsewhere)
Type of fuelwood used
Network of supplies
Approx. quantity used/year
Impact on forest
Information on Sawmill/ Sawmill owners (Rema-Kelenga)

Nos. and distribution
Owners and their influences
Compliance to forest laws
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS XLIX

Period of operation
Who brings timber to them
Sources of timber (form the forest concern or from elsewhere-homestead)
How distinction is made between timber from the forest and that from
villages
Inspection by FD/or other law enforcing authority
Network of supplies
Livestock grazing (Rema-Kelenga)

Identification of grazing areas
Types and No. of livestock
Who owns the livestock (ethnic/poor/rich/influential/general people)
Mention whether seasonal and all time
Description of damages /impact caused by grazing
Alternate areas for grazing
FGD with Tea Garden people (Rema-Kelenga, 1)

Unemployment in the labor colony
Penetration to NP?WS /RF by tea garden people
Resource collected from the forest
Reasons for invading the forest and collecting resources
Ecosystem continuity with the forest
Role of Tea Garden management in preventing poaching
Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kelenga WS L

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Site-Level Field Appraisal for Protected Area

Co-Management: Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary

With partners: CODEC, NACOM & RDRS

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE 6

4 OUTCOMES AND FINDINGS 26

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 26

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 27

5. THREATS ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE PROJECE 76

6. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 81

Summary Activities (pictorial description) 84

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 28

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 29

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 30

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 31

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 32

4. Based on resource exploitation, a total of 12 primary and 4 secondary SH groups

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 33

10. Compared to pre-liberation period, activities like fuelwood collection have

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 34

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 35

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 36

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 37

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 38

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 39

1.1 Project Background

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 40

1.2 Information Needs Of NSP And Logical Basis For

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 41

• Co-management -----stakeholders and their activities, socio-economics, behavior,

Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)/Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) are packages of

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 42

1.3 Purpose of The Report

1.4 Outline of The Report

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 43

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 44

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 45

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 46

3.1 Developing The RRA and PRA: Issues and

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 48

Table 1. Selected RRA Issues For Rema-Kelenga WS, Specific

Sl. RRA Issues Specific activities Tools Used Participants

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 49

3 SH Economic - HH primary and secondary HH Int. HHs heads/members

5 Behavior of - Initial response of the local FGD Local community

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 50

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 51

Table 2. PRA Issues, Specific Activities Performed And Tools Used

Sl. Issues Specific activities Tools used Participants

-land use cover, resource exploitation and Resource FD staff and

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 52

3 Livelihood Income and expenditure sources, Wealth Women group

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 53

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 54

Venn diagramming: local power structure, local community organizations, local

Seasonal calendar: fuelwood, bamboo and timber collection, unemployment, workload,

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 55

3.2 Fieldwork Preparation

3.2.1. Selection of RRA and PRA Sites

Site-Level Field Appraisal: Rema-Kalenga WS 56