E2215 v2 Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project Public Disclosure Authorized Social & Environmental Assessment of Askot Landscape Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Draft Final Report Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment www.atree.org Public Disclosure Authorized CONTENTS List of Tables .......................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations ................................................................... v 1. Introduction ............................................................................. 1 2. Project Description ..................................................................... 3 3. Regulatory, Legal and Policy Issues ................................................. 6 3.1. Core Issues........................................................................ 6 3.1.1. Settlement of Rights.................................................... 6 3.1.2. Van Panchayats.......................................................... 8 3.1.3. Access and Ownership of NTFP....................................... 10 3.1.4. Securing Rights of Ethnic Minorities ................................. 12 3.2. Recommendations .............................................................. 13 4. Methodology Adopted .................................................................14 5. Personnel of the Consultation .......................................................16 6. Social and Ecological Lessons from Previous and Ongoing Projects ..........17 6.1. Social Lessons ................................................................... 17 6.2. A Brief Instructive History of Conflict for BCRLIP.......................... 18 6.3. Contemporary Conflict Milieu................................................. 19 6.4. Conflict Realities in the Project Landscape ................................ 19 6.5. A Review of Representative Literature on Van Panchayat–JFM Conflicts.......................................................................... 21 6.6. Conclusion ....................................................................... 25 7. Status – Baseline, Stakeholder Analysis and Participation Framework ......27 7.1. Baseline: Development Indices ............................................... 27 7.1.1. Development Issues in Production Landscape...................... 28 7.1.2. Baseline: Conflict Resolution......................................... 29 7.1.3. Baseline: Gender Roles................................................ 32 7.2. Stakeholder Analysis ........................................................... 33 7.2.1. Community Identities.................................................. 33 7.2.2. Cultural Identities: Community Relations .......................... 33 7.2.3. Demographic Trends in Migration.................................... 34 7.2.4. Political Identities: (Power Relations between Van Panchayats and the Forest Department) ........................... 34 7.2.5. Vulnerable Communities .............................................. 35 7.2.6. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) .......................... 37 7.2.7. The Uttarkhand Forest Department ................................. 37 ii 7.3. Participation Framework ...................................................... 38 8. Identification of Site-Related Key Social and Environmental Issues..........41 8.1. Environmental Issues ........................................................... 41 8.1.1. Human–Animal Conflict................................................ 41 8.1.2. Invasive Species ........................................................ 42 8.1.3. Poaching................................................................. 42 8.1.4. Grazing .................................................................. 42 8.1.5. Large Dams.............................................................. 43 8.2. Social Issues ..................................................................... 43 8.2.1. Development Aspirations.............................................. 44 8.2.2. Conflict .................................................................. 44 8.2.3. Gender Roles............................................................ 45 8.2.4. Social Inequality and Justice ......................................... 46 9. Social and Environmental Impact Evaluation and Implications for Project Design ..........................................................................47 9.1. Environmental Impact Evaluation ............................................ 47 9.2. Social Impact Evaluation ...................................................... 47 10. Analysis of Mitigation of Adverse Impacts and Enhancement of Positive Impacts 49 10.1. Activities......................................................................... 49 10.2. Enhancement of Positive Impacts ............................................ 50 10.3. Mitigation ........................................................................ 52 10.4. Ecotourism – A landscape Intervention Means and Regional State Policy ... 52 11. Institutional Managements for Effective Implementation of Social and Environmental Issues..................................................................59 12. Current Conservation/Social Practices and Strategies Suggested for Better Biodiversity Conservation/Social Mobilization...........................61 13. Cost Implications .......................................................................63 14. Training and Capacity Building on Social Issues..................................64 15. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.............................................65 15.1. Framework for Environmental Issues........................................ 65 15.2. Framework for Social Issues................................................... 66 References ............................................................................67 Annexure I: Field Notes from Consultations in the Askot Landscape ...............68 iii List of Tables Page No. Table no. 1.1 Villages included within the landscape ....................................... 2 7.1 Analysis of Stakeholder Identities and Participation Incentives ........... 39 10.1 Mitigation and Enhancement Framework for Environmental Impacts ..... 55 10.2 Mitigation and Enhancement Framework for Social Impacts ............... 56 iv Abbreviations ATREE Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment BCRLIP Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihoods Improvement Project BSA Biologically Significant Areas BSI Botanical survey of India CCF Chief Conservator of Forest DFO Divisional Forest Officer FD Forest Department FES Foundation for Ecological Security FPC Forest Protection Committee GEF Global Environment Facility IDA International Development Association ITBP Indo-Tibetan Border Police JFM Joint Forest Management MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests NFP National Forest Policy NGO Non Governmental Organization NHEPC National Hydro Electric Power Corporation NR Natural Resources NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product PA Protected Area PAD Project Appraisal Document PCCF Principal Chief Conservator of Forest PTO Project Tiger Office RF Reserved Forest RLEK Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra SC Scheduled Caste SDO Sub Divisional Officer SEZ Special Economic Zone ST Scheduled Tribe STZ Special Tourism Zone TCA Tiger Conservation Authority TERI The Energy Research Institute UP Uttar Pradesh VFJM Village Forest Joint Management VP Van Panchayat WII Wild life Institute of India WLS Wild Life Sanctuary WP Writ Petition ZSI Zoological Survey of India v 1. Introduction The Government of India has received credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) towards the design and implementation of a new project titled the Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvements Project (BCRLIP). The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), India, is implementing the BCRLIP. Based on experiences from earlier projects, the MoEF is scaling up the current initiative to the landscape level. The proposed BCRLIP aims to conserve biodiversity in selected landscapes, including wildlife protected areas/critical conservation areas while improving rural livelihoods through participatory approaches. Joint Forest Management (JFM) and ecodevelopment in some states are models of new approaches that provide benefits to both conservation and local communities. The project intends to build on these models and extend the lessons to other globally significant sites in the country in order to strengthen linkages between conservation and improving livelihoods of local communities that live in the neighborhood of biodiversity-rich areas as well as to enhance the local and national economy. The Askot landscape in the Uttranchal is one such landscape selected for this project. The Askot Landscape as defined for the BCRLIP is as follows. The landscape lies between the Longitudes 80°10′0″E and 81°0′0″E, and Latitudes 30°35′0″N and 29°35′0″N, at the tri junction of the borders of Nepal, India and Tibet (China). The northern boundary of the Landscape faces NNE and extends in a straight line above Nabhidang near Lipu Lekh and goes west to the head of the Lissar Yangti river in the Darma basin. The high passes of Lowe Dhura, Nuwe Dhura and Lampiya Dhura fall within this northern boundary. The Eastern boundary is formed by the true right bank of the Kali River, from Nabhidang to Jauljibi along the Indo-Nepal boundary,