© AF/Zawyad Bin Mostofa
In Bangladesh, the story of conservation often begins with the roar of the Royal Bengal Tiger. However, across forests, wetlands, and tea estates, generations of people have safeguarded biodiversity through deep-rooted traditions, long before global frameworks gave it a name. Today, their efforts are finally being recognized under the UN’s “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures” (OECMs)—a model that honors community-led stewardship as a cornerstone of the global 30 by 30 goal. This is the story of how Bangladesh is transforming its ancient conservation wisdom into a globally recognized movement.
The defining image of conservation in Bangladesh is often the Royal Bengal Tiger, a majestic symbol of protected wilderness stalking the mangrove depths of the Sundarbans. Yet, step beyond the protective veil of the sanctuaries and parks, and you uncover the nation's most profound truth: its biodiversity is safeguarded, not by policy, but by the tireless efforts of local communities, the real, long-term guardians of nature and wildlife.
Across the diverse tapestry of Bangladesh, from the terraced, private tea gardens of Sylhet to the enduring solitude of the ancient village forests and the seasonal ebb of the wetland areas, a powerful tradition holds sway. For countless generations, these communities have acted as custodians of their forest and biodiversity. Their conservation is not dictated by regulation but born from deep-seated traditional knowledge and community-enforced rules, an unbroken covenant that keeps nature and people thriving together.
For years, these dedicated local efforts went largely unmeasured by the global community. Then, an international framework finally emerged to recognize the work being done on the ground. The search for this recognition began subtly in 2010, when the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) first sought to define conservation efforts happening outside formal protected areas. The concept matured quickly, leading to CBD COP 14 in 2018, where Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures, or OECMs, was formally defined, demanding sustained, long-term outcomes for biodiversity. Now, this designation is the key that unlocks global ambition: by embracing OECMs, the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)—including the landmark “30 by 30” goal—directly validates Bangladesh’s traditional community efforts. Here, the government acts not as a regulator, but as an essential support system that affirms its citizens' indispensable role.
From Policy Spark to Fieldwork in Bangladesh
In 2022, the Arannayk Foundation initiated a small activity to accelerate the localization of this global goal, leading the technical strategy for OECM identification, assessment and verification in Bangladesh along with the government. This implementation was financially supported by the Bangladesh Forest Department under the Sustainable Forests & Livelihoods (SUFAL) Project.
The process unfolded in distinct, rigorous phases. Initially, Arannayk's team, drawing technical knowledge from internationally accepted and recognized publications and articles on OECM identification, spent months on the ground, developing a rigorous screening tool and conducting fieldwork with tea workers in Sylhet, community leaders in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and fishermen in the haor wetland regions. Their mission was to identify over 45 potential OECM sites where local action was already delivering global biodiversity results.
To institutionalize the process, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) then established a National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) and assigned national-level assessors and verifiers. Recognizing the need for specialized expertise, the Arannayk Foundation took the lead in training these newly selected national assessors on the technical knowledge required for OECM identification and long-term sustainability assessment. Following this capacity building, the identified OECM sites were formally assessed by the national assessors and forwarded to the national verifiers. This multi-step verification process has resulted in six potential sites being officially verified and sent to the NTAC for final declaration.
The Way Forward: A Phased Plan for National and Global Success
To ensure the success of this community-led conservation initiatives and meet national and international conservation commitments, Bangladesh should focus on a phased plan:
a. Short-Term Priorities (Immediate Action & Reporting)
i. Formal Declaration and Global Reporting: The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) must finalize the national guidance and officially declare the first six verified OECMs. These sites must be immediately submitted to the World Database on OECMs (WD-OECM) to ensure Bangladesh meets its initial global reporting obligations under the CBD.
ii. Finalize the National Manual: Secure the adoption and dissemination of the official national OECM identification, assessment, and governance manual to standardize the process across all relevant agencies.
b. Medium-Term Goals (Scaling and Sustainability)
i. Equitable Benefit Mechanism: Develop and legislate a national framework that formalizes international funding, technical assistance, and incentives for communities that govern OECMs, ensuring the benefits are fair and sustainable.
ii. Institutionalizing NTAC: The MoEFCC must establish the NTAC as a permanent, funded and empowered body to ensure the long-term, continuous momentum of site identification, monitoring, and validation.
iii. Deepening Private Sector Ties: Launch strategic engagement with major landholders, including tea companies and corporate entities, to secure their long-term commitment and integrate more privately held natural areas into the OECM network.
c. Long-Term Vision (Strategic Alignment & Commitment)
i. Achieving the 30x30 Goal: Strategically map and declare a sufficient number of OECMs to meet the national contribution target for the Kunming–Montreal GBF Target 3 (30 by 30), ensuring coverage in areas currently underrepresented by formal Protected Areas.
ii. Integrating with Climate Action: Mandate the integration of OECMs—especially community forests and wetlands—as fundamental Nature-based Solutions within the National Adaptation Plan and other climate mitigation strategies.
iii. Policy and Legal Review: Conduct a comprehensive review of existing forest, fisheries, and land use laws to ensure OECM governance models are fully recognized and supported within the national legal framework.
A New Horizon for Bangladesh
The journey from local tradition to global validation is more than a policy exercise; it is a profound cultural commitment. The success of the OECM initiative promises a transformative legacy for Bangladesh's conservation efforts. By proving that economic development and ecological preservation are not competing goals, but rather interdependent objectives, the country is establishing a resilient, people-centric model that can be replicated across the South Asian delta and beyond.
Bangladesh's move to embrace OECMs is a powerful celebration of the power of communities. It sends a clear message: conservation doesn't only happen inside park boundaries. It happens in villages, gardens, and wetlands—wherever people choose to live with nature, not apart from it.
* The opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the official views of Arannayk Foundation.
Comments