People Elephants and Forests
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People Elephants and Forests Collective action to manage an environmental wicked problem in Kodagu, Western Ghats By Marie Laval Candidate MSc 'Forest Nature Society' AgroParisTech-ENGREF January 2008 - 1 - Acknowledgements 1 would like to express my profound thanks to Dr Claude Garcia for his assistance, advice, kindness and encouragements as well as Delphine and Eric Vivien who several times welcomed me in their home. 1 would like to express my gratitude to Dr Robert Nasi from CIRAD and Dr Maya Leroy from AgroParisTech who allow me to realise this lnternship. 1 express my gratitude to Dr C.G. Kushalappa who helps me a lot during the fieldwork phase in various ways (scientific, logistic, contacts... ) . 1 am also grateful to the DCF Dr S.D. Pathak, the DCF B.B. Mallesha and M.M. Nanaiah for their permission to have access to many pieces of information and for their cooperation. 1 would like to thanks particularly very nice persans encountered in lndia namely K.M. Nanaya and his wife Roshni, Payal Bal, T.S. Kavana and Cheryl D. Nath. Meeting them was one of richness this lndian experience. 1 would like to underline my thanks to the following people who very kindly took the time to discuss with me and answer countless questions: Sunand Kumar, Colonel Muthanna, K.G. Uthappa, V.S. Roy David, P.P. Sidda, Mr A.B. Poovaiah, Mr Boominathan and many other 1 cannot list here. 1 am very grateful to Dr Thomas Debril, Dr Christelle Hinnewinkel and Dr Sylvie Guillerme for their advice. They were of a great help in the difficult phase of data analysis and redaction. My acknowledgements conclude with all my family members who encouraged me a lot while 1 was in the field and who have accepted my choices. 1 thank particularly my grandmother who has waited for me... - 2 - Contents INTRODUCTION 9 Part 1: Interactions between public policies and the main actors studied 20 1. Changes linked to increasing forest resources exploitation 20 1. Creation of the Forest department 22 2. The conversion of tribal people into workers for the Forest department 23 3. Conversion of farmers into coffee grower landowners 24 Il. Impacts of conservationist laws (1 970s-1 980s) on the main actors 26 1. The changes in Forest department's activities 27 2. Impacts of these policies on tribal workers 29 3. Impacts on coffee grower landowners 32 4. Interpretation 34 Ill. On the way to participatory forest management 34 1. The National Forest Policy and Joint Forest Management 34 2. Participatory forest management process 36 3. Last improvements in forest and environmental legislations 41 Part 2: Identification of an environmental problem in Kodagu 45 1. Stakes of conservation in Kodagu 45 1. The Western Ghats' biodiversitv Hotspot 46 1.1. Details on the hotspot 46 1.2. Ongoing conservation measures 49 A. Protected areas 49 B. Devarakadus and reserved forests 50 2. Wild Asian elephant: indicator specie? 53 2.1. Conservation of the Asian Elephant 53 2.2. Human-wild elephant conflict 54 - 3 - Il. Processes affecting the forest ecosystem 58 1. Clear eut of forest patches for teak plantations 59 2. Forest fire 61 3. Tree exploitation 62 4. Conversion of private tenures into coffee estates 62 5. Cattle grazing 63 6. Pollution of lands 64 Part 3: How Kodagu's environmental problem is managed? 68 1. Management of environmental wicked problem 69 1. Human-elephant conflict resolution 69 1. 1. Eco-Development Committees 69 1.2. Conservation NGOs 71 1.3. Analysis of the problem according to Conklin's six criteria 72 2. Collective actions for forest ecosystem conservation 75 2.1. Forest management issues and collective actions 75 A. Tree cover and biodiversity 75 B. Water and sail conservation 78 2.1. Who are the actors of environment? 79 Il. Social complexity of Kodagu's environmental problems 81 1. Diversity of the actors involved 82 2. System of interrelations 83 2.1. Karnataka Forest Department and its directions 83 2.2. Relationships between Coorg Wildlife Society and KFD 83 2.3. Relationships between CORD and Karnataka Forest Department 84 Ill. Collective actions and social commitments 85 1. Collective actions and povertyreduction 85 1.1. Organisations little working for poverty reduction: EDC3 and CWS 86 1.2. Organisations working for poverty reduction: VFC, KMFT and empowerment NGOs 86 2. Collective actions and governance 88 2.1. EDCs and VFCs 89 2.2. Conservation and empowerment NGOs 90 - 4 - Part 4: Discussion on collective action for natural resources management 93 1. 'lmposed' participation 95 1. Chennayanakote EDC: Strategie analysis 96 1.1. Ruling principles 96 1.2. Planning of the activities and mieroplan 98 A. Microplan 98 B. Rules of the EDC according to the microplan (2003) 99 1. 