0302-A1

Information Dissemination on Community Forestry Projects in India

Malabika Ray^[1]

Abstract

Community forestry improvement schemes have been undertaken in India since the beginning of the twentieth century. The state forest departments, subsidiary organizations under the Government of India, voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals have taken up most of these projects. From time to time these institutions have published Grey Literature documents in various forms, viz. project reports, annual reports, working plans, pamphlets, brochures, leaflets, bulletins, success stories and miscellaneous publications for disseminating information about their community forestry activities. Several workshops, seminars, conferences have been organized and their proceedings have been published to educate villagers and sponsors about the community forestry programs undertaken by them. This paper highlights the significance of Grey Literature in the dissemination of community forestry information. The role of audio visual aids, video films that facilitate information flow to private agencies and communication of technical information to farmers have also been dealt with. The participation of NGOs in different community forestry projects, conferences organized by them, steps taken by the government in institution building, contribution of the rural women folk in community development, along with a few important community forestry projects undertaken in India have also been documented.

Introduction

Since the turn of the century, the attitude of the people towards forests has been apathetic and that towards Forest Department has been deep rooted antagonism. Rawat, 1999. The colonial forest policy deprived people of their traditional forest rights and privileges. During the last few decades, the govt. realized that it would be an unrealistic venture to manage the natural resources without active participation and cooperation of people living in and around the forests. With the strategic partnership between the local communities and forest departments evolved the concept of community forest management or popularly known as ‘Joint Forest Management’ (JFM). Here the role of media & Grey Literature comes into play. Grey Literature in this context means the semi-published literature, which is not in wide circulation. The forest departments communicate with the people and NGOs, through front line forest personnel, who in turn communicate with senior officials and village people. All these junctures of a community forestry information system are very crucial and vulnerable to gaps in the transmission of information.

Voluntary Paper for presentation at the XII the XII World Forestry Congress, at Quebec in Canada from September 21-28, 2003.

During the mid seventies, voluntary organizations, NGOs, autonomous institutions under Govt. Depts. and individuals have organized seminars, conferences etc. where grass root level workers and govt. depts., have held discussions, presented papers on various aspects of implementation and improvement of community forestry projects which are linked to protection, conservation and enrichment of common property resources. The outcome of these contributions have been manifested in the form of success stories, project reports, proceedings. A unique characteristic of Grey literature indeed! These types of publications are not for sale and hence do not reach researchers, administrators, educators, policy formulators and others. Most research organizations produce annual reports. These provide valuable summaries of current works carried out at research centres but frequently suffer because they try to meet the need of a vast number of audiences. First and foremost they make the results of the work done available to other research organizations. Field workers can use them but its size, form of presentation are not ideal. The publication of a number of series needs to be considered by the researcher and even the coverage of the same subject in different depths need to be supplemented by both a leaflet and a bulletin (Blatchford, 1972). This paper describes the dissemination of information of these types of programs through different print and non-print media. It also documents a few important community forestry programs undertaken in India especially the role played by the rural women folk.

Role of media in community forestry programs

This exists a big gap between generators of information and actual users. Audiovisual These aids offer unique opportunities to speakers to improve effectiveness and clarity of ideas for transmission. Publicity boards, charts, posters need to be prepared and displayed at common places. Brochures, pamphlets, leaflets on community forestry programs in vernacular may be distributed amongst local people. Exhibitions may be organized by displaying models, charts, posters etc. in places of public gathering.

Since a large proportion of villagers are illiterate, video film help in a big way in popularizing the ideas on social forestry to common people. By the year 2000, the Forest Research Institute, at Dehradun, under the umbrella of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education had published a number of video films of 20-25 minutes duration. Agroforestry- a practice of progress and prosperity, Greening Our Earth- a film on afforestation to stress sites, to mention a few.

Grey Literature acts as a means for the flow of information in an integrated manner between the forester, forest scientist, private planner and farmer. In order to demonstrate this, the Social Forestry tree species Casurina equisetifolia, which has been successfully introduced in Tamil Nadu, a state in India has been described. (Veeramani). The farmers or the private agencies have no free access to the forest department. Moreover, they are reluctant to adopt new techniques on improved methods unless they are convinced. Several proposals for improving communication and exchange of technical information amongst forest departments, private agencies and farmers have been put forth.

Publication of a pamphlet in vernacular for distribution among private agencies, farmers, who are engaged in Casurina cultivation. In this pamphlet, the technicalities followed by the Forest Department on Casurina cultivation with regard to size of seedlings, size of pits, planting season, watering method, manure application, pruning, thinning escapement, inter cropping pattern, rotation etc. would be explained.

A lot of Grey literature material is generated in the form of technical information written by forest officials engaged in Casurina cultivation in Forest Departments. Comparison of these methods with those practiced by private agencies could be published in daily newspapers as well as in monthly magazines in vernacular and English.

