BANCAT is a voluntary professional association of Soil and Water Conservation Specialists and Natural Resource Managers of Bangladesh who have wide range of experience of Natural Resource Management in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
The Association was formed in March 2004 during the First National Training Workshop on Tools and Methodologies of Documenting Conservation Approaches and Technologies that was held at Khagrachari and Rangamati during 09 -17th March, 2004 organized jointly by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB), Rangamati, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Katmandu, Nepal, ISRIC-The World Soil Information, Wageningen, Netherlands and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies(WOCAT) at the Centre for Environment and Development (CDE) of the University of Bern, Switzerland. BANCAT is a national focal point and the Bangladesh Chapter for WOCAT.
BANCAT Vision
Healthy Hill Ecosystem with Well-managed Natural Resources linked to Improved and Secured Livelihood of the People of Chittagong Hill Tracts in particular and Bangladesh as a whole in general.
BANCAT Mission
Integrated Approach to Explore and Document SWC Approaches and Technologies from CHT in particular and Bangladesh in general, Facilitate Documentation by the SWC specialists and Bridge the Information Gap between the Policy-Makers and the SWC Practitioners. The other missions of BANCAT are to:
- Link with national, regional and international institutions to enhance the activities of SWC and sustainable Natural Resource Management (NRM),
- Identify, Document and Evaluate good SWC/NRM technologies and approaches for sustainable livelihoods that are in practice in CHT, in particular, Bangladesh, in general,
- Facilitate research, education, capacity building for SWC documentation and dissemination of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (CATs) with quality assurances,
- Monitor and evaluate the SWC documentation processes and,
- Ensure funding for BANCAT activities and provide necessary logistic support. |
Why we are
Efficient and effective management of existing natural resources are the main issues of soil and water conservation (SWC). These experiences and knowledge are not well documented or easily accessible. This SWC knowledge therefore remains a local, individual resource, unavailable to others working in the same areas and seeking to accomplish similar tasks. This may be one of the reasons why soil and water degradation persists, despite many years of effort throughout the world and high investments in SWC.
BANCAT will facilitate SWC specialists to share their valuable knowledge in soil and water management, assist them in their search for appropriate SWC technologies and approaches and that support them in making decisions in the field and at the planning level. It was established as a part of global network of SWC specialists. It facilitates more efficient use of existing know-how and, consequently, of development funds. It thus helps to optimize the implementation of appropriate SWC and to avoid duplication of effort.
BANCAT also contributes to the implementation of United Nations Conventions, such as the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and work in close collaboration with World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT), Himalayan Conservation Approaches and Technologies (HIMCAT), ICIMOD and CHTDB.
There has been a heavy focus on assessing soil degradation in the past, but documenting sustainable land management practices - which is much more complicated - has not yet been undertaken. In fact, a wealth of SWC knowledge and information exists, and there is great demand for access to it. The challenge now is to optimize the exchange of know-how between land users and SWC specialists, such as technicians, extension workers, planners, coordinators and decision makers.
BANCAT ensures systematic recording and piecing together of local information, together with specific details about the environmental and socio-economic setting in which the information was obtained. This standardized method facilitates the transferability of knowledge to other areas of need.
BANCAT as a network of soil and water conservation specialists from Bangladesh has a working group at national level and works on decentralized manner. At the same time it works with international groups or institution to share experiences with backstopping from experienced specialists working all over the globe. Annual WOCAT workshops and steering meetings provide a basis for exchange on progress with different initiatives and for directing future activities.
BANCAT will provide all methodological tools and guidelines to national and regional institutions to carry out their own initiatives according to their needs.
BANCAT is open to all individuals and organizations with a mandate or an interest in SWC/NRM. Anyone can be associated with BANCAT and other similar organizations can also join us instead of like WOCAT.
BANCAT knowledge base is a public domain, i.e. everyone is invited to share it and use it. Newcomers can always use the database and product to gain better understanding of SWC, make better decisions in the field, and enhance planning at the local or national level. Any feedback provided to BANCAT to improve the database and the program will be greatly appreciated.
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