Sundarban Eco-restoration Programme

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Submitted By : Team South Asia -01

Members1. Md. Salimul Alam Shahin, Bangladesh 2. Deepak Sharma, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India2. Palash Sharma, Bhuwana, Rajasthan, India3.4.5.

As Part of ELD-MOOC 2015

1 Background Lying between latitude 21° 27 30″ and 22° 30 00″ North and longitude 89° 02 00″ and 90° 00 00″ East′ ′ ′ ′ and with a total area of 10,000 km2, 60% of the property lies in Bangladesh and the rest in India. Situated in a unique bioclimatic zone within a typical geographical situation in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, it is a landmark of ancient heritage of mythological and historical events. The land area, including exposed sandbars, occupies 414,259 ha (70%) with water bodies covering 187,413 ha (30%). The Sundarbans is ecologically and economically important in regional, national and even global level. In south-western portion of Bangladesh, the Sundarbans has almost 6017 Sq km area including 4143 sq km land area and 1874 sq km water area. The mangrove forest is rendering ecological service as well as ecological goods. Bestowed with magnificent scenic beauty and natural resources, it is internationally recognized for its high biodiversity of mangrove flora and fauna both on land and water. The immense tidal mangrove forests of Sundarbans is in reality a mosaic of islands of different shapes and sizes, perennially washed by brackish water shrilling in and around the endless and mind-boggling labyrinths of water channels. The site supports exceptional biodiversity in its terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats; ranging from micro to macro flora and fauna. The Sundarbans is of universal importance for globally endangered species including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin (Batagur baska). It is the only mangrove habitat in the world for Panthera tigris tigris species

Some of the detailed information about the Sunderbans and its characteristics are given below

The Sundarbans is the biggest delta, back water and tidal phenomenon of the region and thus provides diverse habitats for several hundreds of aquatic, terrestrial and amphibian species. The site includes the entire landscape of mangrove habitats with an adequate surrounding area of aquatic (both marine and freshwater) and terrestrial habitats.

It provides a significant example of on-going ecological processes as it represents the process of delta formation and the subsequent colonization of the newly formed deltaic islands and associated mangrove communities. These processes include monsoon rains, rivers, creeks, islands, swamps, estuaries, mud flats, and tidal flats, flooding, and plant colonization. As part of the world’s largest delta, formed from sediments deposited by three great rivers; the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, and covering the Bengal Basin.

The larger channels are often a kilometre or two wide and generally run in a north-south direction. But apart from Baleswar River the waterways carry little freshwater as they are cut off from the Ganges, the outflow of which has shifted from the Hooghly-Bhagirathi channels in India progressively eastwards since the 17th century.

Alluvial deposits are geologically very recent and deep. The soil is a clay loam with alternate layers of clay, silt and sand. The surface is clay except on the seaward side of islands in the coastal limits, where sandy beaches occur. The monsoon rains, flooding, delta formation, and tidal influence combine in the Sundarbans to for a dynamic landscape that is constantly changing

Sands collect at the river mouths and form banks and chars, which are blown into dunes by the strong south-west monsoon winds. Finer silts are washed out into the Bay of Bengal where they form mud flats in the lee of the dunes.

Natural calamities such as cyclones, have always posed threats on the values of the property and along with saline water intrusion and siltation, remain potential threats to the attributes. Cyclones and tidal waves cause some damage to the forest along the sea-land interface and have previously caused occasional considerable mortality among some species of fauna such as the spotted deer.

The Sundarbans provides sustainable livelihoods for millions of people in the vicinity of the site and acts as a shelter belt to protect the people from storms, cyclones, tidal surges, sea water seepage and intrusion. The area provides livelihood in certain seasons for large numbers of people living in small villages surrounding the property, working variously as wood-cutters, fisherman, honey gatherers, leaves and grass gatherers.

A large number of communities are living in the proximity to Sundarbans which is called ‘Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ)’ and about 3.5 million inhabitants of these SIZ depend on Sundarbans for their livelihoods (Islam, 2011).

