89
5.7 Conclusions
There is a significant number of anthropogenic pressures that cause the degradation
of biodiversity resources of the Sundarbans. These anthropogenic pressures have
mainly intensified with the advent of neo-liberalism as the sole strategy of accumulation of wealth, with profits being considered more important through commercialisation of forest products, neglecting intrinsic ecological value of biological
resources. These commercial enterprises, formal and informal, are found to be
highly organised in their extractions of resources, and most often being politically
patronised and administratively supported. The chapter, thereafter, has scrutinised
the livelihood strategies of the IPLCs, the resource-dependent communities of the
Sundarbans, and the results show that their livelihood strategies (both traditional
practices and innovative tools) are largely effective and beneficial for the protection
and maintenance of natural mangrove ecosystem. The assessment of the Sundarbans
on the basis of the resilience indicators of SEPLS also shows that the current resilience capacity can be improved by mainstreaming the traditional knowledge base
and participation of the indigenous people into the resource management framework.
The lessons from this study can be applied with necessary modifications to
improve policy decisions and management interventions of such type of SEPLS in
different countries of the world. There is no denying of the necessity to revise laws,
regulations, and policies relating to the use of resources and to secure the rights of
the IPLCs.
Bibliography
Adhikari KP, Goldey P (2010) Social capital and its “downside”: the impact on Sustainability of
induced community-based organizations in Nepal. World Dev 38(2):184–194
Aziz A, Paul AR (2015) Bangladesh Sundarbans: present status of the environment and biota.
Diversity 7(3):242–269
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) (2001) Population and housing census 2001. Government
of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) (2011) Population and housing census 2011. Government
of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) (2015) First phase Tiger status report of Bangladesh
Sundarban. Wildlife Institute of India and Bangladesh Forest Department, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Barbier EB (2007) Valuing ecosystem services as productive inputs. Econ Policy 22:177–229
Baten MA, Kumar U (2010) Responses to the changes in the Sundarbans. Paper presented at international conference on biological and cultural diversity, UNCBD, Montreal, Canada, 3–5 May
Battersby S (2017) Can humankind escape the tragedy of the commons? Proc Natl Acad Sci
114(1):7–10
Behera MD, Haider MS (2012) Situation analysis on biodiversity conservation–ecosystem for
life—a Bangladesh India Initiative. IUCN, Dhaka
Bergamini N, Blasiak R, Eyzaguirre P, Ichikawa K, Mijatovic D, Nakao F, Subramanian SM
(2013) Indicators of resilience in socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs), UNU-IAS
Policy Report
5 Traditional Knowledge, Institutions and Human Sociality in Sustainable Use…
5.7 Conclusions
There is a significant number of anthropogenic pressures that cause the degradation
of biodiversity resources of the Sundarbans. These anthropogenic pressures have
mainly intensified with the advent of neo-liberalism as the sole strategy of accumulation of wealth, with profits being considered more important through commercialisation of forest products, neglecting intrinsic ecological value of biological
resources. These commercial enterprises, formal and informal, are found to be
highly organised in their extractions of resources, and most often being politically
patronised and administratively supported. The chapter, thereafter, has scrutinised
the livelihood strategies of the IPLCs, the resource-dependent communities of the
Sundarbans, and the results show that their livelihood strategies (both traditional
practices and innovative tools) are largely effective and beneficial for the protection
and maintenance of natural mangrove ecosystem. The assessment of the Sundarbans
on the basis of the resilience indicators of SEPLS also shows that the current resilience capacity can be improved by mainstreaming the traditional knowledge base
and participation of the indigenous people into the resource management framework.
The lessons from this study can be applied with necessary modifications to
improve policy decisions and management interventions of such type of SEPLS in
different countries of the world. There is no denying of the necessity to revise laws,
regulations, and policies relating to the use of resources and to secure the rights of
the IPLCs.
Bibliography
Adhikari KP, Goldey P (2010) Social capital and its “downside”: the impact on Sustainability of
induced community-based organizations in Nepal. World Dev 38(2):184–194
Aziz A, Paul AR (2015) Bangladesh Sundarbans: present status of the environment and biota.
Diversity 7(3):242–269
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) (2001) Population and housing census 2001. Government
of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) (2011) Population and housing census 2011. Government
of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) (2015) First phase Tiger status report of Bangladesh
Sundarban. Wildlife Institute of India and Bangladesh Forest Department, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Barbier EB (2007) Valuing ecosystem services as productive inputs. Econ Policy 22:177–229
Baten MA, Kumar U (2010) Responses to the changes in the Sundarbans. Paper presented at international conference on biological and cultural diversity, UNCBD, Montreal, Canada, 3–5 May
Battersby S (2017) Can humankind escape the tragedy of the commons? Proc Natl Acad Sci
114(1):7–10
Behera MD, Haider MS (2012) Situation analysis on biodiversity conservation–ecosystem for
life—a Bangladesh India Initiative. IUCN, Dhaka
Bergamini N, Blasiak R, Eyzaguirre P, Ichikawa K, Mijatovic D, Nakao F, Subramanian SM
(2013) Indicators of resilience in socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs), UNU-IAS
Policy Report
5 Traditional Knowledge, Institutions and Human Sociality in Sustainable Use…