Operational
Strategy for Sustainable Forestry Development with Community
Participation in India.
Management
Development Programme on 'Developing Criteria and Indicators
Framework for Sustainable Management of Forest Resources',
Duration: 21-25 June 2010, Venue: IIFM, Bhopal
Project
Summary
The
research project titled "Operational Strategy for Sustainable
Forestry Development with Community Participation in India"
was launched on 6th June 2001 at Indian Institute of Forest
Management, Bhopal, India with the intention to develop capacity
and create conditions for sustainable forest management in
the country. Initially the project was operationalized in
the States of Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. Subsequently
the project activities have been extended in other parts of
the country including Orissa, Gujarat, Kerala and Sikkim.
The project has registered considerable progress in achieving
its two specific objectives of developing and operationalising
a functioning system of C&I for SFM and of institutional
capacity building through field based research activities.
The achievements made in the project were shared with potential
stakeholders at national and international platforms. The
Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting was held on 14th
April 2009 expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved
by the project. The PSC recommended one more year of extension
of the project period from July 2009 to June 2010 for strengthening
the some of the ongoing activities at the project sites and
to enhance the activities in the states of Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Orissa, Sikkim and Kerala by utilizing
available approved fund.
The
specific objectives of the project are:
- To
develop and operationalise a functioning system of criteria
and indicators for sustainable forestry development, with
community participation; and
- To
establish institutional capability for implementing C&I
for sustainable forestry development.
These
specific objectives will be achieved through the project outputs
envisaged, namely :
- A well
defined C&I system for SFM/SFD for the state of Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, Sikkim and Kerala
and for selected FMUs within the States;
- C&I
plan for the states;
- Manuals
and guidelines for operationalising C&I for SFM/SFD;
- Implement
and establish C&I for SFM in selected FMUs ;
- A fully
established expert Forest Management Information System;
- Increased
commitment for SFM/SFD at the national level;
- Development
of necessary human resources;
- Strengthened
institutional system and establishment of participatory
arrangements for implementing C&I for SFM/SFD;
- A viable
system of forest valuation and forest certification;
- Planning
and action for C&I related research and technology development;
and
- A system
for monitoring and evaluation of C&I implementation.
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Background
This project stems from a pre-project viz.:
Sustainable Tropical Forest Management through Community Participation
in India (PD 8/99-f), supported by ITTO (International Tropical
Timber Organisation), which was executed by IIFM between October
1999 and April 2000. The outcomes of the pre-project clearly
highlighted an urgent need for a larger initiative, to be
undertaken in a phased manner in this regard.
Criteria
and Indicators (C&I) is the term used to describe systematic
approach to measuring, monitoring and reporting. These C&I
indicate the direction of change and also suggest ways for
enhancing progress towards Sustainable Forest Management (SFM),
to ensure continuous availability of forest goods and services.
It provides a rationalised framework for monitoring regional,
national and international progress towards SFM.
Bhopal-India
process was India's initiative on realization of the need
by Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) to develop
a practical and indigenous mechanism for monitoring SFM in
the country. It was conceptualized that the development of
C&I for SFM in India would provide the most effective
way to set management targets that are in harmony with National
Forest Policy (1988). The Bhopal-India process in 1998 was
India's initiative on realization of the need by Indian Institute
of Forest Management (IIFM) to develop a practical and indigenous
mechanism for monitoring SFM in the country. It was conceptualized
that the development of C&I for SFM in India would provide
the most effective way to set management targets that are
in harmony with National Forest Policy (1988).The criteria
and indicators of Bhopal-India process were revisited and
a refined set of indicators was developed in the year 2005.
Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI developed a National
Set of C&I for natural forests on the line of B-I process.
The
project intends to operationalise C&I approach for sustainable
forest management through actual implementation in selected
forest management units (Forest Divisions) in the state of
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Orissa, Sikkim and
Kerala.
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Project
Strategy
The
rationale behind the project is that in achieving the development
objective of sustainable forestry development in the country,
it will be more useful to address the underlying causes of
unsustainability and this can be accomplished by implementing
clear and consistent C&I through community participation
and capacity building, and by ensuring that such C&I for
SFM/SFD are fully complied.
Experience has clearly shown that "fines and fences"
and such other non-participatory approaches are ineffective
and involve heavy financial and social cost as well as high
risk of failure. The project, therefore, adopts a three-pronged
strategy.