One of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world, the Sundarbans supports an exceptional level of biodiversity in both the terrestrial and marine environments, including significant populations of globally endangered cat species, such as the Royal Bengal Tiger. Population censuses of Royal Bengal Tigers estimate a population of between 400 to 450 individuals, a higher density than any other population of tigers in the world

Tourism numbers remain relatively low due to the difficult access, arranging transport and a lack of facilities including suitable accommodation. Mass tourism and its impacts are unlikely to affect the values of the property.

Because of the dominance of saline conditions, the forest flora in the western Sundarbans is not as diverse as in the east. Forest areas are dominated by a few species mostly Sundri and Gewu and

patches of Nypa palm and several other of the 27 species of mangrove that are found in the Sundarbans

The area is the only remaining habitat in the lower Bengal Basin for a variety of faunal species. The presence of 49 mammal species has been documented. Of these, no less than five spectacular species, Javan rhinoceros, water buffalo, swamp deer, gaur and probably hog deer have become locally extirpated since the beginning of the 21st century.

The area is the only remaining habitat in the lower Bengal Basin for a wide variety of faunal species. Its exceptional biodiversity is expressed in a wide range of flora; 334 plant species belonging to 245 genera and 75 families, 165 algae and 13 orchid species. It is also rich in fauna with 693 species of wildlife which includes; 49 mammals, 59 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 210 white fishes, 24 shrimps, 14 crabs and 43 mollusks species.

The Sundarbans of Bangladesh and India support one of the largest populations of Royal Bengal Tiger with an estimated 350 individuals. Other mammals include spotted deer and wild boar, three species of wild cat and Ganges River dolphin, which occurs in some of the larger waterways. Of the three species of otter, smooth-coated otter is domesticated by fishermen and used to drive fish into their nets. Some 53 reptile species and eight amphibian species have been recorded of these mugger crocodile is now extinct, probably as a result of past over-exploitation, although it still occurs in at least one location nearby

There are some 315 species of waterfowl, raptors and forest birds including nine species of kingfisher and the magnificent white-bellied sea eagle.

It provides following environmental services: Supporting (nutrient cycle; soil formation; primary production); Provisioning (food; fresh water; fuel and fiber); Regulating (climate regulation; food regulation; disease prevention; water purification); Cultural(spiritual; aesthetic; educational; recreational)

The Sundarbans is serving a lots of ecological functions which include protecting cyclone and tidal bores, oxygen production, natural nursery for shrimp and crabs, waste recycling, carbon cycling, supply of food and building materials, trapping of sediments and land formation. Ignorance and lack of ownership, no one to take care of, lack of investment of authorized and lack of investment are some of the reasons behind degradation of such land. It is a matter of regret that, the land in Sundarbans is degrading day by day because of human interruption, natural calamity, population growth, agricultural and household extension, faulty policies of the government. Natural resources including flora and fauna are in stake due to human intervention. It is high time to think about it and to admit the proper value of Sundarbans reserve forest.

A delicate balance is needed to maintain and facilitate the ecological process of the property on a sustainable basis. Another key management priority is the maintenance of ongoing ecological and hydrological process which could otherwise be threatened by ongoing developmental activities outside the property. Subject to a series of successively more comprehensive management plans since its declaration as reserved forest, a focus point of many of these plans is the management of tigers, together with other widlife, as an integral part of forest management that ensures the sustainable harvesting of forest products while maintaining the coastal zone in a way that meets the needs of the local human population. The working plans for the Sundarbans demonstrate a progressive increase in the understanding of the management requirements and the complexity of prescriptions made to meet them.

Table 1: Ecological goods and services of Sundarbans Mangroves Ecosystem

Nature of ecological goods and services

Sundarbans ecosystem goods and services

Dividends

Provisioning services Food (fish, livestock, agricultural products,

Direct collection of food for family need. Sale of food item. Livelihood depends on food collection.

Fresh water Domestic, agricultural usage of fresh water. Environmental sustainability. Water cycle in the environment. Water for tourism.

