Tapan Kumar Nath

University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus | nottingham · School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences

Public open spaces are important resources for physical activity. Observational studies conducted in Western countries found that public open spaces users tend to be mostly sedentary, while a few studies conducted in Asia (China, Thailand) reported more active patterns of public open spaces use. To better understand in what ways public open spaces...

In order to reduce emissions from the transport sector, the government of Bangladesh aims to accelerate the pace of electric vehicles (EVs) adoption. However, research on consumer perceptions of EVs in the country is limited. This study examined the factors that encourage or discourage consumers from adopting private EVs. A pre-tested structured qu...

Nature-Based Solution (NBS) helps to reduce the sole reliance on grey infrastructure for urban flood reduction. This study aimed to understand stakeholders" perceptions of the contribution of NBS projects to flood risk reduction. It also explored respondents' knowledge on and co-benefits of NBS, and the challenges. Data for this study were collecte...

The concept of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) evolved as a global collaborative endeavour to identify and protect a mosaic of traditional agro-ecosystems and landscapes that are rich in biodiversity and have both cultural and livelihood importance for farmers. In this study, we document prominent features of selected agric...

Forest and landscape restoration is considered worldwide as a powerful approach to recovering ecological functionality and improving human well‐being in degraded and deforested landscapes. A comprehensive study including the social, ecological, management, and regulatory aspects of restoration projects can help to understand the sustainability of t...

Understanding the value chain and profitability of underutilized crops is critical to increasing their cultivation in developing countries. This study examines value chain maps and economic performance of three potentially important underutilized crops in Southeastern Sri Lanka: finger millet (Eleusine coracana), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), an...

Protected areas (PA) co-management can offer equitable benefits from global to local level. Therefore, social equity has come out as a vital goal in PA co-management for ethical and instrumental reasons. In the Bangladesh context, however, social equity issues have been less studied in PA co-management. This study was conducted in the Sundarbans of...

Rapidly developing regions in Southeast Asia, such as Kuantan, Malaysia, require robust spatial analysis to understand changing landscape patterns and their socioenvironmental impacts to guide sustainable development and conservation planning. This study aims to characterise and evaluate the historic and future projections of land‐use and land‐cove...

Residents’ perceptions on ecosystem services (ESs) provided by urban green spaces (UGSs) are vital for developing sustainable cities. However, there has been limited research on this issue in Malaysia. The aim of this paper is to assess Malaysians’ perceptions on ESs provided UGSs and how their perceptions are influenced by different socio-demograp...

Excessive production, consumption, and indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste contribute to plastic pollution, which has a negative impact on the environment and human health. The KAP (knowledge, attitude, and practices) study is thought to be useful in mitigating plastic pollution because understanding the public’s knowledge, attitude, and pract...

Residents of Chattogram city areas in Bangladesh use drinking water from three sources, namely CWASA (Chattogram Water supply and Sewerage Authority), groundwater (tube-well), and commercial jar. In this study, we examined the quality of drinking water from these sources following an analytical and residents' perception. Water samples (both untreat...

Urban green spaces (UGS) are freely accessible private, communal or publicly owned areas in urban settings covered with vegetation and wetlands generally used for recreation. Physical activities (e.g. walking, jogging), leisure, and social gatherings in UGS bring positive health and well-being benefits. In this chapter, drawing evidence from two st...

Mangrove forests possess multiple functions for the environment and society through their valuable ecosystem services. Along with this, the mangrove forests have large and diverse social values, in combination contributing to the health and wellbeing of the surrounding communities. This study aims (i) to assess the benefits of mangrove forests and...

Restoration of degraded forest lands is a global priority that aims to restore ecosystems and their functions in ways that provide multiple socio-economic benefits. The Selangor State Forestry Department (SSFD) of peninsular Malaysia in collaboration with an NGO, local people and other stakeholders had been implemented a community-based restoration...

