The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: February 17, 1998

Author: Madhusudan Mehta

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India is a second largest densely populated democracy with a geographical area of 3,267,263 sq.km. And population over 944 million having density of 290 per sq.km. The forest cover recorded is 765,210 sq.km. which is 23.28% of total land area. The forests with density <0. 4 are about 12%. The demand for fuel wood is much higher than what forests could provide. The stress of demand naturally goes over the trees in the area outside the forests. Part of the demand is also met in the rural areas from the use of the cowdung cakes as fuel, which reduces its utility as natural organic manure. The demand for timber also outstrips the supply from domestic production. The state of Gujarat is one of the progressive states in the western part of India with an area of 196,024 sq. km. While the recorded forest area is 19,393 sq.km. which is 9.89% of the total geographical area. The production of fuel and timber is much less than the demand. The forest area which produces timber and fuel wood or is the actual tree clad area is only 63.5% of the recorded area which brings down the per capita forest area from 0.13 ha to 0.028ha.

The situation needed to be tackled in a dynamic way and an extension forestry wing was started in Gujarat in 1969-70. It was necessary, for the forest department, which had for more than a century of experience in the state owned isolated forest areas, to make an impact of good work that is visible to the general public. The forest Department started for the first time any work out side the forest by taking up the work of avenue plantation in 1969 in two districts of Vadodara and Ahmedabad in Gujarat State. Prior to 1969, the avenue plantation was done only on major roads by Govt. Roads and Bldg. Dept. This was done rather unsystematically and at a much higher cost and the results did not commensurate. Forest Dept.'s extension wing began the work with avenue plantation of 25 km and it was soon spread to much larger targets as the work was well planned and executed to demonstrate the capability of the forest Dept. to general public, politicians and Govt. bureaucracy.

Foresters motivated villagers to came forward to plant trees on the barren wasteland and grazing land. Thus the first village forest was planned and planted in 1972 in Ahmedabad district at village Nandol Dehgam entirely due to the participation of village people and the efforts of the forest Dept. to provide seedlings and technical know-how. It was a beginning of community participation in forestry. First nursery entirely raised by school children was established in Sabarkantha district in village Kamalpur in 1974. This was also due to motivation by the foresters and people's keenness to participate as community. Seeing the success of the school. Many schools came forward to raise a nursery by the school children. For the first time a farmer in his agricultural land, near Ahmedabad with the help and guidance from the foresters created a farm forest. He converted his farm from farming of agricultural crop to tree crop.

It was in 1975 that World Bank official Mr. Row came to Ahmedabad to see the people's participation in forestry program. He was impressed by what he saw in Ahmedabad and Sabarkantha districts and in a meeting with the press and the elite citizens of Ahmedabad he announced World Bank's intention to finance Social Forestry project in Gujarat State in India.

A traditional forester since the British rule had worked earlier in an isolation of regimental anarchy amongst the tribal in the Govt. owned forests and virtually had an authority of a ruler of the area. They managed only the legally reserved or protected forests. With the independence of the country came a flood of demand on the forests because of the huge industrial and housing activity. There was major undercurrent of feeling of rights amongst the tribal who had led a rather subdued life. The forester suddenly found himself at a losing battle to protect the vast stretch of forest, which he once ruled. The politicians who had a final say very often eroded his authority and this led to protectionism of offenders of forests and wild life. The politicians had to support the people to get votes in elections irrespective of the fact whether they were in the right or wrong. Probably, the democracy 's evil aspect worked more strongly than the good ones. Rules were flouted more often than followed due the excessive demand on the forest produce and inability of forester to protect the forests from poachers.

As a forester what were the conflicts and initial teething troubles as seen today in retrospection, reveal an interesting case to ponder on and to learn from the experience. The forester had to change himself in his basic attitude from the lord and master of forests to the role of humble public servant doing work out side the forest areas where he was rather unknown. People had to be educated in the values of protecting trees in the common lands of their villages and in their vicinity. The uniformed forester who was doing policing work of protection had suddenly found himself doing the work of extension man propagating and even planting of trees for the community land and raising large nurseries for free distribution of plants to the people.

