Joint forest management (Índia)

Descrição

Government and NGO supported community protection of forested catchments, through village-based Hill Resource Management Societies.

Aims / objectives: Joint forest management (JFM) in India emerged in the 1980s from community initiatives in forest protection. At that time, less than half of the official forest land had good tree cover. Forest protection groups took action, based on 'social fencing' of degraded forest land. JFM was adopted by support agencies - NGOs and Government (State Forest Department) - when its full potential was realised. It is an approach that leads to environmental and production benefits through community co-operation in natural resource management. State-supported JFM in Haryana began on a pilot basis in Sukhomajri village in 1976, and has built on the success of that initiative, spreading to a total of nearly 200 km2, covering 60 villages in Ambala and Yamunagar Districts. The National Joint Forest Management Resolution of 1990 supported the rights of forest communities country-wide. In the same year, the Haryana State Government signed an agreement with The Energy and Resources Institute (formerly TERI: Tata Energy Research Institute) - underpinned by financial support from the Ford Foundation - to help establish Hill Resource Management Societies (HRMS). These state-sponsored, village level societies are key to the success of JFM, and their links to the State Forest Department are crucial.

Methods: The founding principles of HRMS include appropriate social composition, accountability and conflict resolution. They are open to all members of the village communities - regardless of gender or caste - who pay membership fees, and are then officially registered. Management committees are elected, and each must include at least two women. The HRMS oversee forest catchment management activities by villagers, arrange distribution of irrigation water (where applicable) and liase with the State Forest Department and TERI. Hill Resource Management Societies derive income from non-timber forest products - particularly from sales of bhabbar grass (used for rope making) - and from water use charges. This income is managed by the HRMS and used for village development and community welfare. The HRMS plan activities together with the State Forest Department. Under the guidance of the HRMS, communities provide labour (for physical works in the catchment etc), which is partly paid, implement social fencing and share the multiple benefits. Where there is a water harvesting dam all members have the right to claim an equal share of the water, irrespective of whether they have land to irrigate or not.

Localização

Localização: Haryana State, Ambala amd Yamunanagar Districts, Índia

Geo-referência de locais selecionados
  • 76.839, 30.338

Data de início: 1976

Ano de término: n.a.

Tipo de abordagem

Objetivos de aproximação e ambiente propício

Principais metas / objetivos da abordagem
The Approach focused mainly on other activities than SLM (Forest conservation/ Livelihood enhancement/ institution building)

- develop democratic and powerful Hill Resource Management Societies. - protect the forest land, by means of local participatory governance, and thereby improve the flow of forest products. - boost agricultural productivity through irrigation in village fields from dams in the protected catchments

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: - the main basic problem to be confronted was lack of control over the degradation of forest in the Shiwalik Hills which was leading to erosion and siltation of water bodies, and a lack of forest products/grazing. - there was no community organisation established to address these issues on land that was handed over to the village for management by the Forest Department. Clear felling for agriculture, increasing grazing pressure from large herds of cattle coupled with forest fires and reckless felling replaced the dense forests of Shiwaliks by bare hils with thorny bushes. The result was severe erosion on the hills (700T7ha/year) causing serious siltation in lakes/rivers and also affecting agricultural productivity, the primary source of livelihood of the area.
Condições que permitem a implementação da Tecnologia(s) aplicada(s) sob a Abordagem
Condições que dificultam a implementação da Tecnologia(s) aplicada(s) sob a Abordagem
  • Normas e valores sociais/culturais/religiosos: Lack of local institution for natural resource management. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Set up Hill Resource Management Societies.
  • Disponibilidade/acesso a recursos e serviços financeiros: Inadequate budget from Forest Department for implementation. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Water charges help to provide finance - but the State Government should assist more.
  • Quadro jurídico (posse de terra, direitos de uso da terra e da água): The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights hindered a little the approach implementation Ownership rights affected the approach to a great extent and in a positive way: user rights to forest land are made available equally to all, to reduce potential conflict between unequal 'land owners'.
  • Conhecimento sobre GST, acesso a suporte técnico: Inadequate appreciation/understanding of integrated soil and water conservation/production approach within Forest Department. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Build awareness in Forest Department.

