Factors Influencing the Loss of Forest Cover in Bangladesh: An Analysis from Socioeconomic and Demographic Perspectives

Some studies have attributed forest shrinkage to population growth, economic development, conversion of forest land to agricultural use and harvesting of trees for timber and fuelwood. But the statistical support for these hypotheses is not strong. This paper attempts to test the above hypotheses statistically in the case of Bangladesh. Factor analysis extracted 4 important factors—(a) exploitation of forests for timber, fuelwood, tea, and shrimp production, (b) demographic pressure in agriculture, (c) economic development, and (d) expansion of crop lands—as causes of deforestation. The statistical test supports the hypotheses that the exploitation of forests for timber, fuelwood, tea and shrimp production, and conversion of forests to crop lands have a negative influence on forest cover. Economic development and demographic pressure in agriculture are also negatively correlated with forest cover. Results of regression analysis show the conversion of forests to agricultural land is the most important cause of deforestation. Other important causes, in order of their relative importance, are the relative price of forest products, population growth, economic development, demographic pressure in agriculture, increasing production of shrimps, export of tea and shrimps, increasing production of timber and fuelwood, and expansion of tea lands. The statistical tests support the above relationships.