Fuel and fiber (wood) Sale of wood. Livelihood depend on fuel and fibre collection. Environmental balance. Disaster management (protect erosion, cylone, tidal bores, saline intrusion etc.) Recreation

Regulating services Climate regulation Fight against climate change impacts. Environmental balance. Disaster management (protect erosion, cylone, tidal bores, saline intrusion etc.) Reduction of carbon

Food regulation Food chain for each component of ecosystem. Fish

Disease prevention Protect from disaster borne disease.Herbal medicine source. Prevention of saline intrusion.

Water purification Water cycle for environmental balance.

Cultural services Spiritual, aesthetic, educational, recreational

Aesthetic of biodiversity.A vast floral and faunal demonstration. Recreational hub.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has undertaken a large project entitled “The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity (TEEB)” in 2007 to value overall services of different natural ecosystems, till today it has succeeded to evaluate services of a few ecosystems not on regional but on global scale. However, an attempt has been made here to determine the annual economic value of the ecological services of Bangladesh Sundarbans using the forest service’s valuing rates calculated by Costanza in 1997 and accordingly the total value of the ecological services of Bangladesh Sundarbans stands at about USD 379.67 million.

1. Major causes of degradation and the main effects

There are six major causes of deforestation and forest degradation in Sunderbanmangrove forest area: poverty, profit-making, forest management, natural disaster, salinity and sedimentation. These root cause are leading for following problems in Sundarbans Mangroves-

- Reduced flow of sweet water into Sundarban mangrove system - Extension of non-forestry land use into mangrove forest - Straying of tiger into villages along the western boundary of Sundarban- Demand for small timber and fuel wood for local consumption - Poaching of tiger, spotted deer, wild boar, marine turtles, horse shoe crab etc- Uncontrolled collection of prawn seedlings - Uncontrolled fishing in the water of Reserve Forests - Continuous trampling of river/creek banks by fishermen and prawn seed collectors - Chemical pollution through marine paints and hydrocarbons - Long International Border along the Eastern boundary of Indian Sundarban- Organizational and infrastructure deficiencies

2 Stakeholder Analysis and SelectionThe Team depended on secondary information and preliminary information available with one of its member who have sufficient knowledge about the Sundarbans both in India and Bangladesh. We prepared a list of possible stakeholders and their area of interest leading to overall stake. Out identification process moved around type of actions or stakes to legitimize the list we have prepared. Once list was prepared we prepared a matrix as guided by week-3 reading guidelines. We started with 19 stakeholders (as submitted in Assignment-2 and given below as Annexure-1) which are summarized as flowing categories:

Government (Village level Local Government, Administrators, Government of India and Government of Bangladesh, SRF (Bangladesh) and SNP (India) and Armies of both countries)

Private (Farmers, Fishermen, Honey collectors, Wood Collectors, and all members of SIZ community, local traders, tourists, CSR recipients, tourists operators)

Civil Society (Local Employees, local community leaders, Local ecological groups, local NGOs, International NGOs like UNESCO, Academic Institutions)

The stakeholders as identified and categories are in the form of government institutions, private and civil society. The interest and relationships between them are moving around all three categories i.e. conflicting, cooperation and complementary.

Figure 1: Relationship among all the four categories of Stakeholders is leading to situation that is in middle

Table 2: Stakeholder Listing

Stakeholder Name

Type of Stakeholder

Description Relationship to the land (Level /Role/Policy context)

Farmers Private Concerned with:landeconomically profitable exploitationconservationPreservation.

Land owner and user.May play a vital role in conserving and preserving the mangrove forestThey are using land for income generation and production

Fishermen community

Private Concerned with: Land /water inside mangrove forest profitable

User of the mangrove forestUses Land/water bodies for income generation and production.May play a vital role in conserving

Degradation of Sandarban MangrovesSIZ CommunityPrivate Business CommunityCivil SocietyGovernment Institutions

exploitation conservation and preserving the mangrove forest.Honey collector

Private Concerned with: economically profitable exploitation

User of the mangrove forest. Dependent on the forest for livelihood.

