Poverty Alleviation and Forest Conservation- A Case Study

1. Poverty Alleviation and Forest Conservation- A Case Study MCT Phase IV Dehradun Date:25.06.2013 Rajive Kumar, Project Director, Uttar Pradesh Participatory Forest Management and Poverty Alleviation Project

2. Issues about Poverty and Forest Conservation • The rural poor often depend on forests for a wide range of natural resources and ecosystem services essential for their well-being, and are therefore potentially affected by its degradation. • Against this backdrop, conservationists, development practitioners and policy makers often have differing opinions on how—and whether—to link forest conservation with poverty reduction.

3. Despite the promises of conservationists that they can deliver green sustainable development, around the world extreme rural poverty continues to show a disturbing correlation with the richest forests. • Natural riches, however well protected, do not translate into better lives for the most vulnerable. Indeed, often those who live closest to nature seem to gain the least from its protection. Indeed, the linkages between forest and poverty are much more complex and dynamic that often assumed.

4. Exploring potential of forests • Forest largely viewed as natural capital but they also add to • Financial Capital: Income from forest • Human Capital: Improved food security, agriculture. • Social Wellbeing: • Forest provide non material goods that contribute to livelihood by enhancing social and human capital. • Forestry initiatives that support • access to resources, • participatory decision making and • equity assist in increasing well-being specially that of the poor

5. Exploring potential of forests • More than 1.6 billion people in the world depend to varying degrees on forests for their livelihoods. • Worldwide, forest industries provide employment for 60 million people. • Some one billion people depend on drugs derived from forest plants for their medicinal needs (World Bank, 2001) • Fuel wood continues to be vital for many poor producers and consumers. • Bulk of rural households in developing countries use firewood as domestic source of energy. • Firewood markets share important pro-poor features with other NTFPs.

6. Exploring potential of forests • Of the 68 million tribal population of India, 50% still depend on the forest resources for various livelihood requirements viz., food, fodder, medicine, small timber and variety of other NTFPs (Bhattacharya and Hayat, 2004) • In India, over half of its forest revenues and about 70% of export income is contributed by NTFP (Shekharet al., 1993) • The enterprise supports about 10 million people in the cottage industry of rolling the final product. • NTFP collection accounts for 1063 million person-days (2.9 million persons years) of employment in India

7. Exploring potential of forests • Among the Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs), tendu leaves (leaves of DiospyrosMelanoxylon) used as wrapper for making bidis(country cigarettes) are the most important. • The importance of forest product income is usually more in the way it fills gaps and complements other income, than in its absolute magnitude or share of overall household income (Byron and Arnold, 1999) • Thus forest has large potentials for livelihood. • Forest has also large potential for gainful employment.

8. The greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is poverty George Bernard Shaw

9. Poverty scenario in India – Poverty is more than just being economically weak or having a low income. It involves broader deprivation of well-being and quality of life, including social isolation and powerlessness. - Narayan et al., 2000; Sunderlin et al., 2005

10. Link between Forest and Poverty • The state of forests is actually as much as threatened by wealth as by poverty. • Poverty is a cause of forest loss. • Forest loss contributes to maintain or even increase poverty. • This implies that economic development and poverty reduction should help to improve forest condition, and • Development of forest resources and improvement in forest conditions can be an important vehicle for poverty reduction.

11. Link between Forest and Poverty • People dependent on forest for their livelihood : Around 350-400 million • No. of villages located in and around forest : 1.73 Lakhs • About 40% of poor people of India live in forest fringe villages. • Strong correlation between the tribal concentrated areas, forest and poverty.

12. How to Link Conservation With Poverty Alleviation • Forest management together with poverty alleviation programmes. • Involve communities in decision making. • Livelihood Security Enhancement and Income Generating Activities. • Conservation strategies must be linked with livelihood. • Issue of benefit sharing. • Non forestry Income generating activities should be promoted. With this in background we have a JICA assisted project in UP.

13. A brief on Uttar Pradesh Participatory Forest Management and Poverty Alleviation Project

14. FORESTS ON THE ROAD MAP OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE Enhancement of forest and tree cover from existing 9.26% of the State’s geographical area to 20% by the year 2019-20 would not only fullfil an obligation emanated from National Forest Policy but also provide a launching pad for the development of the State in terms of production of renewable resources in shape of timber, NWFP; employment generation, equity, social justice ,sustained supply to industries like paper and pulp wood and other timber based industries. The enhancement in tree cover and improvement of forest would also help the State in contributing to nullify ill effects of climate change by providing the tree cover as a sink against the noxious pollutants.