The persuasion and educating the rural people often had good impact. Yet as it is said "seeing is believing". The people waited to see good results of what is being preached. It was a virtual struggle to promote forestry extension activity against inherent inhibitive attitude of the people for any change and the foresters were also rather skeptical as they had to work in a new surroundings and with a changed attitude towards people. Foresters were posted in cities and towns which was a new experience for them and their families as all throughout they had lived in the forest areas. There was undercurrent of internal dissatisfaction and resistance to the change of their habitat and habits and attitudes. It was a conflict within which had to be eased to get the extension work done.

I had to create models that would exhibit to the people what people can do with the untapped resources. In Ahmedabad district in 1972, rains failed. There was a drought and overall scarcity was declared in number of villages. To give employment to the farm laborer and rural poor, Govt. had started number of employment oriented work. I did not have any funds from the forest department to take up plantation activity for the village woodlot which I wanted to. The Govt. funds for scarcity relief programs were available to take up works like road construction, deepening of ponds and lakes and other labor oriented works. Since there was no scheme of raising a woodlot I could not get funds for the purpose. I got some funds through Revenue Dept. for doing soil conservation works and digging of pits for the tree plantation in one village wasteland. The village I selected was Nandol-Dehgam in Ahmedabad district. Here I got enthusiastic welcome to my views of planting trees in the village waste land which was a barren land with few trees and soil erosion had created gullies and was threatening the houses on the periphery. The village headman of the village council was very cooperative and had innovative ideas, which even I had not thought of. I spent quite some time with the villagers in planning what is to be done and my assistants were also fully involved in the process. We had number of meetings. I helped by way of giving technical guidance and supply of seedlings which villagers wanted to plant. It was a village woodlot with a mix of fuelwood, fruits and small timber species. The planning as to what is to be planted where was also done with the help of villagers. The villagers and particularly the young people came forward to work as volunteer to reduce the cost on labor. The savings in the labor cost were utilized for purchase of some fruit saplings which forest Dept. did not have. An innovative idea to utilize the wastewater from the bathing and washing was executed. This gave support irrigation to the plants to tide over the dry period in the rains.

Thus the first village forest in Gujarat State was successfully raised. The results of plantation and excellent involvement of people was seen by the higher-ups in the forest and revenue department. Scheme of village forest was thus started in Gujarat State in 1973. Number of adjoining villagers also saw the success and when approached came forward to plant trees.

The response was not as enthusiastic as expected. There were internal initial conflicts, which inhibited the spread of the scheme. The major conflict was from graziers and the vested interests that were getting some monetary advantage from the wasteland, which was managed by the village council. It was this group of people who opposed converting wasteland in to a woodlot. This group which opposed was a powerful group in village and general people did not like to oppose the mighty. The vested interests had earnings from letting the cattle of professional graziers from distant land to graze in the wasteland. They also permitted unauthorized cultivation in the land and generally the people in the village council did it. The poor who suffered on this count could not oppose these people.

The raising of village woodlot controlled this misuse. As a result of closure of the area after plantation lot of grass comes up and it was permitted to be cut and removed by the villagers without any favor or fear. This resulted in lot of goodwill amongst the poor in the village as they got free access and equitable distribution of the resource almost throughout the year. The forest dept. which had the legacy of strict and sometimes-forceful enforcement of law were converting themselves to a new role of public servants with a purpose to do some good for the people. Exceptions were always there and where the forest dept. personnel did not change their attitude towards the people and that work suffered.

