USAID/BANGLADESH NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (NRM) SECTOR ASSESSMENT REPORT December 4, 2019 This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared independently by John Michael Kramer, Md. Shams Uddin, and Humayun Kabir for the Bangladesh Monitoring Evaluation, and Learning (BMEL) Activity managed by ME&A, Inc. USAID/BANGLADESH NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (NRM) SECTOR ASSESSMENT REPORT December 4, 2019 Contract No. GS-10F-154BA Order No. 72038819M00001 USAID Bangladesh Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (BMEL) Activity Source of cover photos: 1. Community Patrol Group photo – collected from USAID Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL) Activity; 2. Photo of Sundarban Forest – taken by NRM Sector Assessment Team; 3. Village Conservation Forum (VCF) members photo – taken by NRM Sector Assessment Team; 4. Focus group discussion with Village Savings Group (VSG) members photo – taken by NRM Sector Assessment Team. Prepared by ME&A, Inc. 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 210 Bethesda, MD, 20814 USA DISCLAIMER This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of ME&A, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1.0 ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE & METHODOLOGY 1 1.1 Assessment Objective 1 1.2 Assessment Methodology 2 2.0 BACKGROUND 5 2.1 USAID History of Support in the NRM Sector 5 2.2 Evolution of the USAID NRM Sector Theory of Change 8 3.0 FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS 9 3.1 Current Status of CBM in the NRM Sector 9 3.2 Enabling Environment for CBM 15 3.3 Environmental Governance 23 3.4 Direct and Indirect Benefits for Communities 32 3.5 CBM and Bangladesh’s Journey to Self-Reliance and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Vision 37 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 40 4.1 Continued Investment 40 4.2 PA Co-Management 41 4.3 Bangladesh Forest Department 42 4.4 Alternative Income Generating Activities 44 ANNEXES 45 Annex 1: Statement of Work 46 Annex 2: USAID NRM Sector Basic Activity Data 50 Annex 3: Assessment Workplan and Design Matrix 52 Annex 4: USAID NRM Sector Supported Sites Visited by Assessment Team 67 Annex 5: Assessment Travel Schedule 68 Annex 6: Participants in KIIs 70 Annex 7: Key Informant Interview Guide 73 Annex 8: Focus Group Discussion Guides 78 Annex 9: Mini-Survey and Selected Data 84 Annex 10: USAID NRM Co-Management Theory of Change and Results Framework 91 Annex 11: List of Documents 93 Annex 12: Conflict of Interest Forms 100 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Number of KIIs and FGDs by Institution .................................................................................... 3 Table 2: Summary of USAID-Funded NRM Sector Activities ................................................................. 7 Table 3: Summary of USAID NRM Sector Results Framework ............................................................. 8 Table 4: CMO Functionality ........................................................................................................................ 10 Table 5: CMO SWOT Responses .............................................................................................................. 12 Table 6: Assessment Team View of CMO/CBO SWOT...................................................................... 13 Table 7: USAID NRM Policy Development Accomplishments ........................................................... 16 Table 8: Increased Income and AIGA Sources (% of FGDs) ............................................................... 32 Table 9: FGD Participants’ Perceptions of CBM Indirect Benefits ..................................................... 35 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Data Collection Locations ............................................................................................................. 2 Figure 2: Who Has Authority Over PAs vs. Who Should Have Authority? .................................... 11 Figure 3: Individual Perceptions of Benefits from NRM Involvement ................................................ 33 Figure 4: Use of Natural Resources Five Years Ago Compared to Today ...................................... 33 Figure 5: Beneficiaries’ Understanding of the Links Between CBM and Its Direct and Indirect Benefits ................................................................................................................................................. 36 LIST OF TEXT BOXES Text Box 1: Summarized NRM Theory of Change ................................................................................... 8 Text Box 2: Policy Gaps and Weakness ................................................................................................... 18 Text Box 3: ECOFISHBD Opportunity ...................................................................................................... 20 Text Box 4: CREL Training and Capacity Building Accomplishments ............................................... 28 Text Box 5: Nishorgo.org ............................................................................................................................ 31 Text Box 6: Urgent Recommendation...................................................................................................... 42 ABBREVIATIONS Acronym Description ADB Asian Development Bank AIGA Alternative Income Generation Activity BFD Bangladesh Forest Department BMEL Bangladesh Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity BSCMFP Bangladesh Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project CA Cooperative Agreement CBM Community-Based Co-Management CBO Community-Based Organization CCF Chief Conservator of Forests CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CHT Chattogram Hill Tracts CHTWCA Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Management Activity CMC Co-Management Committee CMCo Co-Management Council CMEC Co-Management Executive Committee CMO Co-Management Organization CNRS Center for Natural Resource Studies COMPASS Community Partnerships to Strengthen Sustainable Development CPG Community Patrol Group CREL Climate-Resilience Ecosystem and Livelihoods CSG Community Savings Group DCC District Co-Management Committee DFO Divisional Forest Officer DOF Department of Fisheries DPP Development Project Proforma ECA Ecologically Critical Area ECOFISHBD Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FGD Focus Group Discussion FMC Fisheries Management Committee FRUG Federation of Resource User Group FUG Forest User Group GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GOB Government of Bangladesh HCG Hilsa Conservation Group HGCC Hilsa Ghat-Based Co-Management Committee HGG Hilsa Ghat Group IPAC Integrated Protected Area Co-Management IR Intermediate Result Acronym Description IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature J2SR Journey to Self-Reliance KII Key Informant Interview M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MACH Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry MOEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change MOFL Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock MOL Ministry of Land NGO Non-Governmental Organization NP National Park NRM Natural Resources Management NSP Nishorgo Support Project NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product PA Protected Area REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation RF Results Framework RIMS Resource Information Management System RMO Resource Management Organization RUG Resource User Group SMART Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool SMP Sundarbans Mangrove Forest Project SUFAL Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats UCC Union Co-Management Committee UNDP United Nations Development Programme U.S. United States USAID United States Agency for International Development USDA United States Department of Agriculture UzCC Upazila Co-Management Committee VCF Village Conservation Forum VCF-CHT Village Common Forest in CHT (also sometimes Village Conservation Forest) VCG Village Conservation Group VSG Village Savings Group VTRT Village Tiger Response Team WS Wildlife Sanctuary GLOSSARY Term Definition CBM, also known as community-based natural resources management (NRM), is the general term to describe community-focused engagement in NRM. It encompasses co-management as well as other forms of resource management, such as Arannayk Foundation’s community-based organizations (CBOs) and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) village common forest management Community- committees. Based CBM is the broad term that includes co-management of natural resources. Co- Management management of natural resources is the sharing of power and responsibility between 1 (CBM) the government and local resource users. CBM also includes other forms of community-centered resource management that do not directly involve communities sharing power with the government, particularly relevant in Bangladesh’s Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT). Most other CBM interventions supported by USAID/Bangladesh are co-management organizations. This report refers to co-management organizations as the primary mechanism of CBM in Bangladesh. Co-management is the sharing of power and responsibility between the government and local resource users. A CMO is the general term for the wide variety of Co- community organizations supporting co-management in various ecosystems. As Management described below CMOs are often nested with many village-level CMOs sending Organization representatives