Preliminary Impacts of a Co-Management Program at Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh

Preliminary Impacts of a Co-Management Program at Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh

Lawachara National Park (LNP) is one of the five sites in Bangladesh, where a co-management system (also termed collaborative management) was introduced by the Nishorgo Support Project (NSP) involving local people in the management authority and resource sharing. The present study, based on primary field investigation (in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions), aimed at unveiling the aspects, efficiency, mutual benefits and issues of co-management system at LNP. The incorporation of the local stakeholders in the decision making and resource sharing are the major motto of the co-management approach. The system from its very beginning has been trying to enlighten the local people about the values of the resources and park. Introduction of Alternative Income Generation (AIG) shifted the dependency on park resources. Illicit felling has been curbed down from 18 to 10 incidents per year. Apart from tourists, communication gap between Co-management Committee (CMC) and Village Council Forum (VCF) is a major issue of the system. Eco-tourism and awareness building of the tourists might be theeffective solutions for better protection of the resources at LNP.