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Campus Feature

Social forestation in JU Campus

Ahsan Habib

Jahangirnagar University is located on an area of great natural beauty, a place that contributes to health and pleasure . Perhaps the most remarkable feature of JU campus is the seamless interconnection of nature and the built environment. Aesthetically it has become a garden. Planned forestation has made it possible. In the face of rapid decline of forests throughout the country, Jahangirnagar University stands as a model of sustainable development.

The 'green belt project' of 1992-93 is the first forestation project at JU. With the goal to make proper utilisation of land and to create opportunity for future study and research on arboriculture and for environmental development Professor A B M Enayet Hossain proposed this three-year long project. Considering the vastness of the project, it was extended up to 7 years. The main objective of the project was to build a green belt surrounding the campus. JU had no boundary wall surrounding the southern and northern part. The project was to provide a green protection by developing a green boundary. They also organized block plantation activities along with the regular progrmme. As it was a part of food for work program, landless people were involved in plantation and maintenance. In 2000 it was handed over to the university. University authorities are taking care of the trees since then.

Over 100,000 trees were planted under this project. Various species of fruit and timber plants were planted. Mehagini, segun, rain tree, gamari, sishu, garjon, telsoor, sulalu, jarul, luha kath, chapalis, karai were among the timber plants. Medicinal plants like nim, arjun, amlaki, bahera, tatul, mahua, haritaki and fruit plants like jack fruit, mango, jolpai and ornamental plants like jhhau, kadam were planted. Some rare and endangered plants were also planted. No environmentally hazardous species was selected for plantation.

Among the targeted trees, 67000 trees are now standing and well rooted.

As a result of the project entire campus is now under green cover, looking greener than ever before.

As a result of the project the whole ecology of the area has been changed. Number of birds in these forests has increased. Medicinal plants like bohera and arjun have already grown. Timber and fruit plants have been a good source of revenue generation for the university.

Because of the land encroachment by some local people green belt around the border could not be materialized.

In 2000 'Proshika and Jahangir nagar University bio-diversity Program' started a social forestation project. It is a 25-year long project funded by Proshika. Jahangirnagar University is providing material and logistic support. Professor Abul Khair of department of Botany is working as the project director.

The main objectives were social forestation, bio-diversity conservation, nursery development and expanding research activities.

Under this project 1,08,000 seedlings of 72 species have been planted around the university campus. Some rare and endangered species have also been planted. Professor Abul Khair claimed that the survival rate is 98 per cent.

Since the project was taken vegetation has increased. It created employment opportunity for a good number of people. Wild life population has increased in the campus. This programme will help protect the campus's ecology and environment, and bring about some economic benefits in the long run.

The harmony thus created adds an extra essence to the ecology of the campus. The effort to save these forests is still evolving and much work remains.

More than 11,000 species of animals and plants are known to be threatened with extinction, and forests are being razed annually. Unless we change our ways a lot of species could disappear very soon. When swaths of ecosystem are thus destroyed, existing balance will also be destroyed. For our coming generation we have to preserve bio-diversity. Jahangirnagar University can be a model in this regard.