Research Article

Farmers’ Perception towards Forest Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being

Sabina Sultana
BSMRAU, Bangladesh
* Corresponding author
Md. Enamul Haque
BSMRAU, Bangladesh
Md. Safiul Islam Afrad
BSMRAU, Bangladesh
GKM Mustafizur Rahman
BSMRAU, Bangladesh
Md. Abiar Rahman
BSMRAU, Bangladesh
DOI icon 10.24018/ejfood.2023.5.3.691

Read Counter
477

Downloads
441

Citations

Share

Article Sidebar

Submitted 2023-05-24
Published 2023-06-30

Read counter = 477 times

Table of Contents

Article Main Content

Bandarban hill district is one of the main hilly areas of Bangladesh which is surrounded by forests and enriched with ecological resources and biodiversity. Ecosystems sustain, generate for, regulate, and offer cultural services that are essential to human well-being. Hence, it is important to reconnoiter the current situation of forests’ ecosystem services available in the Bandarban hill district with the local farmers’ realization of the well-being they receive from those ecosystem services. Through the present study, it was investigated the available ecosystem resources in some two hilly upazilas of Bandarban district, the farmers’ perception towards those ecosystem services and human well-being and also farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics which influence their perception. To investigate these, 80 respondents were interviewed through the help of a semi structured interview schedule. The findings of the study suggested that 28 ecosystem services were identified and six out of these were showing increasing trend including crop and vegetable cultivation and other 22 were following decreased. The respondents received improve to moderate services from those 28 ecosystem services which were exhibited through their perception as 68% of them had moderate to improve perception towards ecosystem services. According to the study's findings, respondents who had higher levels of education, family income, agricultural training, residential distance from forests, and income from ecosystem services had better perceptions of ecosystem services and human well-being. Because the residents' perceptions would make them aware of the need to conserve the forest environment, policymakers should base future decisions on the findings of this study.