It is an incident of my life, which I cannot forget. It was the day on which an idea that school children can raise a nursery of plants and be part of the community which is participating in community forestry work was mooted. Since I was in the center of the scene, I relate this in first person. It was in February 1974, on the national highway from Ahmedabad to Himmatnagar; I was walking through the side of the road near village Kamalpur, to see the condition of roadside plantation done as a part of extension forestry. I was near the village Kamalpur; headman of the village came over to meet me. He invited all the villagers to meet me in the small primary school of the village. I asked the villagers if they had any suggestion regarding our work. Besides the suggestion to plant some fruit trees like mango and Tamarind, the school Head Master who happened to be present suggested that school children be involved in raising a nursery near the school. I not only readily agreed to immediately implement the suggestion but also arranged next day to send seeds, polyethylene bags, manure and a forester to help in establishing a nursery by the kids. What I saw after two days, I could not believe. About 20 students in the age group of 6 years to 9 years were watering the plant containers, with great enthusiasm. The kids exactly knew which species is sown in which line of bags and what is the utility of the tree species. I declared that all the seedlings prepared by the school children would be purchased back by the forest dept. for the plantations. The money would be given to the school and they may use the money as they wish. In the very first year the children earned enough money to purchase basic amenities like carpets for seating and drinking water containers. In the very first year about 40 children had prepared a nursery of 10000 plants. In the second year they increased the target to 50000 plants and in the third year the kids had raised 100,000 plants. With the money earned they got electric fans, sport equipment and the school went on an educational tour of Gujarat State and other part of India.

H.E. the Governor of Gujarat State Mr. H.P. Vishwanathan had learnt about this good and unique work done by the students of this tiny village and expressed his desire to see the work and meet the teachers and students. He visited the school nursery after about a year in 1975. It was declared by the press and media that it is the first school nursery in India.

The first farm forest in India was also raised in Ahmedabad district in 1973 by a farmer late Mr. Kalidas Patel. For the first time he demonstrated that tree cropping in agricultural farm is equally if not more paying than intensive irrigated cultivation. Here also the leadership in taking tree farming for the first time in India was due to foresight and ingenuity of late Mr. Kalidas Patel. The Forest Dept. helped him with seedlings and technical information.

The demonstration of what could be achieved in village wasteland; participation of school and farming of tree crop by a farmer was turning point in community forestry in Gujarat State in India. The Govt., the politicians, the people and the media all rallied round and there was no looking back. First Social Forestry Conference of Foresters from most of the states from India was held at Ahmedabad in 1975. The areas seen by the delegates were the success stories already mentioned and many more that followed in and around Ahmedabad.

World Bank having been convinced of the people'participation in social forestry program, agreed to finance a comprehensive project of Social Forestry in 1980. Since than fourth phase of the project is in execution. Lot of community benefits has resulted which can be seen all over the state. The green cover of the state's non-forest area is seen which could not be seen in sixties. More than 70% of the village wastelands are covered with village wood lot/ forest.

1. Extension of environmental education for the politicians, bureaucrats and elite citizens is as important as training the child in this aspect. This is particularly important for developing democracy where education is not a yardstick to become politician who takes important decisions for the people and the country. A crash program of training of all ruling politicians and elite and bureaucrats, who are the decision-makers, should be made compulsory and repetitive

2. Local people are most important, in taking any decision with regard to common property resource like land and its utilization. For example in case of village forest the people should decide the planning of area, choice of species, modalities of protection from grazing and utilization of the produce. There is need to tap basic feeling to do something good for the people in all human beings.

3. Foresters have to change their traditional approach and attitude of regimentation and feeling of isolation of forest, to an approach of social and widespread forestry for the common man. He has to be accountable for the greenery of the country rather only for the isolated patch of legally constituted forest. Forestry training needs to be needs to be reoriented to social forestry. Trained foresters should also periodically exposed to newer thinking in this aspect.

4. The social forestry should be executed with the help of NGO's and Village councils. Slowly the foresters should withdraw from actual implementation of the program.

5. There should be horizontal and vertical flow and mix of personnel from traditional forest management and social forestry wings. There should not be separate cadres or wings.

6. Extension approach should also be guiding principle in management of traditional forests. Training needs of foresters has to undergo a basic change of attitude and accountability to the people.