Wood collectors

Private Concerned with: economically profitable exploitation

Negative users of the mangrove forest. They are destroying the forest through deforestation/cutting trees for their own profit. Stealing wood from the forest. Causes degradation of the forest as a whole.

SIZ Communities living in the Sunderban Area

Private Nearly 3.5 million inhabitants. Concerned with: Conservation economically profitable exploitation

Live in proximity to land. Key influential group. Dependent on the mangrove forest more or less. The mangrove forest is protecting them from natural calamity such as cyclone, tidal bore, sunami, flood.

Various palm (e.g. Nypa Fruticans) collectors

Private Concerned with: economically profitable exploitation

Users of the mangrove forest. Dependent on the forest for their livelihood. Various palm (e.g. Nypa Fruticans) are used as one of the house building materials. They collect it for sale as well as to build their own house-top.

Middleman in trafficking faunal and floral resources

Private Concerned with: economically profitable exploitation

Users of mangrove forest. The most key influential group who are patronizing wood collector to steal woods and other valuable resources such as deer, Royal Bengal Tiger, snakes and other floral or faunal resources.

Local Government

Government

Concerned with: land conservation

Key influencer to conserve and preserve the mangrove forest.

Local level administration/ deputy commissioner

Government

Concerned with: land conservation preservation.

Key influencer to conserve and preserve the mangrove forest. Authorized to categorize the land, to make any change in land use management, to collect land revenue, to dispute land disputes. Local level implementer of government’s policies/plans.

National Government Bangladesh India (Agriculture, Forest, Environment, WRD, tourism, and land)

Government

Concerned with: land economically profitable exploitation conservation preservation.

Agencies responsible for: Land management and land revenue agricultural extension worksreservation/conservation/preservation of forestSustainable environmental management.Management of water bodiesCreating tourism opportunities Key influential groups to conserve and preserve the mangrove forest through developing plans/policies/projects.

Local representative

Civil Society Concerned with: land economically profitable

Representation of landowners/farmers/fishermen/wood

organizations exploitation conservation preservation.

collector/honey collector/ Various palm (e.g. Nypa Fruticans) collector

International/ national Non-governmental organizations

Civil Society Concerned with: economically profitable exploitation conservation preservation.

Key influencers to conserve and preserve the mangrove forest. Make local population aware about the value of the forest. Encourage people for income diversification who are dependent on the forest for their livelihood.

Academia Civil Society Concerned with: conservation preservation.

May be included into key influencers. Force the government to formulate conservation/preservation/reservation plans/policies/projects for sustainability of the world heritage site, Sundarbans Mangrove forest.

Local indigenous groups

Civil Society Previous ethnic owners of the land

Preservation and cultural attachment

CSR Recipients Private Groups recipients of social assistance

Preservation and Conservation

Tourists/Guests visiting SRF

Civil Society Groups or Individual who may be concerned in the conservation

Preservation and Conservation; Sustainability of the current status

Local Ecology Groups

Civil Society Advocacy groups who have local data and info

Preservation and Conservation

Local Leadership

Civil Society Groups/Individuals with Political Interest

Sustainability of the current status

SRF Authority (Bangladesh and India)

Government

Main implementers Preservation, Policy and Economic Growth

Armies of India and Bangladesh

Figure 2: Guide for taking stakeholder engagement priority setting

Figure 3: the interest-influence matrix of identified stakeholders.

The team used ‘interest-influence matrix’ for mapping the stakeholders involved and ‘Actor Linkage matrix’ to investigate the relationships among various stakeholders identified. Table 3: Actor-Linkage matrix to investigate the relationships among the stakeholders Stakeholder Name

SIZ Communi

ty

Businessman

Local Governmen

t

Local Administratio

n

GoI, GoWB & GoBD

Local

Leadership

INGOs

Academ

ia

Local

Indigenus

Groups

CSR

Tourist

Local

Ecologic

al Groups

SRF Authority

Armies of both the

countarie

sSIZ Communities

Com Com Com Con ConCoop Com

Coop

Coop

Con

Coop Con Con

Businessman

Con

Con Con Con

Con

Con Con Con

Com

Con Con Con con

Local Govt.

