Community  Land  Tenure  and  Adap2ve  Landscape  Management  as  Climate  Smart  Op2ons:    

Arguing  Resilience  of  Alternate  Land  Systems  in  Nagaland,  India        

Pranab  Ranjan  Choudhury  

Design  

•  Introduc7on  :  Customary  Tenure    in  IP  and  Implica7ons  

•  Nagaland  :  State,  Land  Use    and  Land  Tenure  •  Jhum  –  Culture,  foodscape,  Adapta7ons,  trends,  CCA  

•  Emerging  landscape-­‐land  governance  mosaics    &  Summary  

•  Challenges  

Indigenous  People,  Customary  Tenure:  implica2ons  on  Conserva2on  &  Carbon  

•  Globally,  1/5th  of  land  is  governed  under  customary  law  with  unknown  7tling  (Alcorn,  2011),  largely  by  the  indigenous  people  (UN,  2009).    

•  Evidences  of  disciplined  yet  elaborate  and  dynamic  collec2ve  tenures  with  con2nuum  of  rights  linked  to  landscapes  and  landuses  

•  Uncodified  customary  law  implemented  by  Self-­‐organized  and  evolved  community  ins7tu7ons  of  IP    

•  IP  inhabita7on  of  the  remaining  biodiversity  hotspots  and  unique  ecosystems  (Alcorn,  2011)  demonstrate  the  strength  of  their  conserva2on-­‐linked  land  governance  (Ricke3s  et  al.  2010,  Hayes  and  Ostrom  2005)    

•  Holism  and  mirroring  ecologists’  perspec7ves  (Blumenfeld  et  al.  2009).    •  Decentralized  local  ins7tu7ons  as  well  as  a  culture  of  conserva2on  have  

ensured  sustainable  natural  resources  management  (Ostrom  2009)  •  Global  analyses  demonstrate  forest  degrada2on  to  be  inversely  related  to  

the  level  of  local,  collec2ve  ac2on  in  managing  forest  management  (Chhatre  and  Agrawal  2009,  Ostrom  and  Nagendra,  2006)    

•  Opportuni7es  to  stabilize  forests  and  promote  carbon  equilibrium  are  high  in  IP  territories  

•  Appropriate  engagements  with  IP  with  recogni7on  of  their  tenure  and  resource  rights,  can  be  key  to  long-­‐term  REDD+.    

Nagaland  •  Located  in  strategic,  IP  dominated,  bio-­‐diverse  NE  region  of  India      

•  Popula7on  2  millions,  89%  IP,  comprising  of  16  recognized  tribes  

•  71%  rural  popula7on,  119  persons/sq  km  

•  73%  engaged  in  primary  sector,  which  contributes  1/4th  to  state’s  economy  

Naga  Land  Tenure  •  Each  tribe  and,  in  many  cases  each  village  has  own  unique  land  

tenure  systems    •  92%  is  Community  owned  land(Darlong,  2004)  

–  (a)  Private  land  –  (b)  Clan  land  –  (c)  Morung  land,  and    –  (d)  Common  Village  land    (major  land  use  :  Jhum  or  Community  

Forests)  •  No  system  of  maintaining  land  records  or  documents    •  Rights  are  primarily  determined  by  un-­‐codified  “customary  laws”  •  Effec7vely  applied  and  interpreted  by  the  tradi7onal  Village  

Councils/ins7tu7on  for  land  alloca7on  and  dispute  resolu7on  

Land  use  •  Long-­‐term  holding  of  land  for  permanent  cul7va7on,  gardens  and  homesteads  with  prior  consulta7on  with  village  authori7es,  clan  elders  or  with  respec7ve  owners  

•  Increased  priva2za2on  and  individual  ownership,  especially  of  land  under  permanent  cul7va7on  such  as  wet  rice  cul7va7on  (PWC),  terraced  lands,  orchards,  gardens,  tree  farming,  bamboo  grooves,  etc.,  are  recent  no7ceable  trends  in  the  state  

SC  Area  incl  

Fallow  55%  

Other  Forests  25%  

Agri  &  Hor2  13%  

Habita2on  &  others  

7%  

Average  Village  Land  use  (  ~1200  ha  per  Village)  

Permanent  Agriculture  

Palm  Blocks  

Mul7-­‐storeyed  

SHIFTING  CULTIVATION  OR  JHUM  A  CLIMATE  SMART  LAND  USE?  

