Community Led Biodiversity Conservation of Mangrove Forest Ecosystem in Pichavaram
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Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation COMMUNITY LED BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION OF MANGROVE FOREST ECOSYSTEM IN PICHAVARAM Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), India C R E E D Preservation and rejuvenation of Pichavaram Project Activities: Mangrove Forest in Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu is the primary goal of the Project. The Project Community Mobilization: A preliminary survey began as a pilot measure in T.S. Pettai, the largest was done by the NGO followed by more and strategically placed village in Pichavaram community led participatory rural appraisals area, covering around 300 hectares. Steps were (PRAs), highlighting the loss and requirements of taken to ensure alternative income through micro each of the families in T.S. Pettai and neighboring enterprises such as manufacture of Dry Fish, Fish villages. The Plan was mapped from house to Powder, Fish Pickles, Dried and Salted Prawns house and a cost plan of Rs 1,09,00,000/- was among the artisan fisher-folks in T.S. Pettai. made in three days. The presentations on the plan ! 24 small-holders regained their lands were made to the DC with NC SGP and discussions compatible for farming which had turned saline were made on how the costs need to be met. The after Tsunami. focus was both on relief and rehabilitation for sustainability. Beneficiaries identified and SHGs ! Milk cow distribution program directly benefited were formed among fishing/agriculture comm- 26 families. unities. Savings and credit activities initiated and ! Sheep pairs distribution program among 52 bank linkages made. Onaway Trust (UK) and the socially excluded families resulted in collective other International Donors came forward in ownership and management. supporting with boats, fishing nets etc. ! De-siltation of feeding canal accrued an Promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods: Gainful employment generation of 1012 person-days. and sustainable income generation activities have ! Installation of Solar Fish Drier Unit enabled 16 been initiated among the fisher folk through value women members form a Self Help Group for added activities. Processing and drying of sea food production of quality d ry fish. through two Marine Products Bulk Dryer units installed at TS Pettai. These units run on eco- ! Land reclamation program had a coverage of 24 friendly solar power. Marketing of processed acres under Varietal Groundnut cultivation. marine products through KVIC, Gandhi Gram and other Khadi showrooms is being done. Export market will also be tapped in due course. Mangrove Forest Restoration: Plantation of 50,000 saplings is planned in the mangrove forest Project Background Name of Organisation : area as part of the Regeneration Process. A major Centre for Rural Education and part of this plantation activity has taken place. The The project was developed by the local Non Economic Development Governmental Organisation (NGO), CREED for village forest protection committee has been mangrove restoration through community actions. Geographical area : involved in the whole process. The communities Thandavarayan Sozhingan Pettai through support from the Forest Department are During implementing, a catastrophe in the form of in Tamil Nadu Tsunami hit the South Asian Region. The project raising Forest and mangrove nurseries. Also 1000 had to be improvised as the village was badly hit No. of Beneficiaries : mts canal has been dug for better water 1057 people in TS Pettai arrangements. with nearly more than 50 deaths. village of Cuddalore District SGP Grant : Networking and Linkages: The NGO has To meet the immediate needs the NGO and the ` 14,65,500 successfully developed links/networks with GEF/UNDP SGP, CEE planned meetings with the Government/Scientific Institutions /Academic communities and a detailed village plan was Co-Financing Grant : ` 84,22,305 Institutions etc for Advocacy, Knowledge sharing developed. Simple village maps approach to and Sustainability. develop the actions required was adopted in a 3-4 Project Time Period : day participatory exercise. This was later adopted 2004 - 2007 as a ’model approach’ by the district ad- Project Partners : Results from actions in village: ministration for all affected villages. The NC Onaway Trust (UK); UNICEF; Animal 1. Successful PRAs among the communities Husbandry; Forest Deptt; Govt. of Tamil advised the NGO CREED, on the planning exercise resulted in generation of micro plans at village Nadu; CARE India; Local Banks; and and the NGO plans and ‘modus operandi’ was NABARD. level and involvement of other district, national taken as a sustainable method for needs assessment and international level government and non- by GOTN. government funding agencies. Created a