| Brief Description of Assignment |
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For SD-8:
4.1 Inception, Site Selection, and Planning:
• Conduct inception meeting with DoE, UNDP, Forest Department, Deputy Commissioner Sunamganj, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (Shalla & Dharmapasha), and local government representatives.
• Carry out participatory GIS mapping and field validation to identify 220 hectares of government land, village common forest, community forest, and suitable swamp forest restoration sites.
• Conduct ecological assessment with support from ecologist/botanist (can be engaged as short-term consultant) and local community elders to assess soil type, hydrology, erosion severity, and existing vegetation.
• Identify erosion-prone faces of village mounds requiring greenbelt protection.
• Develop detailed plantation plan including species mix, planting density, spacing, planting calendar aligned with monsoon season, and erosion protection techniques.
• Submit Inception Report (including work plan, detailed activity schedule, budget breakdown, monitoring framework, and site maps) to Project Director (PD), DoE for approval.
4.2 Zoning, spatial planning and propagation plan:
Composition of restoration will be differed by the type of the terrain such as low elevation, moderate elevation, high elevation of the landscape by type/ use such as village mound, kanda, dykes, growth centers, graveyard, riverbank, Canal Bank, daair (closed canal), gopat/ Jangal (pathway for cattle and carry grains), playground, crop processing area e.g., Khola, beel, doba, khal, etc. Composition of vegetation is different, which has been largely determined by the inundation period. Spatial planning considering the elevation/contour of the terrace, therefore, important, preparation of maps (GIS based map) and identifying the floral composition and accordingly plan for the restoration. Therefore, zoning is important, for example:
Lower shallow-water edge: Nal, Hogla, Khagra and native sedges.
• Middle wave-wash zone: Hijal or Koroch combined with suitable reeds.
• Upper bank and slope: Vetiver and or Chailla planted in contour lines.
• Crest: locally native shrubs and upper-fringe trees.
• Submerged plants, semi-aquatic herbs, and small floating plants e.g., Shapla
For propagation: Propagation and establishment of native wetland trees mainly for hizal and koroch and support through assisted natural regeneration (ANR) for reeds, grasses, and shrubs through seeds (seedling/ sapling), wildlings, rooted slips, tillers, rhizome division, stem cuttings, rooted clump division, rooted slips or tillers, layering (a branch is bent to the ground and partly covered with soil until roots develop. it is then separated from the parent plant), root suckers (naturally emerging shoots with roots are separated and transplanted), or other ecologically appropriate methods, including ANR (assisted natural regeneration), nursery development, site preparation, planting, protection, maintenance, casualty replacement, and survival monitoring.
The zoning approach should follow “plant in patches rather than rigid rows”. A practical initial design is:
• Tree clusters: variable spacing of approximately 3–5 meters, adjusted for species and natural recruits.
• Mixed clusters: Hijal and Koroch as the main framework.
• Open gaps: deliberately retain channels, mudflats, waterbird feeding areas and fish-access routes.
4.3 Purpose by type of species – examples are:
• Hijal (Barringtonia acutangula): Low and moderately low land; seasonally deeply flooded; source of seedlings/saplings: nursery-raised seedlings, natural seedlings, limited direct sowing. Propagation through plantation.
• Koroch/Karanja (Millettia pinnata (syn. Pongamia pinnata)): Low–middle flood zone, khal and beel margins. sources are wildlings, rhizomes, rooted clumps and stem cuttings, seedlings. Propagation through plantation.
• Bon golap (Rosa involucrata): Wet thickets and upper swamp margins; source, rooted suckers or stem cuttings, ANR
• Nal/Nol reed (Phragmites karka): Shallow-water belts, wave reduction, fish and bird habitat; source: rhizome pieces or rooted slips; ANR
• Khagra (Saccharum spontaneum and locally identified related species): Exposed banks, newly deposited soil and upper shallow margins, source: rooted tillers or rhizome clumps, ANR
• Ikor/Ekora (locally verified Saccharum/Erianthus complex): Seasonal wetland edge and wave-exposed margins, source: rhizome clumps or tillers, ANR
• Emergent/semi-aquatic herbs: Kolmi (Ipomoea aquatica), Helencha (Enhydra fluctuans), Bishkatali (Persicaria/Polygonum spp.), native arrowheads (Sagittaria spp.), ANR
• Rooted floating-leaved plants: Shapla (Nymphaea nouchali, N. pubescens), Padma (Nelumbo nucifera), Paniphal (Trapa spp.), ANR
• Submerged plants and small floating plants: These aquatic species support fish, aquatic insects, snails and waterbirds. In many sites, they should be allowed to regenerate naturally rather than planted extensively,ANR
• Chailla (Hemarthria protensa) is an indigenous haor grass adapted to seasonal inundation. Its main benefits are: reducing afal (wave action/erosion), binding wet soil and capturing sediment, protecting village mounds, kanda, roads and embankment toes, providing habitat for birds, fish, insects and other wetland fauna, remaining alive and growing during seasonal flooding, ANR
• Binna/Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) has a dense, deep and fibrous root system that binds soil effectively. However, vetiver normally grows as an upright clump and does not spread laterally through long-running rhizomes, so it is better for engineering-style erosion control than for creating natural reed beds. Binna is suitable for upper haor banks and kanda slopes and homestead or road embankments, ANR
4.4 Selection, Supply, Planting, and Propagating with Native Floral Species for Wetland Habitat Restoration:
• Supply and planting of saplings of approved quality, specifically Koroch and Hijal, collected from nursery, community nursery, wild sources.
• Supplying healthy, disease-free, and well-grown saplings.
• Each sapling shall be 12 months to 2 years old with a minimum height of at least 1 (one) meter, grown in polybags or earthen containers with well-developed root systems and free from pests, fungal infection, and mechanical damage.
