Ecosystem Functioning in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: Scopes and Challenges for Indigenous Communities Adaptation to Climate Change

The chapter focuses on the understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) region of the mountains of Bangladesh and the opportunities and challenges for indigenous communities in the backdrop of changing climate. Since the colonial era, the CHT has remained at the center of attention due to its abundance of natural resources including trees, stones, and spices. Indigenous communities have developed a robust knowledge system by historically practicing and managing various forest-dependent agricultural systems. However, climate change impacts coupled with pernicious anthropogenic interferences in CHT are severely imperiling ecosystem functioning and human livelihoods. A range of studies indicate that prolonged summer, changing rainfall patterns, severe cold and excessive fog in CHT have caused recurrent low yields, pest and wild animal attacks, and root rot of crops. Nearly 80% of the CHT lands are steeply sloped and unprecedented deforestation and climatic events have exposed the land to the high risks of erosion and landslides. Historical evidence indicates that complex socioeconomic and politico-cultural dynamics under various political regimes have led to unprecedented exploitation of natural resources in CHT. Among anthropogenic processes, migration of many Bengalis to CHT is reported from other climate stress regions as they realized the untapped economic potentials in the region. The overall governance architecture before and after the independence of Bangladesh has unleashed systematic policy barriers leading to widespread exclusion, marginalization, and nonparticipation of indigenous communities in adaptation planning and resource management.