Haseeb Md. Irfanullah’s scientific contributions

The diversity in ecosystems has given Bangladesh a unique character as it harbors a wide spectrum of flora and fauna. Wetland ecosystems are playing a vital role for survival of human by providing clean water for drinking, water for agriculture, cooling water for the energy sector, safeguarding biodiversity and regulating flood through facilitating water flow. One of the important freshwater wetland ecosystems of Bangladesh is the Haor Basin occurring in the low-lying plains of eastern Mymensingh and western Sylhet Divisions. These freshwater ecosystems are under threat of multiple anthropogenic causes like over-exploitation, rapid urbanization and climate change. Tanguar Haor is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in northeast region of Bangladesh. It is located in the district of Sunamgonj (25˚06’-25˚11’ N and 91˚01’-91˚06’ E) at the foothill of the Khasia Hills. Tanguar Haor is part of a complex wetland system of the Meghna-Surma river basin. Administratively, within the total area of Tanguar Haor, there are two Upazilas (sub-districts) of Sunamganj district, namely Tahirpur and Dharmapasha and four unions, namely Uttar Bangshikunda, Dakshin Bangshikunada, Uttar Sreepur, and Dakshin Sreepur. Tanguar Haor is an ecosystem that harbors 150 plant species; 134 freshwater fish species; 11 amphibians; 34 reptiles including 6 turtles, 7 lizards and 21 snake species; 208 bird species; and 19 mammal species. For uniqueness and being habitat of some globally threatened wildlife, this wetland has been declared as the 2nd Ramsar site of Bangladesh in 2000. Earlier, in 1999, the Government of Bangladesh declared the Tanguar Haor as an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA). The Government of Bangladesh already shown its commitment to conserve biodiversity and strengthen people’s livelihoods though wise use of natural resources. Ministry of Environment and Forests, in association with IUCN Bangladesh, launched a co-management project entitled ‘Community Based Sustainable Management of Tanguar Haor (CBSMTH)’ with the financial assistance from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The CBSMTH project has given its effort to establish a co-management system involving the communities and the Government under an umbrella of formal institutions. Emphasis has been given on livelihoods development of the communities to reduce dependency on haor resources that ultimately helped for conserving biodiversity and maintaining integrity of the ecosystem. The production and publication of this book is intended to grasp the successes and lessons generated by the CBSMTH project at local and national levels. The book also captured impacts engendered, challenges faced, and future guidelines for wise use and management of Tanguar Haor. The book will be useful to policymakers, practitioners and researchers for taking any further initiative in future.