People’s Participation in Coastal Biodiversity Management Activities in St. Martin’s Island

Abstract: 

The main objective of the study was to find out the extent of participation of coastal people in various biodiversity management activities. The study was conducted in St. Martin's Island under Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. Ten selected characteristics of the participants were selected to explore the relationship with the extent of participation. Coastal people’s participation in biodiversity management activities was the major focus of the study and the variable was composed of eight components of participation. A 4-point rating scale was used to measure the extent of participation of the respondents. Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 92 participants of CWBMP (Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project) from a total of 365 during April 2008 by using a pre-tested personal interview schedule. The highest proportion (80%) of the respondents had medium participation in biodiversity management activities followed by 12% and 8% having high and low level participation. The respondents had higher level participation in fisheries resources conservation and waste management and lower level participation in awareness building on eco-tourism and social awareness activities. Among the ten characteristics of the respondents seven, namely level of education, farm size, social participation, extension media contact, organizational participation, experience in biodiversity management activities, and knowledge on biodiversity management activities showed significant positive relationships with their extent of participation in biodiversity management activities. However, their age, family size and annual family income did not show any significant relationships with the same.

Subject and Keywords: 
Year: 
Volume: 
20
Issue: 
1 & 2
Page: 
109-116
Article Identifier: 
1493