Impacts of co-management approach in influencing cognitive behavior of stakeholders in conserving the Sundarbans mangrove forest
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The Sundarbans – the single largest mangrove forest in the world is under significant pressure of more than 3.5 million people surrounding the forest who are either partially or completely dependent on the natural resources of the forest for their livelihoods. The management of this reserved forest was found ineffective for several decades mainly due to increased population pressure. It has been more than a decade since the government of Bangladesh have introduced co-management approach (CMA) which involved the local communities to the management functions of the forest. After the completion of several CMA-based projects, this research explored the impacts of CMA by influencing the cognitive behavior of different stakeholders which facilitated the conservation efforts of the Sundarbans. Factors affecting the changes in the local stakeholders’ behavior viz., literacy rate and alternative income generating sources, attitude, performance experience, observational learning, and emotional arousal were revealed in this qualitative study. It inquired how CMA influenced the behavioral changes of the local stakeholders by improving social and environmental awareness. This study also identified the problems and role of higher institutional bodies in changing the locals’ attitude towards the co-management functions. It also found the relationship among the components of CMA and the elements of cognitive behavior influencing the decision-making process of different stakeholders. The study examined whether this process moved forward or not to a sustainable solution for the conservation of the mangrove forest. The findings of the research are expected to help the policy makers to take various policy decisions for the improved and sustainable management of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Moreover, the findings are also applicable as nature-based solutions for climate-change adaptation through changed attitudes and behaviors of local community people.
Keywords: Co-management approach, cognitive behavior, conservation, Sundarbans, Bangladesh
ID: 3487000