Thirdly, the technical know- how, for increased biomass production in Casurina can be broadcast through All India Radio and TV programs. Moreover, the experience gained by private agencies and technical methods adopted by forest department can be exchanged through TV and Radio and through personal discussions. Videocassettes can be prepared on improved methods of Casurina cultivation and screened periodically at Panchayat Unions and farmers’ meetings.

NGOs in forestry

The Govt. of India, issued policy instructions to all state governments on June 1, 1990 to muster support for greater participation of village communities and NGOs in regeneration, management and protection of degraded forests. The NGOs have been facilitators bridging gaps between forest dependent communities and forest departments in different states. This has been possible by adoption of a number of strategies by NGOs, which include meetings, training and workshops which have been instrumental in program implementation (Varalakshmi, 1999). In this process NGOs from time to time have published valuable Grey literature material in the form of seminar/conference proceedings, project reports, manuals, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets etc. reflecting their activities. The advances made in forestry depend largely upon superior and effective information sharing of research results and promotion of extension activities. To this extent, Grey literature in the form of miscellaneous publications released by NGOs plays a very important role in disseminating research results among villagers and research institutions.

Role of govt. departments in institution building

Since 1989, the regional center of the National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (NAEB) under the Ministry and Environment and Forests (MOE&F), Govt. of India had been working in collaboration with the forest departments of the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and National Capital Territory of Delhi. For exchange of information, data and experiences amongst forest departments, research institutes, voluntary agencies, NGOs and village communities -workshops and consultation meets at different levels, had been providing necessary forum. 24 selected papers at the workshop, held in 1993, have been published as a compendium. During last decade ending in 1996-97, 32 such workshops were organized by the regional center on a variety of topics such as technology, development and extension, policy and management issues, practical tools to carry out field activities, participatory rural appraisal (PRA), micro-planning, etc.

The regional center of NAEB at Mumbai in 1998, had conducted a second study on women development vis-à-vis afforestation and eco-development in 31 villages in the four districts of Rajasthan (state). Their observations and findings have been documented in a report, which would help in formulating better-integrated projects.

The NAEB and MOE&F, have instituted the Indira Priyadarshni Vrikshamitra (IPVM) Awards for community development which consists of a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/-, a medallion and a scroll. Individuals; panchayats (village community groups), village level institutions; voluntary agencies; etc. who have made extraordinary contribution to the cause of afforestation and wastelands development during the preceding three years can apply for nominations of this award. (Hindustan Times 2002).

Role of women in community development

Women play a crucial role in management and development of forests, as they are primary collectors of fuel, fibre, food from forests for domestic consumption and sale. A study was conducted to examine the extent to which women were able to contribute to family’s food security through forestry activities and their roles in strengthening social forestry programs. These results have been documented in a Grey Literature publication ‘Role of women in Social Forestry’, published by the National Afforestation and Eco-development Board, New Delhi in 1993. This document shows results of involvement of women in various forestry related activities, opportunities available to them, benefits flowing from the same and constraints faced by the women participants.

Availability of conventional and grey literature on community forestry

Under the aegis of the World Bank, a Grey Literature project was undertaken by ICFRE where 22 State Consultants were appointed to collect Grey Literature documents from the states of the Indian Union. The table below shows the vast availability of Grey Literature on community forestry as compared to the paltry number of documents available in the conventional form.

Source: Summarization and Ledger Files and Grey Literature documents in the Documentation Section of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India

Documenting community forestry projects

Chipko Movement

This revolt which took place in the early seventies in the Garhwal Kumaon Himalayas of Uttaranchal (state) is the best-cited example of confrontation between local people and state government on common forests. This movement had developed into a reconstruction effort under the management of women welfare groups who were largely responsible for protection and plantation in community lands and for fair distribution of grass and fodder among villagers. Quite contrary to this idea this region now has activists promoting ‘Ped Kato Andolan’ or felling of trees for facilitating environmental clearance for road and water pipeline projects.(Rawat, 1999).

Sukhomajri Experience

Sukhomajri, is a Gujjar (tribal) village in the Siwalik Hills catchment of Chandigarh’s Shukna Lake. Heavy siltation in the Sukhana Lake had led to deforestation, overgrazing and erosion. Work around Sukhomajri included construction of three small dams for water storage and irrigation. Under departmental management there were constant conflicts and problems over the distribution of water for irrigation. A village level institution (Hill Resources Management Society) was formed with one member of each household to manage grazing and ensure fair distribution of water and grass to all. Collective decisions were taken, to ban open grazing, do stall feeding, improve cropping patterns and forest protection and to obtain fodder collection through contracts from forest lands. This community based management program has reforested the degraded hills and made villagers self sufficient in food grains, milk and fodder.

Tree Growers Cooperatives

Tree growing on panchayat land, revenue land and degraded forestland by Producers Cooperatives in an organized manner has been practiced in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The membership of these cooperatives included small marginal farmers, land less peasants and tribal who were mainly dependent upon common property resources. In Gujarat, the villagers planted Casurina equisetifolia as a part of the State Village Forest Scheme The trees were felled in 1983-84 and village panchayat determined the distribution of benefits. The Internal Rate of Return was 35%. The success of this project encouraged the villagers to undertake more planting in 1984-86 as a result of which 200ha of woodlot was established in the area. (Verma, 1988).