Urban trees have capacity to reduce atmospheric particulate matters (PM) concentration through deposition on leaves. However, we have very limited studies on the contribution of urban trees toward removal of PM in Bangladesh. In this study, conducted in Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), Bangladesh, we aimed to i) quantify the ambient atmospheric P...

There are only few studies globally that have documented the linkages between urban green spaces (UGS) and sustainable development goals (SDGs). In Malaysia, there is no existing research evaluating the relationship between UGS and SDGs. In this study, we assessed Malaysians’ perception on the association between UGS and seven selected SDGs, buildi...

Natural regeneration and forest successional development are influenced by gap formation in forest stands. Nonetheless, there are limited studies that provide quantitative information on the influence of gaps on forest regeneration. We evaluated characteristics of inner and outer canopy gaps and their effects on natural regeneration in 40 canopy ga...

Non-state actors (NSA) have become increasingly important in forest management and governance but with strikingly limited research on this subject. Here, we critically review the historical evolution and roles of major NSA in forest governance in selected tropical countries identifying the major challenges regarding sustainable and effective engage...

Excessive production, consumption and indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste cause an increasing plastic pollution with detrimental impacts on environment and human health. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) towards plastic pollution among Malaysians and evaluate the variation of plastic pollution rel...

Degraded tropical peatlands lack tree cover and are often subject to seasonal flooding and repeated burning. These harsh environments for tree seedlings to survive and grow are therefore challenging to revegetate. Knowledge on species performance from previous plantings represents an important evidence base to help guide future tropical peat swamp...

Objectives: The aim of this research was to assess the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) of lower-income people of Bangladesh toward COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 to get insights into the magnitude regarding awareness about the pandemic among low-income people. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 stages (June 2020 and Jun...

Natural regeneration in tropical forests is considered an essential part of forest restoration efforts; however, it is often under-estimated where the main focus has traditionally been on tree planting. This study assessed natural regeneration and its potential for the conserva- tion of native tree species in Sitapahar Forest Reserve, Bangladesh...

Background The safety of health care workers (HCWs) in Bangladesh and the factors associated with getting COVID-19 have been infrequently studied. The aim of this study was to address this gap by assessing the capacity development and safety measures of HCWs in Bangladesh who have been exposed to COVID-19 and by identifying the factors associated w...

In order to eliminate COVID-19, many countries provided vaccinations. However, success depends on peoples’ knowledge levels and rates of acceptance. But, previous research on this topic is currently lacking in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study aimed at to investigate Bangladeshi peoples’ knowledge, acceptance, and perception of challenges rega...

Co-management of forest protected areas (PA) is considered as a viable option to improve the local-level forest governance. This study examined the state of local-level forest governance in Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS), a co-managed PA in southeastern Bangladesh. Data on eight key principles of governance and forest conservation outcomes were c...

This study aimed to explore peoples’ perception on rules-in-use and interaction among actors in a community-based peatland restoration program (CBPRP) in Raja Muja Forest Reserve (RMFR) of peninsular Malaysia. We followed Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development framework, and collected both qualitative and quantitative data through organizi...

Local people’s’participation is highly recommended in protected areas (PAs) management. This study aimed at understanding local people’s participation as “means” or tool and “ends” or empowerment in the management of Kinabalu National Park (KNP) in Sabah state of Malaysia and the Kayan Mentarang National Park (KMNP) in North Kalimantan of Indonesia...

AimPoor farmers are cultivating tobacco because they can obtain great profit and support from tobacco companies. However, they overlook tobacco-related health problems and consequences. In this study, we explored the impact of tobacco farming on farmers’ health, drawing on an empirical study in seven villages of Ruposhipara union, Bandarban distric...

Co-management has been adopted in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh since 2008 toward biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement of local communities. However, we have limited research on how good governance was maintained and practiced in co-managed mangrove protected areas (PA). Drawing on a case study, this research assessed stakeholders’ p...

Plastic waste is one of the world’s most pressing human health and environmental concerns. Plastic constitutes the third highest waste source globally, with the total volume of plastic waste growing in-line with increases in the global population and per capita consumption. Malaysia is tracking global trends in both the overall generation of plasti...

