Table Of ContentSustainable Development Goals Series Connecting the Goals
Sundarbans and its
Ecosystem Services
Traditional Knowledge, Customary
Sustainable Use and Community Based
Innovation
Edited by
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir
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Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir
Editor
Sundarbans
and its Ecosystem
Services
Traditional Knowledge, Customary Sustainable
Use and Community Based Innovation
Editor
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir
Department of Development Studies
University of Dhaka
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Unnayan Onneshan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
ISSN 2523-3084 ISSN 2523-3092 (electronic)
Sustainable Development Goals Series
ISBN 978-981-19-2999-1 ISBN 978-981-19-3000-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3000-3
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Dedicated to
The members of three cooperatives of traditional resource users of
Sundarbans— without them this work would not have been done!
Koyra Bonojibi Bohumukhi Unnayan Samity
Harinagar Bonojibi Bohumukhi Unnayan Samity
Munda Adivasi Bonojibi Bohumukhi Unnayan Samity
Preface
The Sundarbans, the largest single-tract contiguous mangrove forests
in the world, is a blessing for the coastal belt of Bangladesh. The
home of Royal Bengal Tiger works as a shield against natural calami-
ties and nurtures lives and livelihood in the region. Since antiquity, these
dense forests have provided the people living along the coast with infi-
nite compassion as a result of which the Indigenous People and Local
Communities (IPLCs) find an intertwined relationship with this bountiful
and the largest mangrove.
The forest shares an intense, interdependent relationship with the
indigenous and local communities living around it. People who depend
on the Sundarbans for their livelihood, also contribute to the conservation
of the Sundarbans’ biodiversity and heritage. Nevertheless, due to various
man-made reasons, the forest is being pushed on the verge of destruc-
tion. As a result, the future of the forest and the people dependent on it
is endangered.
The Sundarbans is gradually degrading due to the massive extrac-
tion of its resources. The inappropriate expropriation has triggered rapid
destruction and has failed to take into consideration, sustainability and
conservation of the forest resources. This urbane mindset of resource
exploitation stands in stark contrast to the Indigenous Local Knowledge
(ILK) system which stems from age-old practice of conservation-prone
and sustainable use of forest resources.
vii
viii PREFACE
This book attempts to explore the intricacies of the largest surviving
mangrove forest in the world by studying various aspects related to the
forest; some of these aspects are the traditional and customary knowl-
edge and rules and beliefs practised by the Traditional Resource Users
(TRUs) residing around the Sundarbans. Knowledge of these practices
are essential for conserving the natural resources of the forest that have
been ascertained over a period of time through keen observation, proving
the efficacy of such practices towards sustainable use of natural resources.
In essence, this book is a brief glossary of ILK and attempts to link the
mainstream conservation practices of the forest’s terrestrial, coastal and
marine ecosystems to the existing Traditional Knowledge (TK).
The sanguinity of divulging such knowledge to protect the security,
sanctity and serenity of the forest through sustainable use of its resources
depends on exploring its current state and multiple values that require an
in-depth understanding of the interdependent relationship that Sundar-
bans share with the people dependent on it. A similar attempt is needed
to identify the factors affecting the well-being of both humans and the
forest, as a habitat. Through proper investigation, the interdependence of
humans and the Sundarbans has been explored that has been found essen-
tial for each other’s existence and future growth. This book attempts to
draw on the work-experience and data reservoir collated by the Unnayan
Onneshan—a Dhaka-based multidisciplinary, independent research organ-
isation working in the Sundarbans for almost a decade to bring forth a
scientific narrative of this majestic forest to the researchers and general
readers as a whole.
This book is an inter-disciplinary inquiry undertaken in the Sundar-
bans by adopting multiple evidence-based approach in order to bring
participatory insights of the indigenous people and local communities,
coupled with scientific knowledge and heterodox perspectives including
Anthropology, Ecology, Economics and Political Economy in a shared
platform. It presents a comprehensive story of the Sundarbans—a natural
World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Site of international importance and
introduces a new theoretical framework by combining theory, praxis
and policy in a triangulation method and advocates for ensuring rights-
oriented universal social entitlements, provision of livelihood security and
promotion of human–nature cooperation.
