Address
Jones Street, New York, USA
Watershed
Forest and Watershed Restoration
Restoring the upstream forest and riverbank buffer that regulates flooding and filters water flowing into the haor wetlands, watershed by watershed.
Impact at a Glance
25km
Riverbank Replanted
6
Watersheds
30K+
Trees Established
6
Years Running
Overview
The haor wetlands of Sylhet depend on a delicate seasonal balance of upstream forest cover and riverbank vegetation to regulate flooding and filter water flowing into the basin — a balance that decades of upstream deforestation and unregulated riverbank grazing had steadily broken down. This project restores that protective buffer, watershed by watershed.
Our Approach
Work focuses on two fronts simultaneously: replanting native riparian tree species along degraded riverbanks to stabilize soil and filter runoff, and working with upstream communities to fence livestock away from newly planted zones during the critical first three growing seasons. Community watershed committees, formed in each of the six target watersheds, now monitor riverbank condition and coordinate planting schedules across the basin.
Impact So Far
Water clarity testing at monitoring points downstream of the earliest restoration zones shows measurably reduced sediment load compared to unrestored comparison sites, and dry-season river flow in two of the six watersheds has stabilized enough to extend the local irrigation window by several weeks.
Outcomes
- 25 kilometers of riverbank replanted with native riparian species
- 6 watershed committees now coordinating basin-wide protection
- 30,000+ trees established along critical riverbank corridors
- Measurable reduction in downstream sediment load at monitoring sites
Support This Project
Every restored hectare, every trained household, every seed bank in this journal is made possible by people and volunteers who believe in the work.
