Preventing, halting, and reversing ecosystem degradation is now a global priority, partly due to the declaration of the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration by the UN General Assembly 2021–2030 on 1 March 2019. Apart from the most recent global target to protect 30% of the natural planet by 2030 as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed during COP15, there are several other global goals and targets. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has also pledged to restore 0.75 million hectares of forests as part of the Bonn Challenge. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh contain almost one-third of the country’s state-owned forests and are home to 12 ethnic communities, whose livelihoods are dependent on forests. Although once rich in biodiversity, the majority of the forests in the region are highly degraded due to faulty management, complex institutional arrangements, and land disputes with locals. The CHT, therefore, represent the most promising region for ecosystem restoration through forest and landscape restoration (FLR). Here, using the secondary literature, we examine the current institutional arrangements and drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the CHT region and potential benefits and modalities to make FLR successful in the region. Based on our study, we suggest that institutional reform is essential for successful FLR in the CHT. We also discuss key interventions that are necessary to halt ecosystem degradation and to secure community participation in natural resources management in the region.

中文翻译：

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孟加拉国吉大港山区森林和景观恢复的挑战和制度障碍

预防、制止和扭转生态系统退化现已成为全球优先事项，部分原因是联合国大会于 2019 年 3 月 1 日宣布了“2021-2030 年联合国生态系统恢复十年”。除了最新的全球目标之外作为 COP15 期间商定的昆明-蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架的一部分，到 2030 年保护 30% 的自然地球，还有其他几个全球目标和具体目标。作为波恩挑战的一部分，孟加拉国政府 (GoB) 还承诺恢复 75 万公顷的森林。孟加拉国的吉大港山区 (CHT) 拥有该国近三分之一的国有森林，是 12 个民族社区的家园，他们的生计依赖​​于森林。尽管该地区曾经拥有丰富的生物多样性，但由于管理不善、制度安排复杂以及与当地人的土地纠纷，该地区的大部分森林已严重退化。因此，CHT 是通过森林和景观恢复 (FLR) 进行生态系统恢复最有希望的地区。在这里，我们利用二手文献，研究了 CHT 地区当前的制度安排和毁林和森林退化的驱动因素，以及使 FLR 在该地区取得成功的潜在效益和模式。根据我们的研究，我们认为机构改革对于 CHT 的 FLR 成功至关重要。我们还讨论了阻止生态系统退化和确保社区参与该地区自然资源管理所必需的关键干预措施。