Com Con

CoopCoop

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Com

Coop

coop

coop

Local Administration Com Con Coop

Coop

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Com

Coop

Coop Coop

GoI, GoWB & GoBD Con Con Coop Coop

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Com

Coop

Coop Coop

Local Leadership Con Con Com Com

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Com

Coop Com com

INGOs

Coop Con Com ComCom

Com

ComCoop

Coop

Coop Com Com Com

Academia

Com Con Com ComCom

Com

Coop

Coop

Coop

Coop

Coop Com Com

Local Indigenous groups Coop Con Com Com

Com

Com

Coop

Coop

Coop

Com Com Com Com

CSR Recipients Coop Com Com Com

Com

Com

Coop

Coop

Coop

Com Com Com Com

Tourists/Guests visiting

Con Con Com Com Com

Com

Coop

Coop

Com Com

Coop

Coop

Coop

SRFLocal Ecology Groups Coop Con Coop Coop Cop

Coop

Con

Coop Com

Com

Coop

Coop Coop

SRF Authority Con Con Coop Coop

Coop

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Coop

Coop

Armies

Con Con Coop CoopCoop

Com

Com Com Com

Com

Coop

Coop

Here, Con=conflict, com=complementary, coop=cooperation

2.1 Prioritizing stakeholders

The tables (01, 02 and 03) below depicts the categorization (high, medium and low priority) of stakeholders involved in our MOOC work. Those stakeholders are in high priority who are directly involved in economically profitable exploitation, most influential and directly involved in conservation and preservation of Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF). Similarly, medium and low prioritized stakeholders are identified on the basis of their level of interest, role and influence.

Table 4: High Priority stakeholders

SEZ Communities living in the Sunderban AreaFarmersFishermen communityHoney collectorVarious palm (e.g. Nypa Fruticans) collectors Businessman/ middleman in trafficking faunal and floral resources Local level administration/ deputy commissionerNational Government Agencies, Bangladesh and West Bengal, India Local indigenous groupsCSR Recipients

Table 5: Medium Priority stakeholders

Local GovernmentLocal representative organizationsTourists/Guests visiting SRFLocal Ecology GroupsSRF Authority (Bangladesh and India)Table 6: Low priority stakeholders

International/ national Non-governmental organizations Academia Local Leadership

Table 7: A matrix of ecosystem services, beneficiary groups, and stakeholders involved and their interestsEcosystem services

Beneficiary group

Stakeholders involved Stakeholders’ Interest

Supporting services (nutrient cycle; soil formation; primary production)

Inhabitants of Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ). Nearly 3.5 million people

SIZ Communities living in the Sunderban AreaFarmersFishermen communityHoney collectorPalm collectors

Economically profitable exploitation.Environment sustainability.Protection from natural calamity.

Provisioning (Floral and faunal resources, food; fish, honey, water route, water; fuel, wood and fiber)

Inhabitants of Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ).Businessmen/middlemen in illegal resource trafficking.

SIZ Communities living in the Sunderban AreaFarmersFishermen communityHoney collectorVarious palm (e.g. Nypa Fruticans) collectorsBusinessman/ middleman in trafficking faunal and floral resources Local level administration/ deputy commissionerNational Government Bangladesh and India Local indigenous groupsCSR RecipientsLocal GovernmentLocal representative organizationsLocal Ecology Groups

Economically profitable exploitation. Conservation and preservation of the mangrove forest. Sustainable livelihood.

Regulating services (climate regulation; food regulation; disease prevention; water purification, desalination)

Inhabitants of Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ).FarmersFishermen

Inhabitants of Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ).International/ national Non-governmental organizationsSRF Authority (Bangladesh & India) National government agencies (Bangladesh and India)

Economically profitable exploitation. Conservation and preservation of the mangrove forest.