15. Logo of the project

16. Project area 16

17. Project Goals Participatory rehabilitation and management of degraded forests. Enhancement of livelihood of local people 17

18. Project Objectives To restore degraded forest and to augment forest resources. To secure sustainable forest management by improving Forest administration, Community organization and other stake holders. To conserve and better manage the wild life. To improve the income of target forest dependents and their livelihood options.

19. There are four approaches to be followed to achieve the project goals: • Participatory forest management by JFMC/ EDC together with UPFD formulating micro-plans; • More emphasis on NWFP and fodder grasses and establishing benefit-sharing mechanism to support livelihoods and incomes • Focus on village-level micro-enterprises to be managed by JFMC/ EDC/ SHG; and • Capacity building Project Approach

20. Project Components Preparatory Work Institutional Arrangement Soil Survey Site Selection Demarcation, Survey & Mapping Preparation of Guidelines, Manuals & Handbook Supporting Comp. Main Component Supporting Comp. Forest Area Development (JFM Mode) Survey & Research Institutional Strengthening Forest Area Development (Non-JFM Mode) Capacity Building Of JFMC/EDC/SHG Communication & Publication Wildlife Conservation & Management Community Development & Livelihood Improvement Monitoring and Evaluation Phase-out/Phase-in Work Consulting Services

21. Institutional Arrangement for UP-PFMPAP EMPOWERED COMMITTEE Chairperson: Chief Secretary Finance Department Fund Through Budgetary allocation Advise PROJECT IMPLEMENTING Unit (PMU) (Autonomous registered society) Governing Body Chairperson: PS, Forests Vice Chairperson: PCCF Member Secretary: CPD Forest Department Project Management Consultant (PMC) Office of PCCF HEADQUARTER Chief Project Director: APCCF/ CCF As grants Oversight responsibility District Level Project Advisory Committee Resource Organisations Zonal Office [CCF] NGO Support Organisations Circle Office [CF] Divisional Management Unit (DMUs) Within DFO office Implementing organizations JFMCs EDCs Partner NGOs Field Management Units (FMUs) Within RO office SHGs

22. What make this Project different Micro-Planning Wetland Notification of the JFM area FOREST USER GROUP Forest Village Moderately Dense Forest Non-Natural Resource base Natural Resource base Dense Forest Forest Resource base (NWFP) JFMC SHG SHG Open/ degraded Forest SHG Forest Department SHG Participatory M&E (Social Audits) PARTNERSHIP

23. Project Cost Item 4 and 6 contributes around 45% of the total cost

24. Expected Benefit 74% share of NTFP and 12% share of IGAs by SHGs is expected

25. Key Actors at Implementation level Resource Orgs. NSO Partner NGO FMU Line Departments Gram Panchayat Community JFMC/ EDC Animator

26. JFMCs/ EDCs – How are they located?

27. JFMC/ EDC – emerging as Institutions • JFMCs are created under UP Village Forests Joint Management Rules, 2002that ensures • Notification of ‘village forest’ as defined in section 28 of Indian Forest Act, 1927 • Constitution of Forest User Group (FUG) • JFMC to sign agreement/ MOU with the UPFD to jointly manage the village forest • Perform functions and duties, and exercise powers as defined in JFM Rules of year 2002 • EDCs are created under resolution of Government of Uttar Pradesh made in year 1999

28. Additional Features under the project • Registration under Societies Act, 1860 • Notification of village forest (with site demarcation and erection of boundary pillars) and signing of MOU with UPFD • Allocation of forest land for plantation purpose having forest type in category of a)very dense forest, b)moderately dense, and c)open degraded and scrub forest • Nomination of Executives officers (President, Treasurer, Book keeper, Secretary) • Constitution of eight Working Groups • Membership fee collection on annual basis • Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as sub-group of FUG or forest-dependent family to be constituted for income generation

29. Expectations from JFM/ EDC • Now JFMC are expected to function as autonomous institutions, and as partner to the UPFD • However, eco-development has focus on sustainable management, development and utilization of forest & its resources.

30. Micro-plan under the project would have two dimensions: • Participatory Management of village forest under JFM 2002 Rules and MOD provisions • Community Development and Livelihood Improvement It is also important to know and connect Micro-Plan with Working Plan • Under which Working Circle notified “Village Forest” comes, and • What prescription is made by the Working Plan officer How Micro Plan is visualized in the project?

