Kyushu University · Environmental Science
Professor S.M. Asik Ullah’s research lab focuses on the interplay between environmental conservation, community livelihoods, and socioecological change in vulnerable coastal regions of Bangladesh. The lab investigates deforestation drivers, protected area management, and the socioeconomic impacts of large-scale refugee influxes—particularly the Rohingya crisis—on local ecosystems and communities. Key research directions include forest cover change, community-based natural resource management, and sustainable livelihoods in ecologically sensitive areas like the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
The refugee influx from Myanmar, known as Rohingya refugees, is a serious concern for global refugee issues. Bangladesh currently hosts one million Rohingya refugees in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. Considering the number of the refugees, in addition to the humanitarian concerns, they are also creating pressure on the local host communities. This study explored the socioeconomic changes of the host communities after the refugee influx. In order to fulfill this study’s objectives, 35 villa
Deforestation is a matter of serious global concern. Establishing protected areas (PAs), which cover nearly 15% of the world’s surface, is one of the leading approaches to forest conservation. The recent global expansion of PAs has led to the inclusion of local communities in the forest management process, an approach referred to as “co-management.” PAs under co-management are expected to conserve biodiversity while providing support to local communities. This trend for forest co-management has
Bangladesh is experiencing deforestation within its protected forest areas (PAs). One reason for its inability to stem deforestation is the lack of a proper understanding of the deforestation process and the drivers responsible for it. This study aims to elucidate the socioeconomic factors influencing deforestation within a PA on the coast of Bangladesh known as Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS). In the quest to understand the drivers of deforestation, the extent of community involvement in the de
This study focuses on the household fuelwood in the Teknaf Peninsula of Bangladesh. Teknaf Peninsula has a protected forest area which is facing the threat of extinction due to the over dependency of the local people. Among the subsistence activities, harvesting fuelwood from the protected forest area is the most common and also a significant cause for the deforestation. This study aimed to determine the household fuelwood consumption and factors influencing the consumption. Data was collected d
Protected Areas (PAs) in Bangladesh have been pivotal for conserving wildlife. The country plans to increase the number of PAs by implementing new forest-governing policies with the involvement of local communities. Their efficacy in wildlife conservation and forest preservation is being questioned due to significant land cover changes within PA boundaries. It is essential to understand the current role of existing PAs in forest cover transformation and their impact on wildlife conservation befo
This study explores the complex interplay between social conflict and forest resource exploitation in the context of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh. While previous research has largely treated deforestation as a cause and social conflict as a consequence, our study proposes a cyclical model in which these two dynamics reinforce each other. Based on empirical data collected from 398 refugee households in the Kutupalong camp, we find that fuelwood collection is primarily driven by low a
The Teknaf region in Bangladesh experienced a massive Rohingya refugee influx from Myanmar in 2017, where more than a million refugees fled to Bangladesh. This influx exerted considerable pressure on the local socioeconomic structures, livelihood activities, and environmental resources. This study evaluates the refugees' impact on the agricultural dynamics in Teknaf where farming is the major livelihood means for the local community. Based on primary data from interviews with a representative sa
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