The National Dairy Development Board had launched a pilot project with 64 tree growers’ cooperatives with 8 districts of five states (Saint Kishore, 1993). 55 cooperatives, with 5,000 members covering 25 ha of land were functional. The scheme had been extended to six more states.

Van Panchayats in Uttaranchal hills

Van Panchayats arose in the U.P. hills in 1920s and 1930s as a result of conflicts between local communities and forest departments. They were created to give elected representation of local people a well - defined role in the management of civil (unreserved) forests under the supervision of district magistrates. By 1985, these Panchayats were managing 15% of the forest area in the U.P. Hills. The functioning of the Panchayats had been affected by unnecessary administrative controls

Arabari Project in West Bengal

The project involved regeneration and afforestation of degraded forestland. Several measures had been adopted to gain support of the local village communities. These included employment of villagers in afforestation work, availability of fuelwood on token payment, grazing cattle on a rotational basis and one-fourth share of the forest produce in the scheme. The project was highly successful. Within a span of 13 years the area turned rich, with produce worth Rs.90 million per year. Overwhelmed by this commendable work the forest department brought more land under this scheme, through its commitment for 25% share for the people was extremely tardy. In 1990, the Govt. of India issued orders to legalize joint forest management.

Aravalli Project

The unique feature with this Aravalli Hills Project is that the common land was vested with the village panchayats and all social groups had access to this land. With the wholehearted support of the village communities about 24,250 ha of land could be rehabilitated during a span of four years from 1991-94. The achievements of this project have been documented in a project report compiled by the Haryana (state) Forest Department (Srivastava, 1994). It describes the formation of village forest committees in which women as well as men actively participated in decision making. The innovative plan for management, the microplan, developed in partnership with each community, is not a rigid document like the traditional Working Plan so familiar to Indian foresters. The Forest Department of Haryana, organized an experience sharing workshop, “Strategies for Institution Building for the Management of CPRs” in Feb. 1997 at Gurgaon in collaboration with the Agriculture Finance Corporation, New Delhi where 22 papers were presented (NAEB, 1998).

Conclusion

The value of forestry research to forestry practice is directly related to the transmission of its findings from researcher to forest manager. Yet there can be a serious communication problem between the two. The forest manager must be aware of the latest developments and be equipped with an up to date and well organized library of key literature. It has been seen that a large quantity of this literature is in the Grey form - not formally published in large quantities for distribution among all the forest departments.

To promote dissemination of information and further links between field and research, a ‘ Research Information Section’ needs to be located at the office of apex body for undertaking or sponsoring programs in community development. This section would be responsible for maintaining and improving contacts with the organisation and outsiders like other research centres, govt. departments, universities, NGOs, voluntary organizations and libraries. This should provide a point where any inquiry or information requirement can be met and where the project manager can turn for help and advice, promptly, personally and in the form he is most likely to want.

References:

Blatchford, O.N. 1972. Dissemination and application of research information in the field. Paper for presentation to the 7th World Forestry Congress, Buenos Aires, Oct. 1972. Forestry Commission Research and Development Paper 88. London, pp. 4.

Indira Priyadarshina Vrikshamita Award 2001. Hindustan Times, 28^th September 2002. 8p.

National Afforestation and Eco-development Board, and Agricultural Finance Corporation. Ltd. Mumbai, 1993. Role of women in social forestry. A. core group report. NAEB and AFC, New Delhi, pp. 57.

___________1994. Women and Social Forestry. Proceedings of workshop 4-5 June 1993, New Delhi, pp 127.

___________1998. Women Development vis a vis Afforestation and Eco-development in Rajasthan Aravallis. A. Core Study Report. NAEB and AFC, New Delhi, pp. 58.

Rawat, A.S. 1999. Forest management in the Kumaon Himalaya- Struggle of the marginalized people. Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi, pp. 291.

Saint Kishore 1993. Case studies: successful community efforts in protection, recovery, restoration and management of CPRs. Community management of common lands. Improving land management in Rajasthan. Practical guides series. 28-35 p.

Srivastava, J.P.L. and Kaul, R.N. 1994. Joint management of common lands: the Aravalli experience. Aravalli Project. Forest Department. Govt. of Haryana, pp 103.

Srivastava, J.P.L.(ed.) 1997. Strategies for institution building for management of common property resources. Aravalli Project. Forest Department. Govt. of Haryana, pp 140.

Varalakshmi, V. and Kaul, O.N. 1999. Non governmental organizations: their role in forestry research and extension. Indian Forester, 125(1): 37-44.

Veeramani, N. Proposals for improving communication for exchange of technical information engaged in Casurina cultivation between private agencies and forest department. Forest Department. Govt. of Tamil Nadu, 1-6 p.

Verma, D.P.S. 1988. Some dimensions of benefits from community forestry- a case study regarding the flow of benefits from the Dhanori village woodlot. Indian Forester, 114(3): 109-127.