Short description of the best practice

Villagers identified the land for work and set up management systems. Then they contacted the Forest Department to get their help for the plan. The villagers were involved with physical work, such as fencing, pit digging, trench, boundary wall and plantation work. plantation of local species raised.|

Location

Village Sagatadi, Panchyat Bori, Tehsil Girwa, District Udaipur|

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

79.0

Estimated population living in the location:

356.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

The average rainfall recorded during the rainy season is 550 mm. During May and June months, the temperature was recorded at 45o C and in winter the temperature at night was at a minimum 8o C|
The land is mostly rocky and at some places contain mixture of clay. Top soil layer is 3 to 7 inch, which is also not uniform at all the places. On less undulating places  surface area soil layer is 1 to 6 feet. Higher altitudes covered with grasses & low lying parts having sparse vegetative cover|
Area is hilly. Outcrop Rocks can be observed on slopes. Scanty vegetation is found along drainage lines. General slope of the area is moderate

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

Main Income source is agriculture supplemented by animal husbandry. Wage labour is also an important source of income for some of the families.
More than 50 per cent families are Below Poverty Line (BPL). Their income is between Rs 10 – 12,000.00 per year per family. Besides, other families have earned 20 – 25,000.00 Rs per year per family|
Average land holding of the families varies between 0.5 to 1.5 hectares. More than 50 per cent area of the village is ether defacto or dejure common. The intervention area is common land for grazing purposes

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

Consensus evolved during the National Consultation process.

Main problems addressed by the best practice

Due to ignorance at the community level, uncontrolled grazing and tree felling has accelerated the degradation of the area. |The access and use related conflicts further aggravated the resource exploitation problems.|Lack of any management system for these resources also contributed to the degradation of the area. |Reduction in vegetative cover, increased soil erosion and less production

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

Encroachment and degradation of village common lands- particularly grazing lands

Specify the objectives of the best practice

To evolve system for management of village resources|To increase productivity of land and also increase fodder availability|To set up arrangements for maintenance and sustainability of the area

Brief description of main activities, by objective

Developed pasture land in 79 hectares. At the foot of hillsides, water harvesting system has also been created.|Resolved community and inter-village conflict by using revenue land records and clearing the rights/ownership
Helped community to liason with Forest Department for physical activity work
Prepared community for self management on their resources

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

Sensitization of local community about common resources, their roles & responsibilities. Construction of protection wall to address encroachment, participatory planning for soil & water conservation and regeneration of biomass. Conflict resolution, equity and benefit sharing are ensured. |

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

Praytna Samiti|At Post Gudli, Via Bombora, Tehsil Girwa, Udaipur - 313 706 India

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

Prayatna Samiti|Villagers

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• Local initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

Local community|Forest Department|Society for Wasteland Development|Revenue Department

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

Forest department- plantation and physical work to the community; Local community- implementation & facilitation; SPWD constructed a water harvesting structure on the intervened area; Revenue Department provided land records for conflict resolution among three villages

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Consultation
• Participatory approaches

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

People's interest in animal husbandry increased and milk availability also increased.
• When the work starts, the production level is nothing or minimum. After one year when the land produced fodder, people got 2000 pullas of grass fodder during the first time. In 1997, after 3 years, the community got 9480 pullas. Currently they have been able to get 24,000 pullas yearly. |
Reduced Soil erosion and land productivity increased; Tree Canopy area increased.
People saved money, which they have spent on the fodder. Each family saved almost Rs 1000.00 per year. |
Run off is stopped and protection of top soil layer; Degraded land became cultivated.
Before, the land which is degraded, has now become available or converted for pastureland. This has helped reduce soil erosion and increase the number of trees|

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

Ten villages learned them for pastureland development and about 570 hectares of ten villages’ land have also been treated.
Dispute around three adjoining boundaries of villages were resolved ;Pastureland development activity increased in the adjoining three villages

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

• Peoples do not cut trees during lopping, natural regeneration continues.
• Water conservation is increased in land and mountain during the rainfall.
• Moisture retention is maintained for a long time in the land.
• Moisture retention increased in the soil.
• Evaporation becomes less through biomass.  
• Heat of rock is reduced.
• Birds provided place for stay.
• Reduced Soil erosion.
• Layer of soil has increased and plantation in the area.
• Productivity of land is increased.

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Yes

Specify:

• Per family investment of Rs.200 per year.
• Per family benefited with 600 Kg fodder per year, which is Rs 2400.00. Thus, total area of fodder in Rs 2400.00 (Per family)
• Other side, goat lopping facilities is also provided. 50 per cent families having a goat in the HH. Yearly they have benefits |

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Yes

Where?

Girwa block of Udaipur District

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

Active participation of villagers and highly motivated stakeholders; Benefited villages which organized into a unit; Equal participation and execution in management.
Extremely favourable weather conditions
Community monitoring and financial management system is well delivered.

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?

• Local
• Sub-national

Related to human resources

Through united efforts from the stakeholders, any task can be accomplished. Equal opportunity and equal participation in decision making should be ensured while undertaking the tasks.
|As the productivity of the land increases, stakeholder participation increases; positive association of stakeholders, thus, ensures sustainability.

Related to financial aspects

By better practices of our community resources, we can get more production in minimum expenditure and its regular.  And whole community get benefited from profit or production. |

Related to technical aspects

Through regeneration activity we can preserve and promote our resources. |Management gives to community hand, we should give outer support. And play a role at the one limit.