NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Vikasa initiated its work in Vontimamidipalem with wasteland development activity. The plantations were raised as agro forestry models in this village on 15 acres as a pilot program with funds provided by the Chairman of Vikasa before 1990 floods, relief and rehabilitation work was taken up by Vikasa in Chodavaram and Madugula Mandals, removing sand casts from the flooded fields. The successful operations helped in spreading the program to twenty tribal hamlets in two panchayats namely Avuruwada and Jalampalli with the support of OXFAM-INDIA TRUST. The program was implemented on food for work basis providing 50 kilos of rice to each participating family per acre of land developed. People of these villages were used to practice "PODU" cultivation (Shifting Cultivation) on both reserve forestlands and revenue wastelands, besides smuggling of bamboo and fuel-wood head loading. Even these activities are not sufficient for them to make both ends meet. Agriculture in this region is rain fed and the yields are very low, due to high erosion of soil by wind and rain. The situation leads to the successful entry of exploitative moneylenders. However, Vikasa's intervention brought about a sea change, turning the PODU patch into cashew gardens. People started earning money from the fourth and fifth years and the green cover improved on the barren lands. All the people abandoned PODU cultivation.

This brought about a good change and paved way for the introduction of Joint Forest Management (JFM) in nine out of the 20 hamlets mentioned above.
Role of VIKASA in JFM

In 1993, a network called the "Eastern Ghats Initiative" (EGI) was formed by grouping several grass root level NGO's working with tribal communities living in the forest fringe areas of Khammam, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts. This work is being carried out with the financial and technical assistance of Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development (SPWD), New Delhi. In the beginning, several Workshops and Training camps were conducted to create awareness among fellowship holders of EGI Program and participant community members by some leading NGO’s in the four districts. Vikasa is one such organization selected to play the role of nodal agency in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. The role of Vikasa as nodal agency was to coordinate the work being carried out by other NGOs within the group and submit periodic reports to SPWD. Vikasa as Nodal Agency hosted two half yearly workshops on Eastern Ghats on JFM in December 1995 and in July 1997. Several Training Programs were also conducted for the fellowship holders and Vana Samrakshana Samiti (VSS means Forest Protection Committee) members on capacity building, Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) collection, Preservation and marketing, Savings and Credit Etc.

Vikasa got involved in the implementation of JFM program in villages with the formation of nine VSSs in nine tribal hamlets of Avuruwada Panchayat (Village Administration) of Madugula Mandal in Visakhapatnam District. Sri Samalamma VSS, under the auspices of Vikasa was started in Tiruvada village in 1994. This was the beginning of series of nine VSSs formed under JFM up till 1998. These are the villages where traditional forest boundaries exist with other VSSs. These villages are on foothills of Eastern Ghats and most of the inhabitants are tribals belonging to Manya Dora, Konda Dora, Gadaba, Bhagata and Konda Reddy communities. All the nine VSSs are a part of Avuruwada Panchayat and had common boundaries with one another with a common path leading to forestland. To restrict the rampant illegal Bamboo felling and smuggling of timber, Vikasa initiated dialogue with Avuruvada hamlet to initiate VSS, as this hamlet lies next to the common approach road to reserve forest. Formation of a VSS in Avuruvada paved the way to convince the other eight hamlets to follow suit for effective protection of forest.

This process started with motivation of people on all aspects of JFM. Though people were reluctant in the beginning, because of the fear that Forest Department may reclaim their authority over the forest but after some time people agreed to form VSS. The implementation of community development works and forestry works worked as incentive for villagers, for the formation of VSS.


The livelihoods of the people of these villages depend on forests in many ways. They used to collect fuel wood, bamboo and timber from the forest and sell in the near by villages and towns. There are a significant number of non-tribals who used to smuggle bamboo and sell it to the basket makers, whose livelihoods have also been adversely affected by the formation of VSSs. The forests in this region range form open scrub jungles in the plain to a high density of moist deciduous forests in the uplands.

The NTFP available in this region are marking nuts, myrobalons, soap nuts, amla and tamarind. Considerable amount of bamboo is also available in certain patches of forest area.

The practice of PODU was also common to all the villages. There was significant reduction in the practice ever since Vikasa started promoting land based programs like agro forestry and wastelands development with the introduction of JFM. All the villagers abandoned PODU cultivation. Rehabilitation of PODU cultivators is easier in the foothills rather than in the uplands. This is because it is possible to find alternative sources of livelihood in the foothills.

Network of Vana Samrakshana Samithis:

Vikasa promoted the formation of a federation of nine VSSs, which was extended to forest range levels. This work is being carried out in order to bring about more cooperation and unity among VSS members. This will help the members voice their concerns on issues relating to JFM.

Protection:

Protection of forests in VSS areas is satisfactory in most of the VSS, but there is a great amount of pressure from nearby villagers for bamboo. There are number of artisans, directly dependent on the forest patch prepared by nine VSSs. Despite the good effort of all the VSSs, the pressure on the forest patch is tremendous from these dependent families. A permanent solution of the problem through constant dialogue between villagers is urgently required. Finding market for Bamboo will solve the protection and management problems of VSSs and for this, forest department must come forward to work out necessary linkages.

Future:

Sustainability of community management of forest is a daunting task. A high degree of commitment is required form planners, NGOs and of course, VSS members to safeguard the forest which are under severe threat from smugglers, poachers, land grabbers, bureaucrats, and urban rich. Vikasa had its own plans and vision to see the community management of natural resources sustain.

To begin with, Vikasa had started a cooperative exclusively for VSS members and tribals. Linking up of Cooperative with VSS would be one of the immediate answers to sustain efforts. Thrift and credit activity and linking marketing activity of agriculture and forest produce in future is also envisaged. Success of this activity will go a long way in protecting and sustaining, both community involvement and forest.

Statistical Achievements:

- Formation of Nine VSSs
- Protection of 1200 ha. Of (reserve) regenerating natural forest
- Conservation of 400 ha of degraded forest with soil and moisture conservation works and plantation of forest species of people's choice.
- Involvement of 400 families in the process
- Formation of an informal group consisting nine VSSs, to bring about unity among VSS members
- Construction of community halls in four VSSs villages, spending approximately Rs. 70000/- for the construction of each community hall
- Renovation of village tanks in two VSS villages spending approximately Rs. 30000/- on each work
- Lift irrigation of one VSS village spending approximately Rs. 25000/-
- Repairs to check dams in two VSS villages
- Approach road to Avuruvada village spending Rs. 60000/- and construction of a culvert spending Rs. 45000/- approximately
Involvement of 300 families of VSS members to nine VSS villages in MACTS saving approximately Rs. 100000 so far (updated information to come soon)