Keywords: ecosystem services farmers' perception forest human well-being

References

  1. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press; 2005.
     Google Scholar
  2. Hansen CP, Pouliot M, Marfo E, Obiri BD, Treue T. Forests, timber and rural livelihoods: implications for social safeguards in the Ghana-EU voluntary partnership agreement. Small-Scale For. 2015; 14: 401-422. doi:10.1007/s11842-015-9295-9.
     Google Scholar
  3. Adger WN, Adams H, Kay S, Nicholls RJ, Salehin M. Ecosystem Services, Well-Being and Deltas: Current Knowledge and Understanding. In: Ecosystem Services for Well-Being in Deltas. Switzerland. Ed. Nicholls R, Hutton C, Adger W, Hanson S, Rahman M, Salehin M: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71093-8_1
     Google Scholar
  4. Orchard SE, Stringer LC, Quinn CH. Mangrove system dynamics in Southeast Asia: linking livelihoods and ecosystem services in Vietnam. Reg. Environ. Chang. 2016; 16: 865–879. doi:10.1007/s10113-015-0802-5.
     Google Scholar
  5. Robinson BE, Zheng H, Peng W. Disaggregating livelihood dependence on ecosystem services to inform land management. Ecosyst. Serv. 2019; 36: 100902. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2019.100902.
     Google Scholar
  6. Huq N, Pedroso R, Bruns A, Ribbe L, Huq S. Changing dynamics of livelihood dependence on ecosystem services at temporal and spatial scales: an assessment in the southern wetland areas of Bangladesh. Ecol. Indic. 2020; 110: 105855. doi:10.1007/s10669-019-09742-2.
     Google Scholar
  7. Sarkodie SA, Adams S. Electricity access and income inequality in South Africa: evidence from Bayesian and NARDL analyses. Energ. Strat. Rev. 2020; 29: 100480. doi:10.1016/j.esr.2020.100480.
     Google Scholar
  8. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). Ecosystems and human well-being: a framework for assessment. Washington DC: Island Press, 2003.
     Google Scholar
  9. Foley JA, Asner GP, Costa MH, Coe MT, DeFries R, Gibbs HK, et al. Amazonia revealed: Forest degradation and loss of ecosystem goods and services in the Amazon Basin. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2007; 5 (1): 25–32. doi:10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[25:ARFDAL]2.0.CO;2.
     Google Scholar
  10. Wunder S, Wertz-Kanounnikoff S. Payments for ecosystem services: A new way of conserving biodiversity in forests. Journal of Sustainable Forestry. 2009; 28 (3–5): 576–596. doi:10.1080/10549810902905669.
     Google Scholar
  11. Lee HF, Zhang DD. Perceiving the environment from the lay perspective in desertified areas, Northern China. Environmental Management. 2008; 41 (2): 168–182. doi:10.1007/s00267-007-9052-8.
     Google Scholar
  12. Smith HF, Sullivan CA. Ecosystem services within agricultural landscapes-Farmers' perceptions. Ecological Economics. 2014; 98(C):72–80.
     Google Scholar
  13. Tancoigne E, Barbier M, Cointet JP, Richard G. The place of agricultural sciences in the literature on ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services. 2014; 10: 35-48.
     Google Scholar
  14. Chan KMA, Satterfield T, Goldstein J. Rethinking ecosystem services to better address and navigate cultural values. Ecological Economics. 2012; 74(C): 8–18.
     Google Scholar
  15. Cáceres DM, Tapella E, Quétier F, Díaz S. The social value of biodiversity and ecosystem services from the perspectives of different social actors. Ecology and Society. 2015; 20(1): 62-19.
     Google Scholar
  16. Hasan SS, Zhen L, Miah MG, Ahamed T, Samie A. Impact of land use change on ecosystem services: A review. Environ. Dev. 2020a; 34: 1-14, 100527. doi: 10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100527.
     Google Scholar
  17. Saha S, Hasan SS, Haque ME, Ahamed T. Perception Based Assessment of Ecosystem Services of Madhupur Sal Forest in Bangladesh. European Journal of Agriculture and Food Science (EJFOOD). 2021; 3(1): 39-44.
     Google Scholar
  18. Dolisca F, McDaniel JM, Teeter LD. Farmers’ perceptions towards forests: A case study from Haiti. Forest Policy and Economics. 2007; 9(6): 704-712. doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2006.07.001.
     Google Scholar
  19. Xu J, Chen L, Lu Y, Fu B. (2006). Local people’s perceptions as decision support for protected area management in Wolong Biosphere Reserve, China. Journal of Environmental Management. 2006; 78(4): 362-372. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.05.003.
     Google Scholar
  20. Hasan SS, Sarmin NS, Miah MG. Assessment of Scenario-Based Land Use Changes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Environ. Dev. 2020b; 34: 1-11, 100463. doi:10.1016/j.envdev.2019.100463.
     Google Scholar
  21. Baten MA, Khan NA, Ahammad R, Misbahuzzaman K. Village Common Forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: Balance between Conservation and Exploitation. Dhaka: Unnayan Onneshan—The Innovators. 2010; 13.
     Google Scholar
  22. Biswas S, Swanson ME, Vacik H. Natural Resources Depletion in Hill Areas of Bangladesh: A Review. Journal of Mountain Science. 2012; 9: 147-156.
     Google Scholar
