Tools for reaching forest dependent poor in three states in India
Modelling research-policy linkages, locating the poor and assessing cumulative regulation
impact on the forest dependent poor in India

Background

India’s poor are disproportionately rural. They often reside in and around forests. In such areas they depend on forests for their livelihood to a significant extent. Forestlands are an important source of food and raw materials for subsistence and sale, especially at the time of crop failure and thus an important safety net of the last resort for the poor. In such a scenario, the nature of the forest-people interaction plays a significant role in determining the quality of life of all citizens but especially the forest dependent poor. The condition of forests is also significantly influenced by this interaction. Understanding this interaction can therefore be an important element in sustaining forests and the forest dependent people.

Several factors influence the condition of forests, the quality of life of people living in and around forests and the interaction between forests and people. These include:

• Bio-physical conditions
• Population levels and livelihood options
• Forest sector policy and regulation for livelihoods of forest fringe dwellers and sustainable management of forests.
• Property rights
• Public investment in participatory forestry.
• Other public investments and infrastructure
• Private investments and infrastructure
• Access to and impact of markets
• Local institutions
• Impact of other sectoral policy, regulation, and investment.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to improve the understanding of the interaction between forests and people, to better target public investment and analyse regulation that affect the forest and forest-fringe dwellers in India. This purpose will be achieved by developing and testing simple tools and techniques for (a) multi-scale forest-poverty mapping that helps locate the forest poor, (b) assessing cumulative regulatory impact of participatory forestry on the forest and forest-fringe dwellers via a policy plot, and (c) characterizing participatory forest research-policy-implementation linkages.

This action-research project will be implemented in three states - Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa.

Research questions

Essentially we will address the following research questions.

1.What are the set of indicators for identifying the pockets of poverty in forest areas, at different scales, so that funds for PFM and other rural development schemes are effectively targeted for poverty alleviation?

2.What are the cumulative regulatory impacts of forestry regulations on the forest dependent poor? Are there easy opportunities for deregulation that can unlock market opportunities for the poor?

3.Is there a linkage between ongoing research in PFM, concerns of policy makers and field implementers including forest department, forest communities and others? What are the ways to improve this linkage?

Tools for reaching forest dependent poor in three states in India