3. The EDC members 100 A. Composition of EDC governing body 100 B. Social identification of the nominated members 1 02 1.4. Concrete action system of the studied EDC 106 A. Actors' strategies 106 B. System of action 1 07 2. Chennangi VFC: strategie analysis 111 2. 1. Ruling principles of Chennangi VFC 111 2.2. The actors involved in KSFMBC Project 115 A. Composition of the VFC governing body members 115 B. Social identification of the actors 116 2.3. Concrete action system of the studied VFC 120 A. Actors' strategies 122 B. System of action 125 Il. 'Chosen' participation 127 1. local leaders gathered into 'conservation NGOs' 128 1.1. Coorg Wildlife Society: An NGO evolving with its time 128 1.2. Kodagu Model Forest Trust: a recent NGO with a wider scope 130 2. Alliance between tribals and 'empowerment' NGOs 134 2.1. Budakattu Krishikara Sangha 134 2.2. Coorg Organisation for Rural Development 135 Ill. Discussion on 'participation' 136 CONCLUSION 141 BIBLIOGRAPHY 144 ANNEXES 148 - 5 - Table list Table 1: Participatory forestry projects in Kodagu and Karnataka 38 Table 2: General details on lndia Ecodevelopment Project 39 Table 3a: Area of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Hotspot 47 Table 3b: Specie endemism of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Hotspot 47 Table 4: Details on Kodagu's forest types 48 Table 5: List of Kodagu's protected areas 49 Table 6: Objectives and activities of Virajpet Working Plan (2001-2002 to 2010-2011) 52 Table 7: Working circles of Virajpet Forest Division (2001-2002 to 2010-2011) 52 Table 8: KMFTactions with regard to human-elephant conflict 71 Table 9: KMFT actions with regard to tree cover in private and government lands 77 Table 10: KMFT actions with regard to biodiversity and water conservation 78 Table 11: Actions conducted with regard to ecological issues by the two collective actions 80 Table 12: KMFT actions with regard to environmental awareness 81 Table 13: Actions conducted with regard to poverty reduction by the two collective actions 86 Table 14: Sharing of the total proceeds derived from the sale of forest produce in Karnataka 87 Table 15: KMFT actions with regard to poverty reduction 88 Table 16: Different types of governance system in the collective actions A and B 89 Table 17: KMFT actions with regard to governance 90 Table 18: Characteristics of the interviewed actors 101 Table 19: Interview guide 149 Table 20: Details on the interviewees 149 Table 21: Eight models of afforestation 152 Table 22: Microplans of Chennayanakote EDC and Chennangi VFC 152 Table 23: List of the participants to our presentation in Ponnampet 153 Box list Box 1: History of Nagarahole National Park 28 Box 2: the case of the Murkal tourist complex 32 Box 3: Portrait of the president of Coorg Wildlife Society 129 Box 4: Portrait of one Kodagu Model Forest trustee 132 Box 5: Portrait of the District president of Budakattu Krishikara Sangha 134 Box 6: Portrait of the president of Coorg Rural Organisation for Development 135 - 6 - Figure list Figure 1: Con crete action system 13 Figure 2: Theoretical framework of Strategie Environmental Management Analysis 14 Figure 3: Chronogram of forest exploitation in Kodagu 150 Figure 4: Forest and environmental legislation in lndia and in Karnataka State 26 Figure 5: Formation process of community forest management in lndia 36 Figure 6: Causes and consequences of the elephant problem in Kodagu 59 Figure 7: Conditions for electric fence effectiveness 69 Figure 8: Social complexity of the action system for natural resource management in Kodagu 82 Figure 9: Composition of Chennayanakote EDC executive committee 100 Figure 10: Composition of the EDC executive committee with time 106 Figure 11: System of actors in Chennayanakote EDC 108 Figure 12: Composition of Chennangi VFC executive committee 115 Figure 13: System of actors within and around Chennangi VFC 125 Figure 14: Eight rungs on the ladder of citizen participation 137 Figure 15: Karnataka Forest Department hierarchy 151 Map list Map 1: Synthesis map of Kodagu district 17 Map 2: Evolution of the vegetal caver in Kodagu (1977-2007) 25 Map 3: Localisation of the Western Ghats Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot 46 Map 4: Different types of areas in Chennayanakote Chennangi villages 94 Photograph list Photograph 1: Tamed elephant and a young tribal boy in Nagarahole National Park 1 Photograph 2: Teak plantation in Devamachi Reserved Forest 67 Photograph 2: Tribal house in Devamachi Reserved Forest surrounded by small cultivated lands 67 Photograph 3: Temple in Devamachi Reserved Forest, on the way to Basavana Halli 67 Photograph 4: Elephant proof trench in Devamachi Reserved Forest 67 Photograph 5: Devarapura Festival participants 67 Photograph 6: Devarapura Festival participants 67 - 7 - Acronyms and Abbreviations BKS Budakattu Krishikara Sangha CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBFM Community