Awareness programme to save Lawachhara National Park

Three hikers watch the present status of Lawachhara National Park which was once a dense forest. Nishorgo Support Project of the Forest Department organised a three-hour hiking programme inside the forest on Monday

With the aim in view, Nishorgo Support Project of the Forest Department on Monday organised a three-hour hiking programme inside the pristine forest for the representatives of foreign donor agencies, local Union Parishad (UP) chairman, civil society members and journalists, according to a Nishorgo press release.

The participants hiked inside the forest in a natural trail and watched the present status of the once dense forest. The forest faced an alarming threat due to illegal felling of trees indiscriminately during the last couple of months. The biodiversity is also threatened adversely affected the livelihood of forest dependant people.

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Five young people, among whom, two were women from the local community and indigenous Khasia community served as Guides. Each guide led a group of 10 participants into the park.

The hiking started from Magurchhara and the five-kilometre trail ended at the bottom of the Forest Rest House. After the hiking a discussion meeting was held there. The participants discussed the present dire situation and suggested ways to overcome the menace.

Lawachhara park is not only a beautiful tropical forest that holds hundreds of species, including primates, but also one of the remaining forests in Bangladesh.

Lawachachara holds immense ecological importance globally due to its rich biodiversity. Bird watchers around the world comes to this forest for unique bird-watching experience.

Indigenous Khasia and Tipra community lives around the park.

The Forest Department's Protected Area (National Park, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Game Reserve) Management Programme is known as Nishorgo Programme. It is being implemented with USAID's financial support through Nishorgo Support Project.

Nishorgo Programme aims at conserving the biodiversity of the protected areas through forming partnership with stakeholders at local and national levels. Properly managed Protected Areas provide more than divine natural beauty. They serve as poles of local economic growth by attracting visitors, income and investment. They conserve the ecological balance also.

Among others, Allen Fleming, Azhar Mozumder and Mamunul H Khan of USAID, Samsur Rahaman Conservator of Forest, wildlife and Nature Conservation Circle, Ali Kabir Haider Conservator of Forests, Central Circle and Monoj Kanti Roy Conservator of Forests, Administration and National Coordinator of Nishorgo Support Project of Forest Department, Z Karim, Executive Director of Aranyak Foundation, Philip J DeCosse and Ram Sharma of Nishorgo Support Project took part in the hike and discussion.

The participants stressed the need for involvement of poor people in protection of forests. They urged for engaging poor people in alternative income generation activities.