Analysis of resource base and exogenous factors relevant to sustainable development in a dry land-heel ecosystem in Puthia, Rajshahi.

Abstract

The main factors of the natural resource system of the study area have been identified and the trends of natural resource utilization of the inhabitants and impacts over 1970-2007 have been presented. The complicated process of identification and measurement has been explained. The findings clearly indicate an intense pressure on the natural resource base due to over-exploitation and lack of conservation; the various components are now failing to regenerate. The sad aspect is, even after intense use, the need of the local community remained unsatisfied-thus the over-exploitation continued to intense. Also. the degree of frustration of the under-satisfied resource users leads to decreased care of the resource base thus increases the degradation and instability. This situation was found to exist and gradually intensify over the period of 1970-2007 and the ecosystem has been under continuous stress through the entire period. The symptoms of breakdown of sustainable production capabilities became evident during the study. Impact of external factors such as global climate change, inflow of new technologies, and pressure of the external markets added to the environmental degradation of the resource base. The documentation of the components of natural resource base and identification of the trends is expected to enable comparing the state of these at any future time and thus will enable to take proper remediation steps for sustainable management. These remediation steps can help in climate change adaptations, sustainability attaining, ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, planning for renewable energy resource and for developing innovative approaches for solving complex environmental problems. The main remediation step would be to repair and rehabilitate the natural resource system and to increase the capacity of the agricultural production system of the study area. The first step to do this, an integrated approach should be adopted to use and manage the components of the resource base. A system approach be adopted where the interrelationship among the components should be considered to achieve a sustainable utilization system. For this, monoculture should be replaced by integrated and organic agriculture; the resource utilization should be diversified; to attain sustainability as well as enhanced productivity. --------------