1) The document summarizes research on agrarian changes and rural livelihoods in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. 2) The research found that while forest land decreased across the landscape, the impacts on food production and income varied between remote, intermediate, and on-road villages. 3) Total farm area increased in remote villages but did not improve household food production or income. In intermediate villages, total farm area decreased but income increased due to diverse sources like fruit gardens and forest/agricultural jobs.

1. Ronju Ahammad, PhD Candidate, Charles Darwin University, Australia
Natasha Stacey, Associate Professor, Charles Darwin University, Australia
Agrarian changes and
rural livelihoods in an
upland landscape of
Bangladesh
54th Annual Meeting of the Association
of Tropical Biology and Conservation
Merida, Mexico
July 11, 2017

2.  Bangladesh is pre-dominantly an agrarian-based country in
southern Asia. Agriculture accounts for approximately 60 % of
total land use;
 Forests and trees provide direct and indirect benefits to the
livelihoods of rural people in diverse ways;
 Increasing population growth within the land area of the
country put concomitant pressures on its forests and other
land uses

3. (GoB & FAO 2013)
 Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is located in eastern
upland region of Bangladesh;
 Nearly 40% of the country’s forests (tropical
evergreen and semi-evergreen) remain in the region
 Agricultural expansion for subsistence farming is
associated with the loss of forests
 Agricultural change and conversion of forest land
uses has diverse impacts on the rural livelihoods in
the landscape

4. Research Aim
This study examines the changes of the agriculture
and forest-based livelihood provisions and their
implications for food security and income

5. Data collection
 Study undertaken 2015-
2016)
 12 villages in 3 sites
(remote, intermediate and
on-road)
 Structured interviews with
304 households
 Farm surveys with 30
farmers
 Participatory Rural
Appraisal tools - historical
trend analysis, scenario
modelling - exercises in six
villages

6. Intermediate results

7. Perceived changes in agrarian patterns (1)

8. Perceived changes in agrarian patterns (2)

9. Forest cover change (1)

10. Forest cover change (2)

11. Using contemporary forest cover only ignores
historical dynamics which shape perceptions
of landscape change and livelihoods
%forest
• Forest mapped
within 2km of
households
• Forest gains from
1989 to 2003 in all
zones
• Forest losses from
2003-2013 in all
zones
We mapped forest cover change with composites of Landsat images from
three different years

12. Markov models show the probability of
transitioning between different land cover types
• Forests both gain and lose patches over time
• These opposing dynamics may influence human perceptions of change and may,
in part, explain any discrepancies in remote sensing and perceptions surveys

13. Food production

14. Household income

15. Food security

16. Summary
1) Forest land has decreased across the landscape
though the patterns and associated impacts on
food production and income are relatively different;
2) Total farm area increased in the remote site, but it
has not improved food production or income of the
households.
3) Total farm area decreased in the intermediate site,
but the income increased by large extent due to
diverse income sources including fruit garden,
forest, wage activities in agriculture and forest
sectors and employment;
4) Food shortage largely affect the households in the
remote site followed by on-road site though the
agricultural production is relatively higher in both
sites.

17. Acknowledgements
• CDU Post-graduate research scholarship
• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) for
travel grant under Global Agrarian Change Study project
• South Asian Network for Environment and Development
Economics (SANDEE) for PhD Dissertation Fellowship
• CHT residents, Chakma Circle King Office, NGO and
Government Officials for time and support in accessing
the information

18. Thank you all for
listening
Contact: Ronju Ahammad
E: ronju.ahammad@cdu.edu.au
www.researchgate.net/profile/Ronju_Ahammad2
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=zGArr
B4AAAAJ&hl=en