Khadimnagar National Park

Khadimnagar, Sylhet.

Declared as a National Park in October 2009, Khadimnagar National Park encompasses 678.80 hectares of hilly land. It is located about 15 km from Sylhet city in Khadimnagar Union of Sylhet Sadar Upazila. Khadimnagar is surrounded by six tea gardens.

About three quarters of the Park is planted mixed evergreen forest, and the rest is degraded hills with grasses. The plantations of the park are gradually restoring forest. The National Park is naturally protected by tea gardens on three sides and on the other side is Sylhet cantonment. Unlike many other forests in Bangladesh, the tree cover in Khadimnagar has increased in recent decades. Once largely bamboo jungle, in the early 1960s the Forest Department planted trees such as Teak (Tectona grandis), Champa (Michelia champaca), Mahogoni (Swietenia mahagoni), Jarul (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), and Amloki (Emblica officinalis). A diversity of commoner forest wildlife is present, including globally threatened Capped Langur and a population of nationally scarce Kalij Pheasant.

Inside and adjacent to the National Park lives a Laleng ethnic community known to outsiders as Patra, derived from the Bangla pathor or pator meaning stone (laleng means stone in the community’s own language). Like many ethnic communities they traditionally depend on forest, but this has costs – for example they traditionally cut trees to make charcoal. The CMC works with this and neighboring communities to change their fuel use to sustainable sources and more efficient stoves.

Preventing forest degradation avoids release of about 298 tons of CO2 per ha supporting climate change mitigation

Over 217 species of plants and 160 species of birds

Several local villages are Patra by ethnicity

Local people are poor and depend on forest resources, threatening the biodiversity and ecology

Sustaining Nature, Biodiversity, and Local Communities

Khadimnagar Co-Management Committee engages with local communities to conserve Khadimnagar National Park through climate-resilient natural resources management and diversified livelihoods

Co-management Co-management in Khadimnagar was established in October 2009.Khadimnagar CMC formally works with and includes Bangladesh Forest Department as well as all key local stakeholders including local government and of course representatives of the surrounding 22 villages who are organized into a common forum. We protect 678 hectares under an overall Park management plan.

KHADIMNAGAR NATIONAL PARK CO-MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (CMC)

KEY OBJECTIVES:

• Ensure long-term conservation of biodiversity
• Mobilize local people as environmental stewards and stakeholders
• Improve the lives and livelihoods of local people, by diversifying livelihoods, improving skills, and reducing vulnerability to hazards and climate change
• Encourage eco-tourism, and provide adequate facilities for visitors
• Provide a forum for discussions,consultations, and conflict resolution

How You Can Help ?

Please support our efforts to strengthen conservation. The work of Khadimnagar CMC and associated organizations involves local communities working with local government and Bangladesh Forest Department. These activities depend on support from grants and outside resources.

Khadimnagar CMC has a bank account (Sonali Bank Limited, Khadimnagar Branch, Sylhet) and can receive grants from domestic sources. For international assistance, funds can be channeled through CNRS – a national NGO which has helped establish the CMC. CNRS is registered with Bangladesh NGO Affairs Bureau registration no. 841. Its programs focus on Natural Resource Management.

Your donations to Khadimnagar CMC will support:

• Improving forest protection through participatory approach.
• Restoration of forest in barren areas of the park
• Creating conservation awareness and promoting eco-tourism (e.g., establishing visitor facilities, signage and publicity)
• Increasing community sustainability (e.g. reducing disaster vulnerability and improving services)