USAID's Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Management Activity II (CHTWCA II)

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), located in the southeast of Bangladesh, comprises of the three Hill Districts: Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati.

The region is home to 13 tribal groups (ethnic minorities or Adivasi), in addition to Bengali, and has a population of nearly 1.6 million. Each of the tribal groups retains a unique language, culture, and tradition.

The CHT is geographically distinct from most parts of plainland Bangladesh, as characterized by steep, rugged hilly terrain, and diversity.

USAID funded ten-year Chittagong Hill Tracts Watershed Co-Management Activity (CHTWCA) is implemented by UNDP under Strengthening Inclusive Development in CHT (SID-CHT) Project of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA).

It aims at integrated ecosystem management of forests (headwater Reserved Forests, Protected Areas and Village Common Forests/mauza reserves) and their associated watersheds in partnerships with key stakeholders including local people.