© AF photo library
Arannayk Foundation strengthened community-based conservation across key biodiversity areas (KBAs) through the facilitation and networking of Co-Management Organizations (CMOs). In the Sundarbans, this included the Sundarbans Region Co-Management Society (formerly the Sundarbans CMO Network), while in the northeast, the Greater Sylhet CMO Network brought together CMOs from Tanguar Haor, Hakaluki Haor, and Hail Haor. Under Protibesh, Arannayk Foundation facilitated the formation of VCG coordination committees at Tanguar and Hakaluki Haors, and an RMO coordination committee at Hail Haor.
To strengthen national representation, regional CMO networks were initiated in Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram. These networks launched advocacy efforts ranging from tackling poison fishing in the Sundarbans to reinstating wetland sanctuaries under RMO management in Hail Haor. In March, CMO networks across regions jointly celebrated Co-Management Day with the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD).
Institutional capacity was reinforced through financial independence, with the Hail Haor RMO coordination committee and Hakaluki Haor VCG coordination committee opening their own bank accounts. Contributions, such as BDT 3,000 from the LNP CMC to the Greater Sylhet CMO Network, set a precedent for allocating funds in local development plans (ADPs).
Advocacy was a crosscutting theme. The Hail Haor RMO coordination committee promoted the reinstatement of beel-based sanctuaries, compiling a list of 14 beels for lease to RMOs and submitting formal applications to district and upazila authorities. In the Sundarbans, the regional CMO network advocated for measures to reduce poison fishing and for the completion of CMC reformation processes in the Sarankhola and Chandpai ranges.
The activity contributed to improved ecosystem conservation in and around targeted KBAs of Bangladesh by:
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© Zawyad Bin MostofaThis initiative focused on conserving big cat species, particularly the clouded leopard within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot by safeguarding transboundary forest ecosystems in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts and India’s Mizoram. The project combined habitat management, community-based conservation, and cross-border collaboration to strengthen ecological resilience, reduce human–wildlife conflict,... Read more
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