Cultural services (spiritual; aesthetic; educational; recreational)

Tourists/Guests visiting SRFLocal indigenous peopleResearchers/academia

Local representative organizationsTourists/Guests visiting SRFAcademia Local LeadershipLocal indigenous groupsNational government agencies (Bangladesh and India)

Tourism Aesthetic beautyCultural history Recreational opportunity Regulation, conservation and preservation of the mangrove forest.

3 Communication MaterialsWe will be using local dialect of Bengali which is understood by majority of the stakeholders, which is spoken by all parties from the start of the engagement process. It is often a key to ensuring good communication throughout. Above all we will be using pictorial language to communicate with large mass (community) as literacy percent in the area is very low and pictorial is the language which can be used by everybody, few examples are:

The System Destruction

The Communicate format will be made accessible to all, through newspaper, wall painting, display boards, storytelling, and folk performance. It will include range of different forms such as written reports and articles, letters, emails, pictures, videos, drawings, graphics, etc.

Our communication mechanism to ensure every stakeholder’s involvement will follow following steps. It is good to identify a few rules of communication at the early stages of the stakeholder engagement process. To ensure that every stakeholder listens to, understands and respects what other stakeholders are saying.

We have developed a power point presentation which shares our communication methodologies in the form of flyer, news paper, school outreach, e-media (Webpage based approach) for effective stakeholder engagement plan.

4 Engagement process and facilitation needsThe Areas of Common Interest for all the stakeholders is “Sustainable Existence of Sundarban Mangroves” but changes lies interpretation of data and information indicating responsibilities of situation to either stakeholder but not self. Therefore for us as team the goal is “To achieve successful stakeholder engagement for sustainable existence of Sundarban mangroves”. To ensure that the goals are met we have to work for following specific objectives.

1. Established transparent system for knowledge building and information sharing mechanism accessible to all stakeholders

2. Organize a multilayer stakeholder forum from grass roots community to INGO and National Government level

3. Development Participatory development plan and implementation mechanism

The goal and objectives can only be achieved if awareness and clarity on common Interests is maintained. This will demand for formulation of appropriate and community friendly policies; Investments and Revenues and investments for activities like preservation and conservation.

Due to the diversity of stakeholders, we have prioritize the stakeholders based on common interest, relative influence in power of decision making and the project relevancy to the stakeholders (direct impact / indirect impact). At the same time actor-linkage matrices is also used to investigate the relationships among the identified stakeholders.

1. Material to prepare ahead of the discussion

The materials to prepared are tabulated below according to the stakeholders’ concern and engagement scenario. The table 01 shows the target stakeholders with materials to be prepared, content of the materials, manpower needed to direct the engagement procedure as well as tentative cost. The cost includes meeting room for discussions, stationary, flip charts, photographic and video equipment, facilitator, meals, facilitator salary, meals and per diem for participants etc.

Table 8: Material to prepare ahead of the discussion with tentative cost

Target Stakeholders Type of Material to be prepared

Content Person days required

SIZ community Videos, pictures, drawing, graphics, folk performance, storytelling, paintings

Importance of the mangroves, past history, past glory, increasing degradation

60

Business community Flyer, newspaper articles, Economic hazards of land degradation, environmental hazards of land degradation, acts and rules regarding deforestation

20

local indigenous groups Videos, pictures, drawing, graphics, folk performance, storytelling, paintings

Importance of the mangroves, past history, past glory, increasing degradation

15

local ecological groups Workshop, flyer, seminar Importance of the mangroves, hazards of land degradation

10

local leaderships Workshop, flyer, seminar, acts and rules regarding deforestation

Importance of the mangroves, hazards of land degradation

10

SRF/SNP authority, govt. authority

Workshop, flyer, seminar, acts and rules regarding deforestation

Importance of the mangroves, hazards of land degradation

10

local governments Workshop, flyer, seminar, acts and rules regarding deforestation

