NatureSync
Team information
Sem Zijta
Bachelor
Wageningen University & Research
Mario Contreras Fleury
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Louise Bazelaire
Master
Wageningen University
Susette Cremers
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Hannah Graham
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Karina Fiskum
Bachelor
Wageningen University & Research
Ilse Kristalijn
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Indira Bijl
Bachelor
Wageningen University
Bart van der Zel
Master
Wageningen
Sumirè Iwasaki
Bachelor
Wageningen University & Research
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About the team
We are a diverse group of students from the University of Wageningen, specialized in the fields of Forest and Nature Conservation, Aquaculture, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Sociology, Consumer studies, GIS, Land and Water Management, Food Technology, Soil-Water-Atmosphere and Urban Environmental Management. We are inspired to learn more about the phenomena occuring in Bangladesh and we look forward to broaden our knowledge on nature-based solutions.
Our vision for nature-positive future for Bangladesh
Our nature-positive future for Bangladesh is centered on people first. Therefore, we want the solutions to be integrated with local communities such as farmers and fisherfolks in the floodplains, industrial workers around Dhaka, and ethnic minorities living the Madhupur Sal Forest. Our vision considers their values and needs as essential for Bangladesh. Understanding and integrating people’s cultures is crucial in maintaining and widening the impact of nature-based solutions (Nbs) proposed. For the latter, we address different action themes towards the achievement of our NbS, covering the multiple layers that influence how society and its environment operate. In this process, co-creation is essential to ensure communities’s ownership of the solutions. Additional main themes include Water Safety and Resilient agriculture, which tie in on the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 with respect to food and water security, and secured livelihoods. The theme “Enhanced Biodiversity” illustrates the principle of co-management which restores and conserves ecosystems of the forest areas. Lastly, in the Resilient & Healthy cities theme, we envision a diverse and innovative bioeconomy, integrating long-term conservation, biocultural diversity and the country’s projected economic growth.
Our choices for a specific region
In our vision, multiple practices are adopted in the 3 sub-landscapes within our focus area: The Madhupur Sal Forest, the Floodplains and Dhaka. The Nature-based Solutions we selected were defined after a careful examination of the bioregion and its links with people’s livelihoods in each of the three areas. We envision an urbanization that includes significant green cover within the city and on the banks of the Buringanga river that flows through Dhaka. The Khals, ancient canals designed for urban drainage, have been restored. People live closer to their working areas, effectively reducing commuting distances and community garden foster a sense of belonging and food security. In the Madhupur Sal Forest, preserved areas and forest-dependent communities co-exist. Governance structures are set to co-manage the forest. Livestock agroforestry, community gardens and non-timber products constitute sustainable livelihoods. Tidal river management, Indigenous technology and climate-smart agriculture approaches co-exist in the floodplains, where multi-cropping, floating gardens and salinity-resistant crops are introduced to increase food security while communities co-create ways to foster food sovereignty.