It  is  the  culture,  major  land  use  and  food  produc2on  system  in  Nagaland,  prac7ced  by  all  its  tribes  Prac7ced  in  >  50%  land,  by  >60%  popula7on  mee7ng  more  than  >60%  food  needs  (local  and  cultural  food)  Basic  principle  :    alterna7on  of  short  cropping  phases  (usually  1-­‐2  yrs)  with  phases  of  natural  (or  slightly  modified;  8-­‐9  yrs)  vegeta7on  fallow      

Jhum  Land  Governance  •  Done  in  con7guous  patches  with  Jhum  lands  divided  into  'Jhum  blocks'    

•  Communi7es  sustain  the  prac7ce  by  cul2va2ng  one  block  at  a  2me      

•  Each  eligible  family  gets  a  plot  in  this  block,  usually  democra7cally    

•  During  Cropping  phase,  jhum  plot  is    under  individual  ownership  of  the  family  with  the  rights  of  access,  withdrawal,  and  management      

•  Aler  this  phase,  the  family  shils  base  to  another  block,  leaving  the  jhum  field  as  fallow      

•  Decision-­‐making  regarding  the  period  of  fallow  is,  remains  with  the  Village  Councils.  

 

Jhum  blocks  in  village  landscape  

Individual  patches  in  a  Jhum  Block  

Dynamics  of  Individual  and  Community  Rights  

•  Jhum-­‐lands,  provide  individuals  bundle  of  rights  (access,  withdrawal,  and  management  rights  as  per  Ostrom’s  5  rights)  for  temporary  period,  keeping,  the  control  (rights  of  exclusion  and  aliena2on)  in  the  hands  of  the  community.    

•  Economic  theory  predicts  that  individuals  will  undertake  innova2ve  ac2vi2es  when  management  rights  exist.  (Saikia,  2010)  

Jhum  Cul7va7on  and  Fallow  Blocks  

District Tribes Geographical Area (ha)

% Area under Jhum

Annual Area (ha)

Jhum Cycle (year)

Dimapur Mixed 92,700 20 4,340 4.73 Mokokchung Ao 1,61,500 76 11,923 10.2 Wokha Rengma, Lotha 1,62,800 67 15,580 7.87 Kohima Angami, Rengma 3,11,400 40 11,529 9.35 Phek CHAKHESANG,

Pochury 2,02,600 26 21,054 9.71

Zuhneboto Sema 1,25,500 84 12,306 8.13 Tuensang Yimchungers, Sangtams,

Khiamniungan, Phom, Sumis

4,22,800 72 41,083 8.79

Mon Konyak 1,78,600 42 13,534 8.41 Nagaland 16,57,900 55 1,31,349 8.40 !

Policy  Space  :  Contested  •  Forest  Acts  discourage  though  provide  some  space  

–  Nagaland  Forest  Act,  1968  discourages  in  line  with  IFA  –  Forest  Conserva7on  Act,  1980  –  made  not  applicable  –  Dral  State  Forest  Policy,  2011,  prescribes  conversion  to  planta7on  

•  Enabling  Acts  –  Nagaland  Jhumland  Act,  1970  –recogni2on  –  Nagaland  Village  and  Area  Council  Act,  1978,  provides  ownership    

•  Na7onal  Policy  was  earlier  to  stop  or  convert,  of  late  is  to  accept  and  promote  with  local  knowledge  and  local  ins2tu2on  

•  Dominant  discourse  looks  at  shiling  cul7va7on  as  a  wasteful  and  ecologically  dysfunc7onal  system,  detrimental  to  forests  and  soil,  and  hence  needs  to  be  eradicated  by  inducing  cul7vators  to  adopt  other  forms  of  livelihood      