Participação e papel das partes interessadas envolvidas

Partes interessadas envolvidas na abordagem e seus papéis
Que partes interessadas/órgãos de implementação estavam envolvidos na abordagem? Especifique as partes interessadas Descreva o papel das partes interessadas
Usuários de terra/comunidades locais Forest dependent families, users of irrigated land Hill Resource Management Society was formed. There were moderate differences due to social and cultural practices. Women are active in only a few Hill Resource Management Societies, but at least two women must be on each management committee. Although at least one woman from each household is a member of HRMS, presence of women in meetings is found very thin. However, there are few HRMS where women are active.Each family of a village is eligible to become the member of the HRMS irrespective of their caste or economic status. The Executive Committee, who is responsible for the day-to-day functioning also consists of representatives of each caste/hamlets and from landless families (if any in the village). All decisions are taken in the meeting in presence of minimum1/3 of the members.
Especialistas em GST/ consultor agrícola
Organização não governamental From 1990, TERI as facilitator. Ford foundation provided financial support to TERI from 1990
Governo nacional (planejadores, responsáveis pelas decisões) Between 1976 and 1990. Haryana forest department, central soil and water conservation institute
Agência líder
The Haryana Forest Department and the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRT) of Chandigarh in cooperation with people of Sukhomajri village designed the approach in the beginning. TERI, an NGO has played a role in replicating the approach in other areas (more detail in Annexure).
Envolvimento do usuários de terra/comunidades locais nas diferentes fases da abordagem
Nenhum
Passivo
Apoio externo
Participativo
Automobilização
Iniciação/motivação
x
Mainly:public meetings; partly: rapid/participatory rural appraisal
Planejamento
x
Mainly: rapid/participatory rural appraisal; partly: public meetings; Users have been involved in the preparation of 'Microplan' through PRA.
Implementação
x
Mainly: responsibility for major steps; partly: casual labour; taking responsibility for organisation of casual labour Users have been providing 'social fencing' whereby they stopped taking livestock inside the forests and undertaken other regulatory measures for utilizing forests in a sustainable
Monitoramento/avaliação
x
Mainly: public meetings; partly: interviews/questionnaires; Users participated in vegetation surveys with the forest dept. And TERI to monitor the forest regeneration status. In case of institutional and socio-economic monitoring users were involved in group discussions and as key informant's interv
Research
x
Land users have tried improved variety of seeds on the land. Provided information/judgement in social science research.
Fluxograma

PCCF: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests CF: Conservator of Forests DFO: Divisional Forest Officer RFO: Range Forest Officer HRMS: Hill Resources Management Societies Dy. RO(s): Deputy Range Offic

Tomada de decisão sobre a seleção da Tecnologia GST

As decisões foram tomadas por

  • Somente usuários da terra (iniciativa própria)
  • Principalmente usuários da terra, apoiados por especialistas em GST
  • todos os atores relevantes, como parte de uma abordagem participativa
  • Principalmente especialistas em GST, após consulta com usuários da terra
  • Somente especialistas em GST
  • Políticos/líderes

As decisões foram tomadas com base em

  • Avaliação de conhecimento bem documentado de GST (tomada de decisão baseada em evidências)
  • Resultados de pesquisa
  • Experiência pessoal e opiniões (não documentado)

Suporte técnico, reforço das capacidades e gestão do conhecimento

As seguintes atividades ou serviços têm sido parte da abordagem
Reforço das capacidades/formação
Foi fornecido treinamento às seguintes partes interessadas
  • Usuários de terra
  • Equipe de campo/consultores
  • forest dept. Staff (2), politicians/decision makers (3)
Tipo de formação
  • Em exercício
  • Agricultor para agricultor
  • Áreas de demonstração
  • Reuniões públicas
  • Cursos
Assuntos abordados

Training given to land users by the Forest Dept in conjunction with TERI on water harvesting structures and their maintenance. There are also workshops and meetings to evolve and maintain water distribution system. Technical information about water harvesting structures and ist maintenance. Workshops and meetings were also held to evolve the distrinution system. A manual has been prepared by TERI

Serviço de consultoria
Foi prestado um serviço de consultoria
  • nas áreas dos usuários da terra
  • Em centros permanentes
Name of method used for advisory service: Formal training to selected group/Group discussion; 1) Advisory service was carried out through: non-governmental agency, Staff of TERI 2) Target groups for extension: land users; Activities: maintenance of SWC structures/management of water distribution/record keeping/management of funds

Advisory service is inadequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; Extension, through the Forest Department???s agents, covering forest management and irrigation is given to certain groups amongst the HRMS, but is not yet adequate. More is required from Government.
Fortalecimento institucional
As instituições foram fortalecidas / estabelecidas
  • Não
  • Sim, pouco
  • Sim, moderadamente
  • Sim, significativamente
no seguinte nível
  • Local
  • Regional
  • Nacional
Descreva instituição, papéis e responsabilidades, membros, etc.
Tipo de apoio
  • Financeiro
  • Reforço das capacidades/ formação
  • Equipamento
Mais detalhes
Monitoramento e avaliação
bio-physical aspects were ad hoc monitored through measurements; indicators: change in vegetation technical aspects were regular monitored through measurements; indicators: erosion status/siltation of water bodies socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored through observations; indicators: level of participation economic / production aspects were regular monitored through observations; indicators: change in income area treated aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored through observations management of Approach aspects were regular monitored through observations There were several changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Internal reviews are carried out every one or two years: there have been several changes proposed and carried out as a result. These changes were in aspects of sharing water irrigation, and in methods of utilising income derived from forest products - especially bhabbar grass (Eulaliopsis binata).
Pesquisa
As pesquisas trataram dos seguintes tópicos
  • Sociologia
  • Economia/Marketing
  • Ecologia
  • Tecnologia

Research is carried out by TERI, and covers various aspects (including both technical and social issues). Results are published in handbooks as well as having been compiled in 'The Decade and Beyond' (see references).