  23. Biswas S, Vacik H, Swanson ME, Haque SM. Evaluating integrated water resource management using multiple criteria analysis- a case study at Chittagong hill tracts in Bangladesh. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2011; 184(5): 2741-2761. doi: 10.1007/s10661-011-2148-x.
     Google Scholar
  24. Biswas SR, Choudhury JK. Forests and Forest Management Practices in Bangladesh: The Question of Sustainability. Int. For. Rev. 2007; 9(2): 627-640.
     Google Scholar
  25. Lescourret FD, Magda G, Richard A, Adam-Blondon, Bardy M, Baudry J, et al. A social–ecological approach to managing multiple agro-ecosystem services. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 2015; 14(C):68-75.
     Google Scholar
  26. Lamarque P, Meyfroidt P, Nettier B, Lavorel S. How ecosystem services knowledge and values influence farmers' decision-making. PloS One. 2014; 9(9): e107572.
     Google Scholar
  27. Hasan SS, Hossain M, Sultana S, Ghosh MK. Women’s involvement in income generating activities and their opinion about its contribution: A study of Gazipur District, Bangladesh. Science Innovation. 2015a; 3(6): 72-80. doi: 10.11648/j.si.20150306.13.
     Google Scholar
  28. Salawat N, Hasan SS, Khan AS, Rahman MS, Hoque MM, Moonmoon M. Study on knowledge and attitude of mushroom growers at selected upazilas of Dhaka. Bangladesh Journal of Mushroom. 2013; 7(1): 49-57.
     Google Scholar
  29. Suza MK, Hasan SS, Ghosh MK, Haque ME, Turin MZ. Financial Security of Farmers through Homestead Vegetable Production in Barishal District, Bangladesh. European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 2021; 1(4): 65-71. doi: 10.24018/ejsocial.2021.1.4.103.
     Google Scholar
  30. Hasan SS, Roy S, Saha S, Hoque MZ. Assessment of the Farmers’ Perception on Vermicompost as Waste Management Practice and Economic Return in Some Areas of Bangladesh. European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences (EJFOOD). 2021; 3(3): 14-20. doi: 10.24018/ejfood.2021.3.3.287.
     Google Scholar
  31. Ibrahim SB, Ayinde IA, Arowolo AO. Analysis of arable crop farmers’ awareness to causes and effects of climate change in south western Nigeria. International Journal of Social Economics. 2015; 42(7): 614-628. doi: 10.1108/IJSE-09-2013-0201.
     Google Scholar
  32. Ghosh MK, Hasan SS, Haque ME, Uddin MJ. Knowledge of farmers to sustainable agriculture practices: A case study in Southwestern region of Bangladesh. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. 2020; 7(1): 5-12. doi:10.36347/sjavs.2020.v07i01.002.
     Google Scholar
  33. Hasan SS, Ghosh MK, Arefin MS, Sultana S. Farmers’ Attitude Towards Using Agro-Chemicals in Rice Production: A Case in Laxmipur District of Bangladesh. The Agriculturists. 2015b; 13(2): 105.
     Google Scholar
  34. Hasan SS, Mohammad A, Ghosh MK, Khalil MI. Assessing of Farmers’ Opinion towards Floating Agriculture as a Means of Cleaner Production: A Case of Barisal District, Bangladesh. Br. J. Appl. Sci. 2017a; 20(6): 1-14.
     Google Scholar
  35. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Statistical Year Book of Bangladesh, Bangladesh. Ministry of Planning, 2016.
     Google Scholar
  36. Mahamud TA, Hasan SS, Ghosh MK, Chakma P. Assessing Farmers’ Awareness towards Climate Change in the Middle Part of Bangladesh. Geografia Malays J. Soc. Space. 2022; 18 (1): 01-14.
     Google Scholar
  37. Islam MS, Kabir MH, Ali MS, Sultana MS, Mahasin M. Farmers’ knowledge on climate change effects in agriculture. Agricultural Sciences. 2019; 10: 386-394. doi.org/10.4236/as. 2019.103031.
     Google Scholar
  38. Hasan SS, Ali MA, Khalil MI. Impact of pineapple cultivation on the increased income of pineapple growers. The Agriculturists. 2010; 8(2): 50-56.
     Google Scholar
  39. Ghosh MK., Hasan SS, Maria U, Akon S, Ali H, Moheuddin, Noman AA. Noman. Social Media in Agricultural Extension Services: Farmers and Extension Agents Perspective. European Journal of Humanities and Social Science. 2021; 1(5): 36-43. doi:10.24018/ejsocial.2021.1.5.143.
     Google Scholar
  40. Ghosh MK, Hasan SS. Farmers’ attitude towards sustainable agricultural practices. Bangladesh Research Publication Journal. 2013; 8(4): 227-234.
     Google Scholar
  41. Chakma P, Hasan SS, Rafiquzzaman SM and Alam SM. Farmers’ Attitude Towards Ponds and Creeks Use in Some Selected Hilly Areas of Bangladesh. European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences (EJFOOD). 2021; 3(5).
     Google Scholar
  42. Hasan SS, Turin MZ, Ghosh MK, Khalil MI. Assessing Agricultural Extension Professionals Opinion towards Sustainable Agriculture in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics and Sociology. 2017b; 17(1): 1-13. doi:10.9734/AJAEES/2017/33338.
     Google Scholar
  43. Hasan SS, Haque ME, Suchi IZ, Hossain A. Assessment of Diploma agricultural students’ attitude towards educational sustainability: A study of selected agricultural training institutes of Bangladesh. Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science. 2018; 25(2): 1-12. doi: 10.9734/JESBS/2018/41170.
     Google Scholar
  44. Saha S, Hasan SS, Hasan S, Sadi RS, Labib MTR, Saha S. Ecosystem Service Preference of Forest People: A Study in Madhupur Sal Forest of Bangladesh. European Journal of Agriculture and Food Science (EJFOOD). 2022; 4(6): 20-25. doi: 10.24018/ejfood.2022.4.6.583.
     Google Scholar