•  Alternate  discourse  argue  shiling  cul7va7on  as  an  efficient  economic  prac7ce,  firmly  embedded  in  local  cultural  and  social  ins7tu7on,  which  is  ecologically  sustainable    

 

Jhum  Ra7onality  •  Context  and  Requirement  

–  Constraining  Ecological  condi2ons:    humid  tropical  climate,  steep  terrain,  leached  soils  and  the  developmental  remoteness  

–  Requirements    of  local  and  cultural  food  and  maintaining  forest-­‐agriculture  produc7vity  

•  Jhum  has  evolved  as  relevant,  effec2ve  and  adap2ve  food  produc2on  prac2ce,  in  close  interac7on  with  the  socio-­‐cultural  life  of  the  tribal.    –  Use  of  ITK  in  site  selec7on  and  crop-­‐manipula7on  for  increased  diversity  and  cover  management  to  adapt  to  biophysical  and  socioeconomic  changes  is  notable  in  jhum  system  (Chris7anity  1986;  Nekro,  2009;  Saikia  2010)  

–  Resilience  through  embedded  diversi7es  (Ramakrishnan2001;  Darlong  2004).    

–  Carbon  sequestra2on  poten2al    of  fallow  forests  –  N-­‐dynamics  –  Sustainability  poten2al  :  Fallow  (~8  years)-­‐crop  (1-­‐2)  cycle,  diversifica7on,  cover  management,  Soil  conserva7on,  popula7on  dependent  etc.  

Adapta7on  :  The  Smart  Op7ons  •  Crop  manipula2on-­‐  diversifica2on  &  Cover  management    – Grow  as  many  possible:  41crops  with  8  rice  varie7es    –  Retaining  and  managing  tree/  Nitrogen  Fixing  Tree  in  cropping  phase  :  Alder-­‐  Angami,  Macaranga-­‐  Konyak  

– Maintaing  islands  of  forests  –  Mosaics  •  Variability  in  Jhum  Cycle  with  crops/management  prac7ce    –  2  year  Cropping  +  2  year  fallow    in    Alder-­‐based  Jhum  Kohima  

–  Every  year  Cropping  –  Kolar  beans  –Jhum  in  Tuensang  – Out  of  21  villages  (9  dist),  8    villages  had  jhum  <  10  years;  average  –  9  years    

Mixed  Cropping  

Increasing  trees  in  Jhum  

Increasing  tree  density  in  Jhum  

Tree  canopy  management  

Tree  canopy  management  

Ecological  Adapta7on    

•  Follow  nature  •  Nutrient  recycling  •  Use  of  LEK  e.g.  Insects  like  Drosophila,  Earthworm  and  sounds  of  cicads  influence  site  selec7on,  sowing  and  harves7ng  processes  

•  Selec7ng  foraging  by  women  in  fallow  •  Soil  Moisture  Conserva7on  :  Log  bunding  •  Hoilsm  and  Dynamism  

Log  bunding  

Emerging  Contras7ng  Trend  

•  Decreasing  in  jhum  area    and  Increasing  fallow  periods    –  (NEPED-­‐2008)  in  153  villages  showed  that  land  conversion  for  jhum  has  considerably  reduced.  

– Land  under  jhum  is  also  becoming  lesser  as  people  are  leaving  jhum  (Krug,  2009)  in  favor  of  newer  livelihood  op7ons  and    

–  those  engaged  are  not  willing  to  go  for  distant  blocks  from  villages  (SLEM,  2013)  

– Observa7ons  of  JICA  survey  team  in  2014  

Shifts Drivers/Discourses No expansion in jhum area Declining production!(?); Shifting foodscapes:

alternate food systems (terraces in Phek, kohima, Dimapur, purchased food, PDS) Less labor availability with emerging of remunerative alternate livelihoods – Skill (viz. carpentry, mason)- based, cash crop-based, New generation is mostly migrating out and not willing to take up hard work required for Jhum

Abandoning of Jhum Average age of Jhumias Abandoning of Jhum blocks Reduction of coverage in Jhum blocks

Conversion of Jhum Land Promotional schemes and Demonstrations by different agencies viz. NEPED, SLEM, NAIP-ICAR, Horticulture Mission, Rubber Board, FDA-Jhum etc., along with availability of subsidy, exposures, capacity building etc.

