Protecting the forests of Chittagong, one species at a time

Shahriar Caesar Rahman, 31, a Bangladeshi national, probably spends more time with reptiles than humans. A conservation biologist by profession, Caesar is known for his efforts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a biodiversity hotspot in Bangladesh. "I started volunteering in 2007, with Wildmetro, a New York-based wildlife organisation. At an early age, I had decided that I will spend my life researching wildlife," he says. As the Co-founder and CEO of Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA), a non-profit organisation, he also serves as the Regional Vice Chair-South Asia of IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.

It was in 2011, during his first visit to the Hill Tracts that he came across the Arakan forest turtle – a critically endangered species as per International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – and also discovered the wild Asian giant tortoise, which till then, was thought to be extinct. "This was also the time that I documented around 30 globally endangered species in this area," adds Caesar. Clouded leopard, leopard, gaur, Chinese pangolin, Asiatic wild dog, sun bear and marbled cat are the few among them. It became clear to him that it was paramount to save these last remaining vestiges of wilderness in Bangladesh.

The wildlife in Chittagong is facing threat due to rampant habitat destruction and hunting. "This area is also politically volatile, which makes it all the more difficult to protect these species. Initially, I would only to document things and release research papers. But then I realised that in order to protect them, I would need to get out of this comfort zone." That's when he decided to involve the communities living in these forests, to conserve the forests and its inhabitants. Currently, 11 indigenous tribal groups live in Chittagong.

Since then, Caesar's CCA has set up five conservation centres (in 2015) in this area and four primary schools for the tribal communities. As education was made available in the area, the hunting of several species has dropped dramatically. Add to this, hunters in the community are also trained as biologists, which has helped not only the wildlife, but also the tribe. It's been a long journey for Caesar to get these people on board and work with them.

"Working with these people is very complex as they have an indigenous culture, which is very different from ours. Still, this is now changing rapidly. Till five years back, they didn't even have footwear, but now they have smartphones," he elucidates. These locals now have sustainable livelihood in the form of tribal art and craft products that are sold through CCA. This has enabled the tribe to earn a steady income.

Caesar's hard work has caught not just national, but also international recognition. The most recent accolade under his belt is the 'nature guardian award' by the prestigious Whitley Awards, which are termed as the 'green Oscars'. Slowly, but surely, Caesar's work has created a momentum about the need to conserve this lush area.