CHARM project

Background

Proper planning and land management support are vital to the post-conflict sustainable development process. CHARM seeks to strengthen institutions that support sustainable land management and planning. Soil erosion and forest degradation are common in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) with adverse on-site effects and impacts downstream and on urban areas, i.e. flash floods, landslides, dam-siltation and declining water quality, loss of biodiversity, and declining crop production. 

            
            View on the hills in Bandarban, Chittagong Hill Tracts (Photo: S. Mantel)

Aims

• Capacity building in planning CHT land use and management and building an improved information basis for decision making. 
• Test and promote a sustainable land management planning technology as developed by a former EU-Indonesia cooperation project. 

    

Project objectives

The overall objective of CHARM is to establish sustainable land management in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Improved land management will halt or even reverse forest and soil degradation, enhance water quality, improve agricultural production, and protect biodiversity (more ...).
  

Review of activities

The CHARM project will provide sustainable natural resources management alternatives that decrease environmental degradation and hazards. It aims at institutional capacity building and provision of an improved information basis for decision making.

Achievements to date:

• The Inception workshop of the CHARM project was held in Rangamati, Bangladesh (15-16 February 2006). Participants included national and local level policy makers, representatives of tribal groups, natural resources management experts, and representatives from ministeries and line agencies. The workshop served as a platform to share information and views on natural resource management issues in the CHT. Key issues were identified and suggestions for improving natural resources management were formulated and summarized in the  workshop proceedings   PDF 

            
             Inception workshop of the CHARM Project, Bangladesh

• Environmental diagnostic survey and compilation of baseline information
• Inventory of stakeholder information needs for improved planning 
• Inventory of land management practices and sustainable alternatives
   

 
Further implementation:

• Workshop in CHT on status of the environment 
• User testing of CHT natural resources information system and NRM tools 
• Participatory study in pilot area in CHT on improved management of natural resources

       
 Further details:

• Project Brief 1
• Proceedings of inception workshop in Rangamati, Bangladesh

  
  

Partners

   

		ISRIC - World Soil Information, The Netherlands
		Universitat de Lleida, Spain
		Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Bangladesh
		Center for Environmental & Geographic Information  Services, Bangladesh

Contact CHARM  project coordinator                                                            l