Farmers’ perception and attitude toward aqua-silviculture in the periphery of the Sundarbans forest of Bangladesh.
Category:- Journal; Year:- 2021
Discipline:- Forestry & Wood Technology Discipline
School:- Life Science School
Abstract
The Sundarbans is a protected forest ecosystem in Bangladesh. A
large number of people depend on this forest for their livelihoods and income.
Many farmers in the region are now adopting fish farming-specifically,
aquasilviculture (multi-purpose production system that allows production of
fish and perennial plants mostly trees), one of the most profitable
agroforestry systems in many countries. The present study aimed to study the
status, benefits, and farmers' perceptions of and attitudes towards the practice
of aquasilviculture in the periphery of the Sundarbans. It was conducted in the
Shyamnagar upazilla (administrative district) in the southwestern part of
Bangladesh, which is recognized as the most vulnerable upazilla on the coast.
About 10% of the area's shrimp farms were randomly selected and their farmers
were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Most farmers (87%) had
a positive attitude toward and clear perception of aquasilviculture practices.
Farmers also perceived that trees helped increase their income and provide
sources of fuel-wood, timber, and fodder for their livestock. The respondents
mainly preferred to plant Albizia procera, Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica,
Psidium guajava, Excoe-caria agallocha, and Avicennia officinalis on the dikes
of fishponds. Farmers considered increased levels of salinity in water and
soils, lack of access to capital, and inadequate technical assistance the main
barriers to the practice of aquasilviculture in the region. Aquasilviculture
could be an environmentally friendly and climate-smart aquaculture practice in
the area, one that increases green coverage on fish-ponds' dikes while also
improving the livelihoods of local farmers.