Dhaka, Bangladesh – A landmark national inventory of Bangladesh’s forests has been given official approval by the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The inventory, developed by the Bangladesh Forest Department with technical expertise from FAO and support from USAID, details forest resources and the factors that influence changing demands and use.

It provides a clear picture of the national status of tree and forest resources in Bangladesh – including trees outside forest areas – and their contribution to local livelihoods. For the first time, soil, floral, and socio-economic data are combined. This is a new norm for FAO-supported inventories globally and ensures that the contribution of forests to communities is understood and promoted.

The inventory found that 64% of Bangladeshis benefit from collecting tree and forest products and that the Sundarbans forest contributes to about 9% of the annual income to the surrounding communities. The inventory also identified 390 tree species and found that landslides or erosion had affected 16% of forests.

Md. Shahab Uddin, the Honourable Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, approved the completed 5.3 million USD project which started in 2015 and was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Numerous government, academic and private institutions collaborated to produce the inventory results. It is planned that users will be able to access the results within a couple of months, made available through the website of the Bangladesh Forest Department.

“The report provides answers to critical questions about the value of forest resources and how communities use these resources,” said Robert D. Simpson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh. “The inventory will also be a valuable tool to understand the impacts of natural disasters such as Cyclone Amphan. FAO congratulates the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as the Forest Department, for the successful implementation of this project.” Mr. Simpson also said that FAO supports a proposal to update the inventory every five years as part of a systemic approach to strategic planning of forest resources.

Among many important accomplishments, for the first time the Bangladesh Forest Inventory provides estimates of five carbon pools - above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, dead wood, litter, and soil organic matter - which act as reservoirs with capacity to both take in and release carbon.

Forests are important carbon pools, offsetting up to 20% of global carbon emissions. They continuously exchange carbon dioxide – the principal greenhouse gas – with the atmosphere, due to both natural processes and human action. Understanding the role of forests in the greenhouse effect requires a better understanding of the carbon cycle at the forest level. For example, forest soils in the inventory were found to have 38% higher carbon than other soils.

As populations grow and communities expand, the demand on natural resources increase. Forests remain under growing pressure, increasing the risk of damaging precious ecosystems. Over the past four decades, FAO has provided technical expertise to support Bangladesh’s transition towards sustainable tree and forest management. The Bangladesh Forest Inventory is a milestone achievement that provides high quality statistical data that will inform a national forestry strategy based on sustainability and socio-economic benefits for local communities.