Approaches

Strategies of traditional shifting cultivation [Bangladesh]

approaches_2403 - Bangladesh

Completeness: 75%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Key resource person(s)

SLM specialist:
SLM specialist:
SLM specialist:
Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)
Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) (Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI)) - Bangladesh
Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)
Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) (Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD)) - Bangladesh

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

Traditional Shifting Cultivation
technologies

Traditional Shifting Cultivation [Bangladesh]

Traditional shifting cultivation is a rain-fed cultivation practice of the trible people of CHT (Chittagong Hill Tracts) for their subsistence, where natural vegetation is cleared off by slash-and-burn, to grow mixed annual crop for one year and then the land is left fallow for 3-5 years for natural regeneration.

  • Compiler: Abdul Gafur

2. Description of the SLM Approach

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Tradtional appraoch to jhuming involving tribal institutions and traditonal knowledge based technologies.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: The main purpose of the approach is to facilitate the tribal population with no cultivable landownership to seek their subsistence by adopting tradtional jhum practice by involving the entire family members. The specific objectives is to ensure site allocation within the communites for jhum and to ensure that the age old knowledge about shifting cultivation is passed on to the next generations.

Methods: The method to achieving this is that the tribals have a very strong local institution comprising of King, Dewan, Head man, and Karbari, priests and the villagers. In case of knowledge transfer, head of a family ensures that he/she passes on the technology information to his/her followers.

Stages of implementation: At evry stage of the implementation of jhum, the landusers are supported by the local institutions and their tradtional custams, attitudes and beliefs.

Role of stakeholders: The tribal institution takes care of the problems encourtered by the landusers during selection of jhum sites and overall activities of jhum.

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

Country:

Bangladesh

Region/ State/ Province:

Chittagogn Hill Tracts

2.7 Type of Approach

  • traditional/ indigenous

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Slashing, burning, weeding)

The main purpose of the approach is to facilitate the tribal population with no cultivable landownership to seek their subsistence by adopting tradtional jhum practice by involving the entire family members. The specific objectives is to ensure site allocation within the communites for jhum and to ensure that the age old knowledge about shifting cultivation is passed on to the next generations. The method to achieving this is that the tribals have a very strong local institution comprising of King, Dewan, Head man, and Karbari, priests and the villagers. In case of knowledge transfer, head of a family ensures that he/she passes on the technology information to his/her followers. At evry stage of the implementation of jhum, the landusers are supported by the local institutions and their tradtional custams, attitudes and beliefs. The tribal institution takes care of the problems encourtered by the landusers during selection of jhum sites and overall activities of jhum.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: That the poor triabal communities with no landownership can make a livelihood by jhum practice without any inter/intra commmunity conflicts. It also ensures that outside interference which might threaten the jhumias livelihood is minimised.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

social/ cultural/ religious norms and values
  • hindering

Lack of ownership, scarcity of judicially cultivated plain land, During site selection.

Treatment through the SLM Approach: Ensure land ownership,Priests advice, local instituion involevment in every steps of Jhuming

availability/ access to financial resources and services
  • hindering

Taking more area for jhum and increase inputs, no credit for Jhum.

Treatment through the SLM Approach: They opt for less area and traditional way of cultivation.

institutional setting
  • hindering

Lack employment opportunities

Treatment through the SLM Approach: Involvement and support from state institutions.

legal framework (land tenure, land and water use rights)
  • enabling

The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights greatly helped the approach implementation: If land tenureship was legalised the tribals may have opted for settled agriculture.

  • hindering

No development focus

Treatment through the SLM Approach: Credit facilities may be provided, state ensured landownership.

knowledge about SLM, access to technical support
  • hindering

Scarcity of HYV seeds, fetilizer and pesticide.

Treatment through the SLM Approach: Ensure availability of all farm inputs.

3. Participation and roles of stakeholders involved

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

  • community-based organizations

Specific ethnic groups: Chakma Tribes in the CHT.

The practice as such involves the poor land users. Working land users were mainly men

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
Involvement of local land users/ local communities Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation none
planning interactive public meetings; Plan within the triabls the distribution of land for jhum.
implementation self-mobilization responsibility for major steps; By individual households.
monitoring/ evaluation interactive measurements/observations; By the landusers.
Research none

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:
  • land users alone (self-initiative)
Explain:

Individual household based decision

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by by land users* alone (self-initiative / bottom-up). In close consultation with the local jhum based institution.

4. Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Ja

Specify who was trained:
  • land users
Form of training:
  • on-the-job
Subjects covered:

The family head gives training their off spring.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Ja

Specify whether advisory service is provided:
  • on land users' fields
Describe/ comments:

Name of method used for advisory service: Jhumia to jhumia hands on extension method.; Key elements: Interaction between two generations., Interactions between jhumia based local institutions., On the job training.; 1) Advisory service was carried out through: landusers 2) Advisory service was carried out through: landusers; e 3) Target groups for extension: land users.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?
  • yes, greatly
Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:
  • local
Specify type of support:
  • capacity building/ training

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Ja

Comments:

bio-physical aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations

socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored through observations

5. Financing and external material support

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: local community / land user(s) (Meetings): 100.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Nee

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

  • none
 

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

Nee

6. Impact analysis and concluding statements

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

Did the Approach help land users to implement and maintain SLM Technologies?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?
  • No
  • Yes, little
  • Yes, moderately
  • Yes, greatly

Other tribal communities of CHT (about 12 in number) have a similar approach to jhum.

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?
  • yes

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Food security and poverty aleviation. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: They would rather prefer settled agriculture.)
Multiple crop production round the year.
Less costly and less laborious.
Availability of fuel and timber.
Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Inspite of land ownership conflicts, local institutions function efficiently to maintain harmony in the community. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: The strenght of local institutions need to be optimally used by the projects and programs to develop and test better and sustainable production systems from a SWC perspective in CHT.)
Easy to adopt and less costly to implement.
Marginal lands can be used.
Self employment for the entire family.
Ensures food security and poverty elevation.
Multi-crop based production system for the whole year.
Gender equity.
Availability of fuel and timber.
Traditional knowledge based practice.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view How can they be overcome?
Soil degradation and low productivity. Financial support and land rights ensured.
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view How can they be overcome?
The appraoch promotes soil and land degradation, deforestation and loss of flora and fauna. The landusers should be encoraged to take up settled agriculture ensuring their land rights and logistic supports from liquidity and technical amd material support.

7. References and links

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

  • field visits, field surveys
  • interviews with land users

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Sustainability Appraisal of Shifting Cultivation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. By Ole K. Borggaard, Abdul Gafur and Leif Petersen.

Available from where? Costs?

Ambio Vol. 32 No. 2, 118-123, March 2003.

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Runoff and losses of soil and nutrients from small watersheds under shifting cultivation (Jhum) in the CHT of Bangladesh. Abdul Gafur et al. 2003

Available from where? Costs?

Journal of Hydrology, Volume 274, Issues 1-4, 1 April 2003, Pages 30-46

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Changes in Soil Nutrient Content under Shifting Cultivation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Abdul Gafur, et al. 2000.

Available from where? Costs?

Danish Journal of Geography 100: 37-46

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