CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS WATERSHED CO-MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY (CHTWCA)

CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS WATERSHED CO-MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY (CHTWCA)

Background

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), located in the southeast of Bangladesh, comprises of the three Hill Districts: Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati. The region is home to 13 tribal groups (ethnic minorities or Adivasi), in addition to Bengali, and has a population of nearly 1.6 million. Each of the tribal groups retains a unique language, culture, and tradition. The CHT is geographically distinct from most parts of plainland Bangladesh, as characterized by steep, rugged hilly terrain, and diversity. USAID funded ten-year Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Management Activity (CHTWCA) is implemented by UNDP under Strengthening Inclusive Development in CHT (SID-CHT) Project of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA). It aims at integrated ecosystem management of forests (headwater Reserved Forests, Protected Areas and Village Common Forests/mauza reserves) and their associated watersheds in partnerships with key stakeholders including local people.

Area of Work

Agriculture, Food security, and Livelihood promotion.
Climate Resilience at household and community levels.
Environment, Forest, and Watershed Co-Management.
Support to Host Community Affected by Rohingya influx.
Sustainable Management of Community Development.
Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment through access and skill education.
Inclusive Education in CHT.
Youth Engagement, Skills, and Employment.
Holistic marketing system.
Strengthening local government for local economic development.

Significant Achievements

226 Village Common Forests (VCF) Management plans prepared.
69,306 hectares of forest areas (VCF-14,978 RF-4,445, and PA-49,883 ha)) brought under improved Natural Resource Management (NRM)
7 Strategic action plans developed by the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD)
617 communities are participating in managing the Village Common Forests (VCF), Reserve Forests (RF) and Protected Areas (PAs).
245,073 (47% female) people received climate-resilient livelihood co-benefits
148,362 (45% female) people engaged through conservation awareness-raising events and messaging
143 groups or initiatives developed to resolve conflict or the drivers of conflict in Bandarban.