Role of Stakeholders in Forestry

ByAnshu Pragyan Das, OFS-I,

Govt of Odisha

India covers around 2.5 % of World’s Geographical Area

1.8 % of Forest Area

16 % of World Population

17% of Livestock Population

(*Wildlife Reports)

• Forest & Tree Cover is 25 % of Geographical Area of India.

Madhya Pradesh/Arunachal/Chhattisgarh/Odisha/Maharashtra

• 26 % villages are FFV in India.

• Rural Population is 68% of Country’s total Population and significant part of it is dependent on Forests -Fuel wood, fodder, small timber, bamboo, NTFP etc.

• India’s Livestock population is one of the highest in World.

Wildlife

Complex Interactions in Nature

Forest

Human

Poaching/Poverty

Encroachment/Agriculture

Human–AnimalConflict

Grazing

Developmental Activities

Tourism

People & Forest : Firewood

Small TimberBamboo

NTFPEtc..

Issues in Forest Areas

Equilibrium with Nature

Equilibrium with People in PA’s

Community Involvement

&Capacity

Building of Staff

Solutions possible only if people support the “Solutions”

• Relocation of Villages from PA’s• Control Grazing • Compensation• Strong Enforcement• Habitat Management • Alternative Resource Utilization• Alternative Livelihood Option

Involving allStakeholders

Expected Results

- Alternative Livelihood for Forest Dependent Communities- Poultry,

Agricultural support, Tailoring, Bamboo- Kenduleaf usage etc-Reduced Poaching & Zero Fire-Conservation of Wildlife habitat- Employment to Rural Women &

Tribal Communities- Nature Education

Case Study – South Satkosia (Mahanadi WL Division,Satkosia Tiger

Reserve) – 2015-20 • For gaining confidence of people inside PA –

Forest Department provided all weather Roads/ Electricity to buffer Villages/Livelihood generation Schemes in PA villages by Convergence of line departments/ Agricultural support/engagement of locals in Departmental works/ concept of Women –Squads/successful Ecotourism initiatives/regulated day-tourism activities/ Nature Education Programmes for local media, Local Bodies and common mass

Ecotourism Success Story -Satkosia Sands,

Satkosia Tiger Reserve

Birding,Boating, Sports, Trekking, Cycling, Wildlife watch ,Cultural Programme, Boating, Canopy Walk (constructed by Villagers, Odisha’s 1st Canopy Walk)

Farm Visits, Star Gazing etc.

Conservation through Nature Tourism, Nature Education

Programmes

Community Members in support of Conservation resulted in :

• Construction of 75 Anti-poaching Camps with VHF Connectivity in a span of 5 Years. Earlier we had only 14 Camps in the Division since inception of the Tiger Reserve

• More than 150 Poachers booked in WL Offence cases.

• Creation of 100 Sq.Km inviolate space for Wildlife by Closure of 2 Public Roads & illegal Fishing in Core of Satkosia.

• Erection of Check gates all around the Core and Solar Fencing around Villages for preventing Cattle movement to Core Area.

• Accepted the use of LPG Gas & Fuel Efficient Chullahs instead of using Firewood.

• Development of strong informer Network in the Tiger Reserve which helped arrest of a international Pangolin Smuggler –Shamsuddin Khan (Wanted in many other States)

• Zero Fire in South Satkosia consistently for 3 years.

• Highest Foot patrolling (Forest App) in the State by the Squads of the Division (Local Villagers) & Frontline Staff- Consistently for 4 Years.

• Adoption of Eco-Village concept by one of the Villages in Buffer- Example for other villages of Reserve.

• Successful Ecotourism Project of State , started in 2016 - investment 95 Lakhs, Revenue- 2.8 Crore in 4 Years. Employment for 7 to 8 buffer villages of the Reserve.

• Increase in Ranking of Satkosia Tiger Reserve and good performance of the Reserve in important parameters.

• Increase in prey density and also number of Elephants in the landscape.

One Village independent of Forest Resources :Eco- Village, Muduligadia, Satkosia Tiger Reserve

Thanks