31. Thus, important elements of Micro-Plan are • Vision of JFMC/ EDC for next five-years and beyond as registered society • Plan to execute activitiesenvisaged under the project • Convergence and dove-tail plans (through District-level Advisory Committee - DLAC) • Activities for which funds are available under the project for project duration • Alternate source of fund to realize activities not supported by the project but needed and high on priority of the community • Exit Policy and fund mobilization strategy beyond project-life

32. How could Micro-Plan be evolved in this? Baseline of Village Forest – stocks/ resources Site demarcated and Base map 1:5000 scale (digital) Built capacities of JFMCs/ EDCs MICRO PLAN Baseline: Socio-economic - & resource utilization Research’s Inputs – Work norms & JFM / NWFP models Technical guidance & support by UPFD (under MOU)

33. FUG meeting in Bhujpur JFMC, Sumerpur, Hamirpur Seed showing in Village Forest area by FUG in village Sahira, Lalganj, Mirzapur

34. Is life possible without livelihood? What is there for livelihood in the project?

35. Definition of Livelihood • A livelihood comprises : • the capabilities, • assets (including both material and social resources) and • activities required for a means of living. • A livelihood is sustainable • when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and • maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in future,while not undermining the natural resource base. - Chambers and Conway, 1992

36. Income Generating Activities through SHGs Forest based /Natural Resource Based/ Non-Natural Resource Based IGA/ Micro-enterprise activities Formation and Funding of 2680 SHG/ Micro-Enterprise Marketing Research and Support by resource organizations (to identify, development of the product profile and non-destructive harvesting techniques, business plan and marketing strategies) 36

37. SHG Formation Internal saving and book keeping (Commonly known as Rotating Saving and Credit activities). Financial support of Rs. 1.1 lac (Rs 1 lac seed fund and Rs10000 as support fund to each SHG) Till date 1664 SHGs have been formed against 2680 and internal savings started. 579 SHGs have been funded by the Project till date. 37

38. IGA Training in Kanwa JFMC, FMU Babhni, Renukoot Demonstration of nursery technique of Satawar & Kalmegh Map of Dhauha village forest area, FMU Chunar, Mirzapur

39. Discussion on Business Plan with SHGs in Naugarh, Kashi by PMC team SHG grading in Sonah EDC, Dudhwa, Dudhwa

40. SHG members (Trainees) field visit to Udyamita Vikas Sansthan, Chitrakoot IGA Training in Kanwa JFMC, Babhni, Renukoot

41. Nursery done by Jai hind SHG under IGA; JFMC Baghnari, FMU Gurma, Kaimur Consensus Building in Village Khadiya, FMU Motipur, Katarniaghat

42. Lac culture Tasar

43. Resource Organizations' Details

44. Livelihood Security Enhancement • Also popularly known as Entry Point Activities. • Basically for the development of village. • More targeted for socio-economic weaker section of village. • More emphasis on JFMC building construction. • Other popular activities are tent house, handpumps, wells. • Support of Rs.1.80 lacs.

45. Solar light installed through Convergence, Musahidpur EDC, Chakiya, Kashi Construction of well (EPA), Goderkhurd JFMC, Patehra, Mirzapur

46. FUG listing on House wall, Kevatam JFMC, Ramgarh, Sonbhadra Production Kit distribution, Exposure visit at Renukoot Division

47. JFMC Office Building, Bihuni Khurd JFMC, Rath, Hamirpur

48. Benefit Sharing Timber, Bamboo and Tendu-patta Total sale proceeds Royalty by JFMC 50% Income 10% Income or one lakh Income =Sale Proceeds – (Actual Expenditure + Overhead expenses) Balance Income 50% Income Situation 3: In case of Bamboo only if UPFC opts out Situation 2: Large scale felling due to calamities Situation 1: Regular course JFMC JFMC JFMC UFPD UFPD UFPD

49. Benefit Sharing…2 100% Income 100% Income Income =Sale Proceeds – (Actual Expenditure + Overhead expenses) Token money Token money by JFMC NWFP other than Tendu-patta and Medicinal plants Medicinal Plants (Raw form) JFMC JFMC UFPD UFPD

50. Budgetary Flow • Budgetary flow to JFMC/ EDC would be strictly divided with establishing two different accounts in a JFMC/ EDC village – • JFMC Account (for forestry work) • Village Development Fund (VDF) (for village development work) • This has been created to avoid probable mixing-up of expenditure between forestry work and village development work. • Different sources and management/ utilization has been suggested to the two accounts