1.
Develop, operationalise and implement appropriate C&I
for SFM/SFD in the different categories of FMUs (based on
vegetational, functional, and legal/ownership classification),
within an overall umbrella of national level C&I.
2.Strengthen
institutions (including changes in attitudinal orientation)
and institutional capability for implementing C&I for
SFM/SFD.
3.
Encourage and enable organised and informed people's participation
in implementing C&I for SFM/SFD.
These
strategy provide an appropriate route to achieve the objectives
and outputs of the project in an efficient and effective manner.
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Project
Objectives
Development
objective
The development objective of the project is to create conditions
for, and thus help achieve, Sustainable Forestry Development
in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, and by stages over
the entire country.
Specific
Objectives
Two specific objectives of the project which will directly
contribute to the achievement of the project's development
objective are :
1.
To develop and operationalise a functioning system of C&I
for sustainable forestry development, with community participation
through refinement of the Bhopal-India (B-I) Process for SFM
following the guidelines contained in the ITTO Criteria and
Indicators (C&I).
2.
To establish institutional capability for implementing C&I
for sustainable forestry development taking into consideration
the principles contained in the ITTO manuals and other relevant
documents.
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Intended
situation after project completion
(i)
a
well defined system of C&I for SFM/SFD for the state of
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, Sikkim and
Kerala along with implementation plans and related guidelines
for operationalising the system,
(ii)
identified pilot areas (Forest Divisions) representing different
management categories and implement C&I for SFM/SFD therein,
(iii)
established expert forest management information system with
particular reference to the use of criteria and indicators.
These will result in increased commitment for SFD at National
as well as State levels.
By
the time the project is completed, development of human resource
(through fellowships, training, basic education and extension)
would be sufficient enough to expand the system of C&I
for SFM/SFD to the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Orissa, Gujarat, Sikkim and Kerala. Institutional structures
would have been strengthened to carry forward, facilitate,
and manage the system at the centre and in other States.
To
provide a firm basis for SFM/SFD, there would be systems/methods
for forest valuation, research and technology development,
monitoring and evaluation and arrangements for people's participation.
The main constraints for the smooth functioning of the system
would have to be removed or reduced.
At
the project completion stage, there will be a clear laid out
direction for continuing and completing the task of universal
application of C&I and related strategies for SFM/SFD
over the entire country. It is expected that universal adoption
of C&I for SFM/SFD will serve to promote investment and
action for tropical forest development and its sustainable
utilisation.
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Outputs
Specific
Objective 1
To
develop and operationalise a functioning system of criteria
and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forestry development,
with community participation
Output
1.1 A well defined C & I system for SFM/SFD in new states(Gujarat
and Orissa) and selected FMUs within the states.
Output 1.2 Ensure the incorporation of C&I in the forest
management plan and working plan with updated skill.
Output 1.3 Manuals and technical documents for the newly identified
project sites and enhanced capacity to apply it in the FMU.
Output 1.4 Collection of Benchmark data for newly identified
project sites and periodic updation of the data for the site
specific indicators and developing standards for the indicators
and assessing their performance
Output 1.5 Regular dissemination of project news and information
to the stakeholders through newsletters and documents
Output
1.6 Increased awareness and create conditions for the SFM
activity for the research and development in C&I. Exchange
views and ideas with national and international experts.
Specific
Objective 2
To establish
institutional capability for implementing C&I for sustainable
forestry development.
Output
2.1 Development of education and publicity aids (Audio &
video), course materials for graduate and postgraduate students.
International travel to attend seminar and visits.
Output 2.2 State level SFM cells to support and coordinate
SFM activities in the States. Course curriculum at University
and institute levels
Output
2.3 More working groups in the JFMCs and FDAs to enhance C&I
for SFM in the project sites.
Output 2.4 Proper system for FRA based on the testing in the
selected FMUs/ States and development of documents for the
support.
Output 2.5 Finding feasible system of forest certification
and attempts for their application in the identified FMUs
in the State of M.P. and CG.
Output 2.6 Evaluation of project achievements and project
completion report.
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Contact
Dr M.D.Omprakash
Assistant Professor, Faculty - Ecosystem and Environment Management
Email : prakash@iifm.ac.in
