Hakaluki Haor is a large inland freshwater wetland complex covering approximately 19,200 hectares across Moulvibazar and parts of Sylhet districts in Sylhet Division, northeast Bangladesh. The site is the largest haor wetland in the region and consists of a dynamic network of more than 80 interconnected beels that expand into a single extensive lake during the monsoon season and contract substantially in the dry season. Its habitats include permanent and seasonal freshwater lakes, marshes and pools, shrub‑ and tree‑dominated wetlands, and seasonal rivers and streams. Hakaluki Haor supports internationally important congregations of migratory waterbirds, particularly migratory ducks, and regularly exceeds flyway population thresholds for species such as Ferruginous Duck, Fulvous Whistling‑duck, and Asian Openbill. The site is also notable for threatened species, including Baer’s Pochard, Common Pochard, Falcated Duck, and the breeding Pallas’s Fish Eagle. In recognition of its importance, Hakaluki Haor was designated as an East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership Flyway Network Site in 2011 and is managed as an Ecologically Critical Area.

 

Hakaluki Haor provides essential ecosystem services that underpin local livelihoods and food security, particularly through flood protection, inland fisheries, and dry‑season rice cultivation. It supports one of the largest inland fisheries in Bangladesh, but intensive fishing pressure, agricultural intensification, livestock grazing, altered water management, and settlement expansion have contributed to declining fish stocks and habitat degradation. Many households remain highly dependent on wetland resources and vulnerable to environmental degradation. Community‑based conservation efforts, including village conservation groups, already play a role in managing selected beels and enforcing wildlife protection. Strengthening co‑management structures, expanding fish and bird sanctuaries, restoring degraded wetland habitats, and building alternative livelihood options such as nature‑based tourism offer key opportunities to improve biodiversity conservation while enhancing livelihood resilience. Improved access, low‑intensity tourism infrastructure, and targeted capacity building can further support sustainable use and long‑term management of the Hakaluki Haor wetland system.