Co-Management Effects on Forest Restoration in Protected Areas of Bangladesh: A Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Analysis
2024
Md Rezaul Karim | Md Abdul Halim | Imrul Kayes | Wenxi Liao | Sharif A. Mukul | H. M. Tuihedur Rahman | Sean C. Thomas
Co-management is a promising forest governance strategy that integrates local communities&rsquo: traditional rights and forest dependencies while aiming to improve forest cover and ecosystem health. Bangladesh, facing high deforestation rates and limited per capita forest area, has implemented co-management initiatives since 2003 to restore forest cover and support the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. While the socio-economic impacts of co-management are well studied, its effects on forest cover remain underexplored. This study addresses that gap by using three common spectral vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, and MSAVI), calculated from Landsat 7 data, to analyze forest cover changes in five major protected areas under co-management. The results indicated that dense forest cover (41&ndash:71%) was initially prevalent in these areas, but a significant decline occurred between 2004 and 2015, with slope values ranging from &minus:3.7 to &minus:0.96. In contrast, the non-co-managed control site exhibited a much smaller decline (slope: &minus:0.48 to &minus:0.62) across all indices. Notable increases in agricultural land and forest&ndash:agriculture mosaics were also observed in the protected areas under co-management. Global Forest Watch data further confirmed substantial forest cover loss, particularly in CWS (158.77 ha) and SNP (0.49 ha). These findings highlight the need to reassess co-management strategies to address ongoing forest degradation.
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