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Andhra Pradesh Forestry Project: Forest Restoration and Joint Forest Management in India

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Andhra Pradesh Forestry Project: Forest Restoration and Joint Forest Management in India Andhra Pradesh Forestry Project: Forest Restoration and Joint Forest Management in India Project Description India’s 1988 forest policy stipulates that forests are to be managed primarily for ecological conservation, and the use of forest resources for local use or non-local industry is of secondary emphasis. In Andhra Pradesh, local people living near forests are forming Vana Samrakshna Samithi (VSS), village organisations dedicated to forest restoration. In partnership with the state forestry department more than 5,000 VSS are working to restore more than 1.2 million hectares of degraded forests. VSS share all of the non-timber forest products (grasses, fuel-wood, fruit, and medicines) amongst themselves, and receive all of the income from the harvest of timber and bamboo. Half of this income is set aside for the future development and maintenance of the forest. In this way the long-term sustainability of the project is protected and government support is only required while the forest returns to a productive state. Ecosystem type The Eastern Highlands Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests are considered globally outstanding for the communities of large vertebrates and intact ecological processes that they support. The region contains 84,000 km2 of intact habitat, some in blocks of more than 5,000 km2. The region is a refuge for many large vertebrates such as wolves (Canis lupus) and gaur (Bos gaurus), and threatened large mammals such as the tiger (Panthera tigris), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), wild dog (Cuon alpinus), chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), and chinkara (Gazella bennettii). The only endemic mammal is a threatened Rhinolophidae bat, Hipposideros durgadasi. Three hundred and thirteen bird species live in the region, including two threatened species: the green avadavat (Amandava formosa) and Pallas's fish-eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) (IUCN 2000). Numerous threatened species of plants live in the region, such as Arisaema tortuosum, Cyathea gigantea, Entada rheedii, Gnetum ula, Rauvolfia serpentina, Musa rosacea, Linociera ramiflora, Dioscorea anguina, Litsea monopetala, Didymoplexis pallens and the endemic Leucas mukerjiana and Phlebophyllum jeyporensis (Rao et al. 1986; Puri et al. 1989). World Wildlife Fund 2001 http://www.worldwildlife.org/ The interior districts of Andhra Pradesh contain Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests. The climate is hot and arid, with monsoon rains from June to October. The vegetation may be classified into four types: (1) The Plains vegetation (2) Scrub jungle (3) Thorn forest (4) Dry deciduous forest. Regional fauna includes langur (Presbytis entellus), bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (P. pardus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), wild dog (Cuon alpinus), wolf (Canis lupus) jackal (C. aureus), Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata), palm civet (Paradoxurus sp.), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), wild boar (Sus scrofa), Indian spotted chevrotain (Tragulus meminna), Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), sambar (Cervus unicolor), spotted deer (C. axis), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), chinkara (Gazella dorcas), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), giant flying squirrel (Petaurista sp.), Indian porcupine (Hysterix indica), Indian tree shrew, Indian soft-shelled turtle, monitor lizard (Varanus sp.), Indian python (Python molurus) and marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris). Approximately 150 species of bird, including the grey hornbill (Tockus birostris) and peafowl (Pavo cristatus) live in the region. Problems and threats Degradation of forests in this region is due to timber smuggling, overexploitation by industry, deteriorating law enforcement, wildfire, grazing, agricultural encroachment, unmanaged exploitation for firewood and other basic needs, quarries, coal mines, hydroelectric projects, shifting cultivation and over- dependence of the local communities on non timber forest products. The average forest area per capita is 0.07 hectares, one of the lowest proportions in the world. Project Aims The overarching goals of the project are to increase the productivity and quality of forests, protect the environment, alleviate poverty, and strengthen and streamline the policies of the forestry sector. To achieve these goals the project will: • Introduce community participation in the protection and management of public degraded forests. • Institute better practices and new technologies to increase forest productivity. • Promote private sector participation in forestry sector development. • Maintain and increase biodiversity. • Strengthen institutions involved in forest sector management. Project Activities The project supports forest rehabilitation and development on 354,600 hectares. Fifty percent of the budget is reserved for restoring forests through joint forest management. Practical undertakings include: developing conditions for the natural regeneration of forest vegetation; enrichment planting, especially of non-timber forest products such as bamboo; soil and moisture conservation works. Associated Activities • Funding of training and study tours for village leaders • Support for improved drinking water facilities • Introduction of alternative energy technologies to reducing fuel-wood consumption • Helping to meet priority development needs identified during initial negotiations • Providing development assistance to tribal groups • Fostering NGO participation. Results • Degraded forests are regenerating under restoration management • Timber smuggling has almost been stopped • Cattle grazing is controlled • Reduced agricultural encroachment into forest areas • Villagers are gainfully employed and fewer villagers are emigration to urban areas • Women participate in all VSS affairs as equal partners and receive equal pay • The soil and water conservation works have resulted increased agricultural production • There is a general improvement in the flora and fauna of the area. To monitor these changes, the government of Andhra Pradesh has commissioned an independent evaluation. Lessons Learned • Effective collaboration of community and government, particularly the Forestry Department, that leads to the best solutions. NGOs play an important role, bridging the gap between the government and the people. • Managed natural regeneration, with protection from fire and grazing, is a cost-effective means of restoring large areas of degraded forest. • Rapid natural regeneration is an incentive for participation in joint forest management. • Sharing of benefits and responsibilities can provide an incentive for participation in forest restoration. • Staff training is essential for the success of the program. • Leadership, particularly at the political level, is essential for rapid reform. • Participatory forestry is leading to a shift in the government forest service; towards being less insular, more client-oriented, and responsive to the conservation and developmental needs of the people. • NGO involvement can improve the quality of participation and facilitate joint action by the bureaucracy and the villagers, but only when all stakeholders desire NGO involvement. • VSS management of funds and accounts develops a sense of ownership and responsibility and promotes the long-term sustainability of the program. • Links between forest conservation, community development and poverty alleviation must be emphasised in order to sustain village commitment to forest management. • The success of joint forest management has resulted in exponential growth of the program. The information in this case study is from: Venkatamaran, Arjunamurthy, and Julia Falconer. 1998. “Rejuvenating India’s Decimated Forests through Joint Action: Lessons from Andhra Pradesh.” Rural Development Project Brief, November. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Available: http://wbln1018.worldbank or http://www.jfmindia.org/jfmcaseandhra.htm Contacts and More Information Vegetation and Non-timber Forest Products Assessment Under JFM in Eastern Ghats of Andrha Pradesh, India http://www.indiana.edu/~iascp/Drafts/rao.pdf Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests description http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/im/im0111_full.html.
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