All the chapters of this book have been written by adopting
Multiple Evidence-Based (MEB) approach that includes both primary and
secondary data and brings heterodox multidisciplinary perspectives to a
PREFACE ix
common platform. The primary data has been collected through partic-
ipatory approaches such as Focus Group Discussions (FGD), unstruc-
tured interview, Key Informant Interview (KII) and Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA) tools like social mapping, impact assessment by the
indigenous and local people. Public Participation Geographic Information
System (PPGIS) has also been conducted for ecological and landscape
valuation mapping, resource mapping, etc. In addition, few photos of
Sundarbans—taken by the researchers on the ground during field work
have been used in several chapters. These participatory approaches have
been drawn towards knowledge, views and understanding of the TRUs.
Similarly, secondary scientific evidence has been collected from numerous
articles, journals, books, newspapers, etc.
Chapter 1 of the book presents a comprehensive overview of the
Sundarbans. This includes its location and a brief explanation of its flora
and fauna. It goes on to describe the biodiversity and resource system in
the Sundarbans. In addition, the chapter attempts to develop an alterna-
tive conceptualisation of the multiple values and the nature of the TRUs,
emphasising this age-old value system. During the course of the chapter,
it is established how the Sundarbans is considered to be the TRUs’ mind.
Later in the chapter, the approach of the current management system and
associated problems have been discussed. Finally, the introductory chapter
ends with a methodology of the study and a brief outline of the upcoming
chapters in the book.
Chapter 2 opens with exploring the trends in biodiversity and
resources. It examines current terrestrial ecosystems and later delves into
the vulnerability profile of several valuable resources. The chapter suggests
how this forest is classified as a unique Socio-Ecological Production
Landscape and Seascape (SEPLS) comprising terrestrial forestry, marine
and coastal ecosystem that offers myriad livelihood opportunities. It
goes on to show the degrading state of the terrestrial ecosystem of the
forest through a DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact and Response)
framework. Lastly, the chapter investigates the management approaches
along with associated problems and challenges being faced that results
in resource degradation. It demonstrates that biodiversity of terrestrial
ecosystem of this mangrove forest is tremendously declining and there
has been massive degradation of forest coverage and its density in last
two decades.
Chapter 3 focuses on the state of biodiversity in marine and coastal
ecosystems of the Sundarbans. While doing so, it takes into account the
x PREFACE
perspectives and opinions of the TRUs. The chapter demonstrates how
aquatic resources are degrading gradually and also depicts the changing
patterns of value in marine and coastal ecosystem. A DPSIR framework
is also developed in this chapter to depict the key causes of damage to
the aquatic resources and its impact. The chapter reveals that aquatic
resources are declining mainly due to the exaggerated extraction of
resources by unsustainable means accelerated by profit making impulses
of people. As a result, both aquatic floral and faunal species significantly
have declined in terms of quality and quantity.
Chapter 4 explains the traditional knowledge and explores the customs
of the local forest people in context to the terrestrial area of the forest.
It studies the age-old norms and methods followed by the TRUs that is
the bawali (golpata collectors), mouals (honey/wax collectors) and crab
collectors, the cultural beliefs of the traditional resource users and indige-
nous people that have been at the foundations of their mode of living and
daily practices. The chapter goes on to study the innovations in livelihood
along with agriculture and aquaculture. Finally, the chapter looks into
the roles of TRUs towards conservation and their practice of sustainable
use of diverse resources and identifies the innovative practices as adap-
tive measures to climate change by the IPLCs that could be brought in
to improve the livelihood of the forest dwellers in terms of agriculture
and aquaculture by integrating the knowledge of the TRUs to promote,
conservation and sustainable use of resources and preserve the biodiversity
of the forest.
Chapter 5 presents the traditional knowledge and customary sustain-
able practices implemented to garner resources from the coastal and
marine ecosystems. The rules and resource-using strategies are mentioned
for both the TRUs and non-TRUs. In addition, rules followed by other
communities have also been discussed. This chapter also discusses shrimp
culture and its negative impact on other aquatic species. It demonstrates
that traditional knowledge and customary practices of the traditional
resource users can promote sustainable fishing practices and are envi-
ronment friendly as they help in the conservation of marine and coastal
resources. It goes as to show that the sustainability and conservation
of natural resources depend on the inherent human practices deployed
in using such resources and conscious social interaction in tandem with
nature promotes natural harmony and thereby ensures conservation.
Chapter 6 explores the multiple values of ecosystem services and their
contribution to human well-being in the region. The chapter records