!

Shiling  trend  in  Shiling  Cul7va7on  

Abandoned  patches  in  jhum  blocks  

Conserva7on  Renaissance    •  Community  conserva7on  movement  since  1980  •  776  such  areas  in  5  eastern  districts  documented  (15%  abandoned  Jhum)  

•  Drivers  –  Non-­‐monetary  drivers    

•  ‘care’  and  ‘concern’  for  natural  resources    •  Linking  conserva7on  to  ‘iden7ty  (or  pride)’of  the  community    

–   U7lity  driver  •  Ecosystem  Services  :  Protec7on  of  water  catchment  &  Healthy  environment’    

•  Economic  Products  :  Source  of  fuel  wood,  bamboo  and  cane,  NTFP  ,  honey  etc.      

•  However,  process  and  norm-­‐seung  through  local  governance  systems  and  customary  laws  of  many  communi7es    

Conserva7on  area  and  terraced  fields  in  Phek  

Community  Conserva7on  Ini7a7ves  

Govt  suppor7ng  CCA  

Community  Conserva7on  Area  

Summary  •  Context  –  Limita2ons  of  Ecosystems  and  the  mul7ple  requirements  of  food,  culture  an  conserva7on  

–  Existence  and  evolu7on  of  Jhum    –  Customary  systems  and  village  (habita7on)  governance  

•  Elements  of  Climate  Smart  Land  Governance  –  Community  and  village  (local)  control  and  tenure  –  Landscape-­‐linked  land-­‐governance  (Ins2tu2on  –  Technology  Link)  

–  Con2nuum  of  rights  within  par7cular  landscapes  and    –  Cyclic  natural  resources  management  (adap2ve,  holism,  diversity)  

–  Space  for  Community  adapta2on  and  local  innova2on  because  of  community  tenure  

Emerging  land  use  Mosaics  

Landscape  linked  Land  governance  Community  

Conserva2on  area  on  the  ridge  

Ac2ve  Jhum  Block  –  Cul2va2on  

phase  Jhum  block  

converted  to  Forest  under  economic  use   Ac2ve  Jhum  block  

–  Fallow  phase  

Jhum  gejng  converted  to  

conserva2on  area  

Direct-­‐  Priva2za2on  

Space  

Indirect-­‐priva2za2on  

Paddy  terraces  –  Temporary  Private  

Landscape  linked  Land  Governance  

Climate  Smart  results    

•  Sustenance  of  substan7al  forest  density  with  rich  biodiversity  

•  Diverse  foodscapes  to  meet  needs  of  cultural  and  local    food  and  nutri7on  

•  Maintenance  soil  fer7lity  and  resilience  •  Provisioning  and  con7nua7on  of  ecosystem  services  •  Regular  flow  for  biomass  to  meet  other  consump7on  needs  and  economy  

•  Use  of  Land  as  per  poten7al  •  Bever  adop7on  poten7al  through  cultural  linkage  

Challenges  to  Community  Tenure  •  Different  Experiences  of  Mul2ple  Dominant  Ins2tu2ons  :  

Village  Council,  Gaon  Burra,  Ang/Chief  •  ‘Technical-­‐Simplis2c  Solu2ons’  in  area-­‐based  development  

approaches  of  the  State,  limited  promo7on  of  ‘community-­‐tenure  based  models’  

•  Project  imposed  ins2tu2ons  vis-­‐à-­‐vis  nested  ins2tu2ons  –  JFM,  Watershed  Commivee      

•  Increasing  trends  towards  mone2za2on  of  economy  and  individualiza2on  of  land  –  Big  land  owners,  commercial  planta7ons  

•  Mass  exodus  of  younger  genera7on  from  rural  and  primary  produc7on  prac7ces  

•  Cost  and  implica7ons  of  Dispute  resolu7on  in  changing  society          

Thanks!