Research was carried out on-farm

Financiamento e apoio material externo

Orçamento anual em USD para o componente GST
  • < 2.000
  • 2.000-10.000
  • 10.000-100.000
  • 100.000-1.000.000
  • > 1.000.000
Precise annual budget: n.a.
Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (national): 25.0%; international non-government (-): 50.0%; local community / land user(s) (-): 25.0%
Os seguintes serviços ou incentivos foram fornecidos aos usuários de terras
  • Apoio financeiro/material concedido aos usuários da terra
  • Subsídios para insumos específicos
  • Crédito
  • Outros incentivos ou instrumentos
Apoio financeiro/material concedido aos usuários da terra
Parcialmente financiado
Totalmente financiado
Equipamento: Maquinário

bulldozers are used to construct dams etc

x
Equipamento: Maquinário: Ferramentas

x
Buildings

x

A mão-de-obra dos usuários da terra foi

Análise de impactos e declarações finais

Impactos da abordagem
Não
Sim, pouco
Sim, moderadamente
Sim, significativamente
A abordagem auxiliou os usuários da terra a implementar e manter as tecnologias de GST?

There has been a huge improvement in soil and water management - the forest canopy and its understorey have been restored with all associated benefits. Additionally, in fields below the forest area, levelling of land for irrigation reduces its vulnerability to erosion.

x
A abordagem melhorou as questões de posse de terra/diretos do usuário que inibiam a implementação das tecnologias de GST?

As it is not in his own land, initially land owners did not own it. However, with time, they realised this helps them utilizing their lands in a far better way.

x
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

The original experiment in Sukhomajri has been replicated in 60 other villages within Ambala and Yamunagar Districts - and further afield in Haryana and India generally.

x
Principal motivação dos usuários da terra para implementar a GST
Atividades de sustentabilidade de abordagem
Os usuários da terra podem sustentar o que foi implementado através da Abordagem (sem apoio externo)?

Land users can continue to maintain what infrastructure has been put in place (dams, irrigation pipelines etc) but technical guidance is required - and at least some budget from the Forestry Department. In terms of managing the forest resources itself, the existence of the HRMS should ensure that this will continue. However, land users might need technical guidance from specialist on maintenance.

Conclusões e experiências adquiridas

Pontos fortes: visão do usuário de terra
Pontos fortes: a visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada
  • Opportunity to earn more from livestock (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Better access to market, and thus value addition, needed.)
  • Opportunity to earn more from agriculture through irrigation (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Better access to improved seed and technology required.)
  • Equitable access to benefits (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: New rules and by-laws needed to sustain this.)
  • Integrated approach of natural resource regeneration (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Policy required for encouraging interdepartmental development activities.)
  • Emphasis on training and managerial capacity building (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue emphasis on/targeting of women.)
  • Cost-effective rehabilitation technologies (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Build more capacity amongst land users to implement and manage sustainably.)
  • Creation of strong people's self-help institutions the Hill Resource Management Societies (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Create more awareness among women.)
  • The creation and efficient operation of Hill Resource Management Societies (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continued outside support for HRMS required.)
Pontos fracos/desvantagens/riscos: visão do usuário de terracomo superar
Pontos fracos/desvantagens/riscos: a visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitadacomo superar
  • Sustainability of SWC is dependent on regular maintenance Increased budgetary allocation through Forest Department required.
  • Weak market linkage Strengthen market linkages for agricultural, livestock and forest products.
  • Moderate participation of women Build better awareness among women.
  • Lack of credit for investment in agriculture and business Popularise micro-credit concept under women???s self-help groups.
  • Lack of opportunity/knowledge for value addition to forest products Training programmes for micro-enterprise development are needed.
  • Average level of literacy Emphasis on literacy drive and continuous emphasis on cpacity building

Referências

Compilador/a
  • Sumana Datta
Editores
Revisor
  • Fabian Ottiger
  • Deborah Niggli
Data da documentação: 20 de Janeiro de 2009
Última atualização: 4 de Abril de 2018
Pessoas capacitadas
Descrição completa no banco de dados do WOCAT
Dados GST vinculados
A documentação foi facilitada por
Instituição Projeto
Referências-chave
  • Singh TP and Varalakshmi V (1998) The decade and beyond: evolving community and state partnership. The Energy and Resources:
  • Varalakshmi V, Hegde ravi, Singh TP. Trends in institutional evolution at the grassroots - A case from the Joint Forest Management Programme, Haryana, India. International journal of sustainable development and world ecology, Sept. 1999:
  • Singh TP&Datta Sumana(2000) Institutional design for small irrigation system (a case study from JFM area in Haryana) presented in the all India seminar on Environmental and social issues in water resources Development on June 5&6,2000 in Lucknow,UP organized by the Institute of engi:
  • Datta s, Varalakshmi V. Decentralisation: an effective method of financial management at grassroots (evidence from India) in sustainable development. Vol7No3,August 1999. pp113-120:
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