Importance of the mangroves, hazards of land degradation

10

Figure 04: Process of engagement process and activity cycle of the project

Information CollectionPrepare Awareness Building Mass Awareness CampaignFGDs with StakeholdersParticipatory knowledge buildingDeveloping Communication materialRules and regular for SFIntiate Stakeholder ForumGraduate Stakeholder ForumRedular review and feedback to system

A guiding principle will be developed for smooth operation of stakeholder engagement. The guidelines will include-

We show respect to each other and their values We will listen first without any interruption and talk Everyone is free to talk and will be given equal importance We will use Bengali while communicating We will use pictorial illustration while not understanding any terminology A skilled facilitator will facilitate the stakeholder engagement process being heard of everyone’s voice

Major Activity Heads When to introduceInformation Collection Start of ProjectPrepare Awareness Material-Stage-01 Start of ProjectMass Awareness Generation 1st Month to 4th monthFGD with Stakeholders 4th Month to 8th monthParticipatory Knowledge Building 6th Month - 10th MonthDeveloping Communication Material- Stage-2 10th Month2nd Campaign on Awareness Generation 11th to 15th monthSetting Rules for Stakeholder Forum 12th MonthInitiate Stakeholder Forum 8th MonthGraduated Stakeholder Forum 18th MonthRegular review and Feedback System Every monthFacilitation needed (personnel and staffing required) to achieve the engagement process.

This is 24 months long project. The project will hire 10 key personal who will be involved in designing and managing as core team for knowledge building. At grass roots level 10 teams of 5 individual each will be deployed to take the process of stakeholder engagement.

5 Engagement Plan Financing5.1 Funding

The Sundarbans is a world heritage site and the largest mangrove in the world. Not only the local interest but also for world’s common interest it is important to save the mangrove from massive land degradation. For “Sustainable Existence of Sundarban Mangroves”, the government of Bangladesh and west Bengal should come forward and so the international donor agencies for a successful stakeholder engagement. The scope of this Stakeholders' Engagement starts small but, in the future, may become big and subdivide into other larger projects that will involve more agencies or enterprises including the Government, who technically owns the land. Below is a list of possible donors and sponsors from whom this project can secure a small grant that can be easily released by the donor within the 1 year period of solicitation. Aside from financial grants, we may also request non-financial assistance from these agencies below, in the form of resource materials and resource persons who will give advice or inputs during the meetings or during the implementation of some of the initiatives within these two years.

It is possible that these agencies have already been tapped, in one way or another, to improve this area in the past years. In case of donor fatigue, we will discontinue to ask or we can propose it another way, such that it will not appear to these agencies as a repeat request of the same objective. Flexibility aspect: It is also possible that we will have an enthusiastic donor who will cover everything, however, they would always ask for a counter-part funding. Hence there is the presence of other possible donors who can take up the counterpart funding, as this project is non-profit. These are large National and International institutions that promote biodiversity, reforestation and land conservation initiatives. They will be the funding sources for project in general.

1. National Government2. Governement Foundation3. The ASIA FOUNDATION4. Give Asia5. WWF6. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNCCD 7. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) 8. UNDP-GEF9. Climate Change related fundings

5.2 Budget ENGAGEMENT PLAN AND BUDGET PROGRAM/PROJECT/ACTIVITY

DescriptionStart Date

Completion Date

Expected Outputs Cost in USD

1 FACILITIES and EQUIPMENT 1.1 Office Space Apr-16 Jun-16 Office space rented/leased $24,0001.2 Laptop, Printer, Copier, DLP

projector, etc Office equipment purchased $10,000

2 GENERAL OPERATIONS (Supply, Materials, Mobilization Expenses, Logistics and Personnel

Apr-18 Mar-18 $120,000

3 GATHERING OF STAKEHOLDERS 3.1 Initial stakeholders Summit Oct-16 Oct-16 1-day Stakeholders Summit $9,0003.2 Team Building Activity Aug-16 Aug-16 Team-building workshop

participated by priority stakeholders.