• Excavation of pits of required size, placing of saplings in position, and refilling with suitable soil mixed with manure.
• All materials and works shall be subject to approval, and any damaged or rejected saplings shall be replaced by the NGO.
• Bamboo sticks shall be properly stacked at site and approved before use, and any damaged or rejected materials shall be replaced by the NGO.
• Supply, fabrication, printing, and installation of Site-specific Profile Signboard.
• Supply and or installation of fencing along the boundary of the plantation area using approved quality, for example, Bamboo, Dholkolmi, Net.
• Supply and application of approved quality compost and organic mulch for plantation areas.
A total of 176,000 seedlings/wildlings/clump cuttings of native species shall be supplied, planted, or propagated across the 220 hectares (800 native species per hectare). An additional 35,200 seedlings (20% of initial) shall be provided for gap filling over the project period.
4.5 Watering of the Plantation:
• Regular watering of saplings at specified intervals to ensure adequate soil moisture for proper establishment and growth.
• Watering shall be carried out uniformly around the root zone of each sapling.
• Any damage or loss of plants due to negligence shall be the responsibility of the NGO.
• During dry season (November–February), additional watering shall be provided as needed to maintain survival rates.
4.6 Nursery Selection and Seedling Collection/Procurement:
• Procure/source native swamp forest seedlings, wildlings, clump cuttings, rooted slips, rhizomes, or other propagules from reputable public, private, or community nurseries and or wild sources.
• Collect/purchase/raise native swamp forest seedlings of the following species (indicative list, to be finalized during inception with ecologist and community):
Species (Bangla) Species (Scientific) Type Preferred Zone
Hijal Barringtonia acutangula Native tree Swamp, waterlogged areas
Koroch Pongamia pinnata Native tree Mound periphery, flood-tolerant
• Collect/purchase minimum 176,000 seedlings/wildlings/clump cutting of native species for the first season plantation covering the full 220 hectares (800 seedlings per hectare), with additional 35,200 seedlings (20% of initial) for gap filling.
• Conduct the second-year plantation following the same regulations as the first-year plantation.
4.7 Plantation and Greenbelt Establishment:
• Prepare planting pits / mounds as per site conditions (swamp, seasonally flooded, or village mound periphery).
• Plant mixed native species at appropriate densities:
Zone Density (seedlings/Ha)
Greenbelt around erosion-prone village mounds (3 - 5 rows) 1,200 – 1,500
Swamp forest interior/ Block plantation in the Kanda 800 – 1,000
Chailla grass and reed planting (by root slips/cuttings) As per traditional density
• Implement erosion protection measures:
o Bamboo fencing + Chailla grass planting on vulnerable mound slopes, and or
o Geo-textile + Chailla grass technique (pilot scale on selected high-erosion sites), and or
o Greenbelt of Hijal + Koroch + Phragmites along wave-impact zones
• Ensure before-and-after photo documentation for each plot (GPS-tagged photographs).
• Engage daily labor from local communities (women prioritized) for planting and protection work.
• Complete plantation within the first monsoon season (typically June–September) of the contract period.
4.8 Maintenance, Gap Filling, and Protection:
• Conduct gap filling (replanting of dead seedlings) at 3 months and 6 months after initial planting, replacing 35,200 seedlings (20% of 176,000) over the project period.
• Carry out weeding, mulching, and watering (as needed, particularly during dry spells).
• Protect planted areas from grazing, fire, and unauthorized cutting through community patrolling (CBFMG-led).
• Monitor survival rate at 6, 12, and 18 months (target: =75% survival at 18 months).
• Repair bamboo fencing, geo-textile, and other protection structures were damaged by wave action or flooding.
• Maintain plantation areas for the full contract duration (18 months).
Guarding / Plantation Care during Dry Season: Guards shall regularly patrol the site to prevent damage to saplings caused by human activities, livestock, or any other external factors. Guards shall ensure watering of saplings as needed.
Guarding / Plantation Care during Monsoon Season: Guards shall conduct regular patrols using boats to safeguard the saplings from damage caused by human activities, livestock, aquatic disturbances, or other external factors in waterlogged and inaccessible zones.
4.9 Community Organization and Capacity Building:
• Form 10–15 Community-Based Forest Management Groups (CBFMGs) covering all 220 hectares (one group per village or cluster of villages).
• Form or strengthen Village Conservation Committees (VCCs) with clear roles for long-term maintenance and benefit-sharing after project handover.
• Ensure minimum 30% women representation in CBFMGs and VCCs.
• Conduct training for CBFMG members on:
o Nursery and plantation techniques
o Maintenance, monitoring, and protection of swamp forest
o Roles and responsibilities under common property management
o Basic record-keeping and reporting
o Erosion control and traditional ecological knowledge
• Document Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) related to swamp forest species, erosion control, and water management through community workshops and key informant interviews.
• Develop a handover plan for transferring plantation management to CBFMGs/VCCs at the end of the contract period.
4.10 Coordination and Reporting:
• Report monthly to the Project Director, SD Pathways Project, DoE.
• Coordinate quarterly with Deputy Commissioner Sunamganj, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (Shalla & Dharmapasha), Forest Department (Sunamganj circle), and UNDP.
• Submit the following reports:
4.11 Handover and Sustainability:
• Conduct final survival and growth assessment (plot-wise) at 18 months.
• Handover plantation areas to CBFMGs / VCCs with a formal written agreement signed between DoE, the NGO, and community representatives.
• Provide orientation to CBFMGs on post-handover maintenance responsibilities.
• Submit final asset handover certificate to DoE.
• Conduct 2 handover ceremonies (one in Shalla, one in Dharmapasha) for asset transfer. |