Homegardens with diverse plants have the potential to generate ecosystem services. We investigated phytosociological attributes and ecosystem services, and thereof economic benefits, and how attributes of homegardens and socioeconomic characteristics of the households influencing the economic benefits and regulating services of homegardens of Mahes...

Co-management of forest protected areas (PA) in Bangladesh was initiated in 2004 with the aim of involving forest-dependent people in the PA governance for the conservation of forest resources. This study was conducted in two deliberately selected PA (Lawachara national park and Teknaf wildlife sanctuary) to understand stakeholders’ (co-management...

This research is explored to find out the relationship between social capital and forest conservation. From the research, it has been found that where social capital status is strong in society forest conservation is easier. To find out this result two sites were selected. Three villages from the Rangamati site and two villages from the Sitakunda s...

Research on restaurants’ waste management in Bangladesh is limited. This study, carried out in Chittagong city, assessed restaurants’ waste generation, current management, awareness on environmental hazards, and perceptions towards potential uses of waste. Data were collected by interviewing 103 randomly selected restaurants’ (41 large and 62 small...

The peatland swamp forests (PSFs) represent a unique wetland ecosystem of distinctive hydrology, home to unique and rare habitats and species, and globally significant stores of soil carbon. Although Malaysia has significant amount of global PSF, a huge area has been converted mainly to agriculture, oil palm, and infrastructure development. The des...

This study aims to identify the different news content of COVID-19 coverage in the major national dailies of Bangladesh during the pre-lockdown to the end of the lockdown period. Along with quantifying the total COVID-19 coverage in newspapers, it has compared the prominence given to COVID-19 news coverage in different pages of the newspapers studi...

Forests managed through peoples' participation can help to achieve a number of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper, drawing data from four participatory forest management (PFM) projects in south‐eastern Bangladesh, explored: (a) the factors that influenced the outcomes of PFM; and (b) contribution of PFM towards achieving selected SDGs...

Low- and middle-income countries in Southeast and East Asia face a range of challenges related to the rapid pace of urbanisation in the region, the scale of pollution, climate change, loss of ecosystem services and associated difficulties for ecological restoration. Possible pathways towards a more sustainable future lie in the applications of natu...

The objective of this research is to understand the psychological and livelihood-related impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Bangladeshi lower income group people who depend on daily earnings for their living. Following the convenience sampling method, 576 respondents were interviewed for quantitative data and 30 in-depth interviews f...

The preparation of chitosan has been investigated for more than half century; however, the application of chitosan for heavy metal (HM) adsorption is still under research. This study investigated the effects of chitosan with chemically controlled Ca-bearing contents (CBC) on Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+ adsorption in the solution with the initial pH values...

The current novel coronavirus (nCoV) pandemic, COVID-19, was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has spread globally, causing startling loss of life, stalling the global economy, and disrupting social life. One of the challenges to contain COVID-19 is convincing people to adopt personal hygiene, social distancing, and self-quaranti...

Research on public open spaces (POS) and well-being benefits has been extensively studied in developed countries such as in Australia, Europe, and America, however, in developing countries such as Bangladesh, there is very limited research. This study, carried out in six popular POS in Chittagong, Bangladesh, explored visitors’ activities in POS an...

Loss of urban greeneries in rapidly developing Kuala Lumpur has prompted urban residents to conserve the remnant urban forests as urban community forests. This study was carried out at Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve (KDCFR) and examined i) how urban residents in partnership with forestry department sustainably manage this forest reserve, i...

The current novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak, COVID-19, was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China has spread all over the world causing startling loss of lives, stalling the global economy and disrupting the social life. One of the challenges to contain the COVID-19 is making people adopt personal hygiene, social distancing and self-quar...

Research on underutilized crops in Sri Lanka is limited. This study, conducted in Uva and Eastern provinces of southeastern Sri Lanka, is aimed at identifying common underutilized crops in the dominant agricultural farms, estimating their contribution to household income and food security, and understanding key actors’ (leaders of farmers’ associat...

