| Name of the project: |
Livelihoods and Landscape Approach for Improved Forest Management and Livelihood Enhancement in Mayurbhanj, Orissa |
Program Area: |
NRM |
Country: |
India |
Project Length: |
January 2009 – May 2011 |
| Sponsor: |
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |
Contact: |
nilanjan@winrockindia.org
|
Background
Over the last three years, WII has been working with local communities living around the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve in Mayurbhanj, Orissa with support from IUCN’s Livelihoods and Landscape Strategy (LLS) program. The project aims at benefiting the chronically poor tribal communities such as Santhals, Gonds and Bhuriyals residing around the Biosphere Reserve. Subsistence based rainfed agriculture is the main occupation of the tribals and cash income from the sale of Nontimber Forest Products (NTFP) constitutes 25-35% of the household income. However, a major portion of the NTFPs are sold to intermediaries and the returns to the primary collectors are low. The primary reason behind the low gains is due to their lack of access to information of markets as well as the ability to undertake only basic value addition. The Livelihoods and Landscape Strategy aims to deliver environment friendly, financially sustainable and socially equitable outcomes that promote productive landscapes. The India LLS initiative builds on the ongoing Joint Forest Management (JFM) program which was introduced by the Government of India in 1988 and effectively operationalized from 1990 onwards.
Objective
The LLS initiative represents a new way of thinking – from seeing nature in need to be protected from threats to promoting negotiated plans and actions for productive landscapes. The development and application of LLS goes beyond forest management and includes positive links with other sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, health and the private sector. LLS ultimately helps in facilitating the planning, negotiation and implementation of activities across a whole landscape that provides benefits to local people and other stakeholders whilst minimising degradation of environmental assets.
The major components of the LLS program in Mayurbhanj include: - Poverty reduction through sustainable utilization of forests for income generation by promoting community based NTFP enterprises as well as alternative livelihood options
- Strengthening market linkages and incentives by enhancing the capacity of local communities to enter into the marketing and management of NTFPs
- Improving governance by strengthening the capacity of community-based forest management institutions to negotiate for rights on natural resource management so as to enhance their roles in decision making and developing mechanisms that promote transparency and accountability in institutional functioning.
Activities
NTFP enterprise development and marketing: In an effort to increase the returns to the primary collectors from the sale of NTFPs, local JFM and community forest management (CFM) committees were mobilized which passed resolutions agreeing to aggregate NTFPs and undertake collective sale. This provides them with greater negotiating powers with local traders and is an initial step towards the formation of a cooperative of primary collectors through which NTFPs could eventually be marketed. This is supplemented by establishment of other enterprises as well. In the village of Bholaghati, a self help group (SHG) was provided access to credit to set up an oil extraction unit. This unit is now managed by the SHG which not just provides income to some but also saves the villagers from surrounding villages from travelling over 20 kilometres to a nearby town to have their Mahua, Kusum or Neem seeds crushed for its oil.
Leveraging and promoting convergence for overall increase in income: Considerable focus was accorded to the convergence of LLS activities with those of government line departments. For example, existing extension programs of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) were leveraged and training programs on vegetable cultivation and beekeeping were imparted to local communities. The forest department has also expressed its support, both financial and technical towards the LLS initiative in the area.
Institutional strengthening: Institutional strengthening remains a key focus of the initiative and is being promoted through capacity building activities as well as facilitating local decision making that are documented as village resolutions. The LLS intervention in this area is trying to “institutionalize” systems through a bottom up approach.
Upscaling, replication and mainstreaming LLS: Considerable effort has gone into upscaling, replicating and mainstreaming LLS at policy as well as the field level. A local organization was supported to access funds to replicate the LLS lessons in additional 60 villages in the area. Further, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, a training program for forest officers from various states on the landscape approach was organized. A learning group at the national level was also established to facilitate the process of mainstreaming the LLS concept into development planning. |
