Experiences in wetland co-management – the MACH Project

Since 1998 the Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) project has established what is best described as community based co-management of three large wetland systems covering in total about 32,000 ha (about 4,600 ha of water in the dry season). Caritas and BCAS working closely with Department of Fisheries and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. The key elements of the MACH approach have been establishing community organizations and then embedding within them institutions for sustainable wise use of wetland resources, formally linking these with the existing local government system, and through this making interventions to restore wetland productivity and improve the livelihoods of the poor. The organizations involved comprise: 16 Resource Management Organizations representing all local people with interests in wetlands and fisheries, 13 Federations of Resource User Groups comprising of poor fishers and other poor wetland users, 25 Union Parishads, and the administrations of 5 Upazilas. Co-management is formalized through Upazila Fisheries Committees where representatives of all bodies sit to coordinate and oversee management of the systems. The results of these organizations observing closed seasons, excavating about 46 ha of beels and 30 km of canals to expand dry season water holding, establishing 56 sanctuaries of 173 ha area and planting 605,000 trees include increases in fish catches of 2-5 times over 1999 baselines of 58-171kg/ha, reaching 316-388 kg/ha across the whole wetland systems in 2004-05, and increases in fish consumption of 45% over the same period which benefit the landless as much as large landowners. Revolving loan funds worth US$ 0.42 million (Tk.29.10 million) have been transferred to community organizations along with training and have helped about 5,200 poor households increase their supplemental incomes by about 50% while also reducing their dependence on fishing by about two-thirds. For sustainability the Upazila Fisheries Committees are being endowed with a total of US$ 0.53 million (Tk 36 million), the interest from which will primarily be used for continued restoration of wetland habitat by the Resource Management Organizations. A catchment and wetland ecosystem approach has been vital – for example tree planting and the promotion of contour cultivation on hills have aimed at reducing soil erosion and siltation of wetlands. Ability to address threats has been enhanced, for example in Kaliakoir the number of textile related industries increased from 20 in 2003 to 166 in late 2005 and surface water is now far below national standards in the dry …