Bangladesh Forest Department had undertaken co-management of protected area (PA) initiatives for halting the rapid rate of forest degradation and deforestation in the country. However, only few research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of co-management. In this study, drawing empirical data from two co-managed PA, namely, Bariyadhala...

Aims: The study explored the role of Komolchari Village Common Forest (VCF) of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh in the development of the socioeconomic condition of the local communities and their perceptions about VCF conservation and management. Study Design: The research is conducted through rigorous literature review and semi-structured house...

The salinity intrusion into fresh groundwater is a serious problem in coastal regions of Bangladesh. It has both direct and indirect effects on human well-being. This study was carried out in two coastal villages of south-eastern part of Bangladesh with the aim of examining peoples’ perception of the water salinity impacts on human health. Data wer...

In order to reduce peoples’ dependency on forests, to improve their livelihoods, and to conserve forest resources a number of protected areas (PA) in Bangladesh has been brought under PA co-management. In this study, we examined the dependency of forest dependent communities (FDC) on forests, and the impacts of PA co-management on their livelihood...

Climate change affects plant phenology, spatial distribution, and even extinction of vulnerable species. Dipterocarpus turbinatus, locally known as garjan, is a valuable but vulnerable native tree species of Bangladesh whose spatial distribution under future climate change scenarios is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the...

Climate change affects plant phenology, spatial distribution, and even extinction of vulnerable species. Dipterocarpus turbinatus, locally known as garjan, is a valuable but vulnerable native tree species of Bangladesh whose spatial distribution under future climate change scenarios is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the...

Even though Sri Lankan farmers grow underutilized crops (UUCs) for generations, we have very limited research on these crops. This study was an initiative to identify common UUCs in prevailing farming systems and estimate their contribution to household income and food security in southeastern Sri Lanka. The study was conducted in randomly selected...

The degraded Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS) has undergone various land use changes since 1980s. In this study, land use changes of CWS were assessed from 2005 to 2015 by using Landsat TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images. The ArcGIS v10.1 and ERDAS Imagine v14 were used to process satellite imageries and assessed quantitative data for land use change...

Peatland swamp forests (PSF) deliver a range of beneficial, but often undervalued ecosystem services. In this paper we examined local peoples’ appreciation on the values of PSF and their contribution to conservation. The study was carried out by interviewing 100 respondents living in adjacent to North Selangor PSF and holding three focus group disc...

Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a shade tolerant plant suited to climatic conditions found in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh and which is intrinsically linked to the culture and traditions of indigenous communities who live in the region. This study, carried out in two villages in the CHT, examined cultivation techniques,...

Forest resources collection is the major livelihood option for majority of the people living in or around the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The study aimed to identify the nature and type of forest resources collection and to quantify and evaluate the value of the amount of forest resources collected by different resource collectors. Market bas...

Geoinformatics approach is increasingly used to monitor land use change as well as forest fragmentation due to availability of Landsat satellite data. In Bangladesh many initiatives have been taken to prepare land use maps but forest fragmentation modelling is quite new. In this research, geoinformatics approach is thoroughly used to determine land...

The Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS), a degraded protected area in south-eastern Bangladesh, had been under co-management since 2004. This study examined phytosociological characteristics and diversity of trees in CWS and discussed villagers’ opinion on the impact of co-management on forest conservation. Following a stratified and systematic sampli...

Due to inappropriate management and absence of land use planning, land cover change of developing country like Bangladesh is a common phenomenon. This land cover change phenomenon will have its tremendous effect if found at a greater extent on natural habitat area for numerous animal and tree species. In this study, land cover change of Chunati Wil...

This chapter describes the historical background of village common forest (VCF) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and, then drawing on empirical data from Komolchari VCF, examines peoples’ dependency, indigenous management, and forest health. Although public forests have been degraded seriously, the indigenous people in the CHT have been managing...