At Section 6.5 DEVELOPMENT RESULTS FRAMEWORK (DRF) FOR MONITORING THE SEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (2016-2020) the 7th FYP sets a target to achieve 15% percentage of land covered by forestry with 70% tree density in 2010, the last year for the implementation of the Plan. (Section 6.5 DEVELOPMENT RESULTS FRAMEWORK (DRF) FOR MONITORING THE SEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (2016-2020), Part 1, Chapter 6: MONITORING AND EVALUATION.)
But this target is stated to be 20% in the Forestry Sector Master Plan (1995- 2015) at Part 2, Chapter 4 Section 4.5, Forestry Sub-sector.
Why it is 15% in 2020 here?
The following explanation is provided: "The development vision of the forestry sub-sector is to expand forest resources of the country for maintaining ecological balance and sustainable economic growth. In Forestry Sector Master Plan (1995- 2015) a target was fixed to achieve 20 percent forest coverage by the end of 2015. But now it is clear that it is not achievable at all because in a land scarce country like Bangladesh there is hardly any scope to spare additional lands for forestry except newly accreted chars in the Bay of Bengal. "
This rationale and this whole statement of the 7th FYP is in direct contradiction with the Vision 2021 and also the rest of the 7th FYP.
The Table 2.1: 7th Five Year Plan Targets in Context in the Environmental Sustainability category contains at Item, No. 50, 'the target of Productive Forest Coverage (%) (70 % tree density) in the country'. The Table states that the forest coverage with 70% tree cover was 13% in the Base Year 2010, the Vision 2021 sets the target at 20%, the Progress under 6FYP 2015 was 13.14% and the 7th 2020 FYP sets the target at 20%.
Also, at Section 8.3 KEY OBJECTIVES UNDER THE 7THFYP, the FYP states the following:
"To achieve tree cover over 20% of the land surface (with tree density > 70%) and ecologically healthy native forests are restored and protected in all public forest lands (about 16% of land):
1. Ensure greater contribution of the forestry sector in the economic development
2. Strengthen forestry extension activities to transfer improved technology and research information to end-users, e.g., local people and private homesteads
3. Expand forest resources, make the forests adequately productive
4. Conserve Sundarbans mangrove forest without any further deforestation and forest degradation.
5. Develop institutional capabilities including human resource and involve local people as much as possible in forestry activities
6. Develop capacity of national government and regional/local offices to map and analyse land use through data-driven approaches/GIS
7. Further promote the people oriented programmes covering forestry on marginal lands, char lands, road sides, etc.
8. Ensure no forest land shall be converted for non-forest use.
9. Ensure no commercial plantation in protected forest area where only native species for enrichment and restoration purposes can be undertaken.
10. Ensure all PA management shall be inclusive of and respectful to the rights of the forest dwellers.
11. Consider out-sourcing forest protection measures, utilizing community members on the ground as forest stewards.
Why is this discrepancy in the country's most important planing instrument, the 7th Five Year Plan? Why was the statement at Section 6.5 added?
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