$6,000

3.3 Information Collection and Awareness Material development

Apr-16 Aug-16 Awareness Material is developed

$18,000

3.4 Mass Awareness Generation (600 villages)

May-16 Dec-16 SIZ community is involved in the process of Eco-restoration of Snderbans

$36,000

3.5 FGD with Stakeholders (600 villages)

Aug-16 Mar-17 $36,000

3.6 Participatory Knowledge Building (600 villages)

Oct-16 Dec-16 SIZ community is involved in the process of Eco-restoration of Sundarbans

$30,000

3.7 Developing Communication Material- Stage-2

Aug-16 Sep-16 $24,000

3.8 2nd Campaign on Awareness (600 villages)

Apr-17 Dec-17 An Institution Mechanism is evolved and activated

$36,000

3.9 Formation of Stakeholder Forum (600 villages)

Dec-16 Feb-16 $24,000

3.3 Regular review and Feedback System: Monthly Meetings

Apr-16 Mar-18 Plans and activities discussed, tasks and responsible sectors identified

$24,000

4 Quarterly Meetings Jul-16 Mar-18 Implementation and monitored $3,2005 Synthesis and Assessment

MeetingDec-17 Feb-18 Evaluation of successes, next

steps plan $6,000

6 Final Stakeholders Summit: Mar-18 Mar-18 Outcomes/Results of plans and programs

$9,000

Grand Total Sub-TOTAL $415,200

6 Measures of success - Success CriteriaSetting all evaluation indicators to measure the success of stakeholder engagement plan is impossible but very important task. There are two types of evaluation criteria a) outcome based and b) process based. In this stakeholder engagement plan, we will follow process based evaluation criteria as the objectives are descriptive.

Stakeholder engagement Plan Objective Measure of SuccessPrepare Awareness Material-Stage-01 Prepared. Identification and analysis of stakeholders Identified. Categorization, mapping and

relationship of stakeholders are done. Increase interaction and communication among stakeholders

Rapport building. Facilitated interaction and communication

Participatory Knowledge Building Output produced and publications. Clear depiction of objectives and agreed by stakeholders involved

Done through workshop.

School outreach program for sustainable existence of Sundarbans

Awareness program in school in accordance with objectives with number

2nd Campaign on Awareness GenerationVideo show, folk performance, postering, flip charts are done

Setting Rules for Stakeholder Forum Set up done.

Mass Awareness GenerationVideo show, folk performance, postering, flip charts are done

Increase awareness of the project’s objectives and activities

Stakeholder awareness increased

Improve understanding of various ecological, social and economical aspects of Sundarbans

Key land degradation issues are drawn out and clearly articulated

Improve understanding of policy and planning issues pertaining to Sundarbans

Related processes are documented and captured by relevant stakeholders

Improve communication channels and working relationship between various media and stakeholders

Ongoing relationship with stakeholders and appropriate updating and information dissemination.

All stakeholders actively participate in eco-restoration programme

Participation level in

Local level financial resources are also included in the programme

Increased contribution of local funds in the programme implementation

Involvement of local print media in the process

News and special columns on Sundarbans issues in local, national and international news agencies

Local community participation increased Increased number of people participating in outreach programmes

References:

http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=192409

http://www.sundarbanbiosphere.org/html_files/problems_critical_issues.htm

Islam, M.S. 2011. Biodiversity and livelihood: A case Study in Sundarbans Reserve Forest, World Heritage and Ramsar Site (Bangladesh). A master thesis submitted of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc) in Management of Protected Areas at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. Rahman, M.S. (n.d.). ‘Ecology and management of Sundarban: A Rich Biodiversity of the World’s Largest Mangrove Ecosystem’ available at [http://srmilon.tripod.com]

Ahmed, A.I.M.U (2008). ‘Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Bangladesh’[downloaded from http://vh-gfc.dpi.nl/img/userpics/File/UnderlyingCauses/Bangladesh-Report-Underlying-Causes-Workshops.pdf]