Forests, people, and livelihood(A study on post-FRA scenario)
by Milind Thatte
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Contents
Background
Survey
Findings
Issues
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Background
FRA – a revolutionary step towards decentralised governance of forests
My involvement at grass-root level See http://vayamindia.wordpress.com
Perceptions of urban friends (environmentalists) and attitude of the Government administration
Need for understanding the impact of FRA
Need to orient the people towards decentralised governance and inclusive development
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Survey
Objective: ◦ to find out the awareness and perceptions of forest-
dwelling people about the Forest Rights Act and about forest
◦ to understand people’s perceptions about the availability of forest produce and livelihood options
Sample◦ 10 villages in MP (Khandwa & Burhanpur)
◦ 10 villages in Gujarat (Dangs)
◦ 11 villages in Maharashtra (Nandurbar)
Tools ◦ Semi-structured interviews & FGD
◦ Secondary information from EPW, NSSO, Census etc.
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Findings – I
about the implementation of FRA
How did people know about the Act?
Who helped in filing individual claims?
Who helped in filing community claims?
What does revenue department think of FRA?
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Who helped in filing claims?
Individual claims
Support in filing
individual claims
Number of villages
GJ MP MH
Gramsevak (GP
secretary)
0 3 0
GP members 2 0 0
FRC members 3 4 9
NGO 2 0 2
Political party 0 1 0
Forest Department 2 2 0
Tribal department 1 0 0
Total villages 10 10 11
Community claims
Support in filing
community claims
Number of villages
GJ MP MH
Gramsevak (GP
secretary)
0 3 0
GP members 1 0 0
FRC members 3 0 0
NGO 2 0 1
Political party 0 0 0
FD 0 0 0
Tribal department 0 0 0
Total 6 3 1
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Neglect of community rights
Gujarat MP Maharashtra
Number of villages filing individual claims 9 10 11
Number of villages filing community claims 6 3 1
Types of community claims Gujarat MP Maharashtra
Number of claims for public utilities 14 4 4
Number of claims for Nistar (use of NTFP) 10 1 0
Number of claims for IPR on biodiversity 1 0 0
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Findings – II
about availability of forest resources
Firewood availability GJ MP MH
High 6 1 1
Medium 2 4 2
Low 2 5 3
Very low 0 0 5
Total 10 10 11
Firewood – alarmingly
low
Timber extinct...
Fodder low in 6 villages
Findings about Chironji,
Mahua, BambooTimber availability GJ MP MH
High 2 0
Medium 0 1 2
Low 3 0 1
Very low 0 4 3
Extinct 0 3 5
8
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Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com
Findings – III
about livelihood securityWater for farming GJ MP MH
Villages with 50% or more HH having irrigation 0 0 0
Villages with 30 to 49% HH having irrigation 0 3 0
Villages with 15 to 29% HH having irrigation 2 5 1
Villages with less than 15% HH having irrigation 4 2 5
Villages with no HH having irrigation 4 0 5
Total villages 10 10 11
Work provided by NREGA (or other Govt schemes) GJ MP MH
Villages with 50 or more days of work (per HH per year) 1 3 0
Villages with 15 to 49 days of work (per HH per year) 3 4 2
Villages with less than 15 days of work (per HH per year) 3 1 0
Villages with no work 3 2 9
Total villages 10 10 11
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Issues
Little capacity building of village institutions
Chaos between Revenue and Forest
departments
Heavy bias for individual claims
Neglect of community rights
Resource governance – a long way to go
Instability will continue = extremism may
thrive
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Recommendations
1. Training to revenue departmenti. on legal history of forest lands
ii. on concept and application of “community property”
2. GP secretaries need a manual on how to register community rights
3. Government should take a drive for community rights, Sangathans cannot reach every village
4. NREGA works must vigorously follow – in order to improve land, water, and forests
5. Village forests – as buffers to protect core
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Recommendations
6. Strategies of re-forestation must
consider people’s perceptions about
scarcity of particular goods
7. It is unfair to ask 75-year old
documentary proof from non-ST forest
dwellers
8. Gramsabhas’ capactiy building is
necessary and people must be trusted by
the Democracy
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