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M. Getzner, S. Islam:
"Natural resources, livelihoods, and reserve management: a case study from Sundarbans mangrove forests, Bangladesh";
International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 8 (2013), 1; 75 - 87.

The Sundarbans Reserved Forest, and its surrounding buffer zone, is one of the most diverse and richest areas
of natural resource in Bangladesh. It is a part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, with an area of about
10,000 km², of which 6,000 km² are in Bangladesh and about 4,000 km² are part of India: it has been recognized
as an internationally important World Heritage and Ramsar site. The mangroves provide substantial ecosystem
services supporting the livelihood of local communities. This paper describes the diverse uses of these
natural resources and aims to evaluate the contribution of ecosystem services to the livelihood of residents.
The results indicate that residents depend on ecosystem services in two ways. First, local households earn cash
income by selling ecosystem products, such as fi sh, honey, and nipa palm, at local markets. Second, the use of
natural resources provides substantial subsistence such as food, fresh water, and timber. However, residents´
income may be signifi cantly increased by improved resource management, including reducing local authority
corruption and improvements in law enforcement. Our paper concludes with a range of recommendations for
enhancing residents´ standard of living while conserving natural resources

The Sundarbans Reserved Forest, and its surrounding buffer zone, is one of the most diverse and richest areas
of natural resource in Bangladesh. It is a part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, with an area of about
10,000 km², of which 6,000 km² are in Bangladesh and about 4,000 km² are part of India: it has been recognized
as an internationally important World Heritage and Ramsar site. The mangroves provide substantial ecosystem
services supporting the livelihood of local communities. This paper describes the diverse uses of these
natural resources and aims to evaluate the contribution of ecosystem services to the livelihood of residents.
The results indicate that residents depend on ecosystem services in two ways. First, local households earn cash
income by selling ecosystem products, such as fi sh, honey, and nipa palm, at local markets. Second, the use of
natural resources provides substantial subsistence such as food, fresh water, and timber. However, residents´
income may be signifi cantly increased by improved resource management, including reducing local authority
corruption and improvements in law enforcement. Our paper concludes with a range of recommendations for
enhancing residents´ standard of living while conserving natural resources

http://dx.doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V8-N1-75-87

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_217370.pdf