community confidence and affective The project aims at reaching out the poor people management plan for a range of activities with affected by Tsunami in Thandavarayan Sozhingan clear sharing of responsibilities, roles, Pettai [T.S. Pettai] to desalinate the cultivable lands decisions and funds. This then led to a shared and upgrade livelihoods of the poor families. community vision and a path to move on. NGO CREED was made the nodal agency by the DC for more than 40 affected villages. The Technical Details into the village plans. Such a delivery mechanism led to decide actions. Activity Technical Details Solar Fish Drier Unit • 40 W. Solar Panel Project Results • 12 V. Battery • Heat Output Rate of • 1 km stretch of feeding canal was de-silted for 3.6 kWh ensuring crop productivity across 500 acres of land within the poor communities. The use of Feeding • 1km stretch of feeding facilitators in the project laid the foundation Canal De-siltation canal renovated • 500 acres of farmland for sustainability. These communicators were under cultivation socially committed, culturally sensitive, empathetic in interpersonal interactions. The Land Reclamation • 24 acres covered under groundnut cultivation NC and the NGO team motivated the members to share costs, decisions and roles Animal Husbandry, • 26 families were and responsibilities. They were trained in the Organic Farming provided with milk cows use of participatory methodologies by & Bio Gas • 52 families were provided with Sheep pairs Meenakshi Sundaram in combination of the local knowledge suited well to develop the village work plans. These plans evolved the Sustainability of the Project foundations for sustainable actions. CREED, along with the community, developed Local Committees and • Locally appropriate actions led to increased local capacities of the poor communities. Institutions for initiating, planning and These entire led CREED being considered by implementing and monitoring the the District Collector as a lead Capacity interventions. The NGO and SGP 2. Rejuvenation of Mangrove Forests led to of Solar fish drier unit consisting of 40W solar building Agency; This further improved the emphasized that the communities need to plantation of 10,000 saplings. panel with 12V battery and heat output rate of confidence levels at the NGO and the local 3.6 kWh. Links were established with the learn and enhance their own capacities. 3. People have been trained in saline soil decision making process. District Administration and regular People’s ideas and opinions were integrated treatment and the process affected 55 consultations with District Collector extensively acres of land. 24 HHs whose lands were helped. Linkages with different funding affected have been reclaimed and ground agencies, DRDA and Tsunami Relief and nut cultivation in progress. Rehabilitation Officer of the Cuddalore district, New Delhi: The President of India, 4. Renovation of 11280 cubic meter of Tamil Nadu helped in strengthening efforts Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil feeding canal has been initiated with towards rehabilitation of Tsunami-affected presented Rajiv Gandhi Manav Sewa 1012 person days work created for the communities. Award for the Year 2009 to Shri. V. , Meenakshi Sundram communities. This has benefited to 78 Nadanasabhapathy, Secretary, Households (HHs) and an additional 220 Project Beneficiaries hectares of land has been brought under C R E E D , C h i d a m b a r a m a n d The Tsunami affected poor small and marginal Chairman of CREED-KVK, in the cultivation for double cropping. .Nadanasabapathy farmers, artisan fisher-folks and socially V Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan 5. Training has been given to 55 farmers on excluded families in T.S. Pettai village of today, 14th November 2010, on the livestock management and to 40 fishing Cuddalore District, in Tamil Nadu. families on processing, drying and occasion of Children´s Day. rabhjot Sodhi, packaging of sea food. Capacity Building Efforts ext: P 6. The organization is planning to initiate •School children were educated and sensitized The Minister of State of Women and Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath and about 250 y/11 T biogas and vermi-composting into on awareness and orientation for conservation children from various schools and youth organizations from various parts of the country were villages to increase sustainability and issues of coastal environment. also present on the occasion. greater environmental impacts. •Problems were discussed in detail, facilitators 7. 78 HHs given milch animals, 52 sheep assisted in the understanding. The approach The award was instituted in 1994 in pursuance of the Government of India´s policy to support and 26 pairs of cows. was a more process based. Teams of the NGO and promote voluntary action in the area of child protection/welfare/development and to honour Local Empowerment: