World Mountain Symposium 2001: People’s Participation in a Government-led Project

8/9/2019 World Mountain Symposium 2001: Peoples Participation in a Government-led Project

1/7

World Mountain Symposium 2001 Understanding Sustainability through Peoples Part icipation in a Government-led Project

1

UNDERSTANDINGSUSTAINABILITY THROUGH PEOPLES

PARTICIPATION IN A GOVERNMENT-LED PROJECT:EXPERIENCES FROM THEDOON VALLEY INTEGRATEDWATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT, UTTARANCHAL,INDIA.

BP Pandey,

Jyotsna Sit ling

Lessons from the past:After the devastating floods of August 1978 in North India, the Government of India (GoI) appointed the

Uttar Pradesh state (UP) Forest Department to prepare an integrated watershed management plan, and

its implementation was assisted by the World Bank under the Himalayan Watershed Management

Project (HWMP) with its primary objective of restoring the Himalayan ecosystem.

The Government of UP established the Watershed Management Directorate (WMD) under the Hill

Development Department to manage the World Bank sponsored Himalayan Watershed Project (1984-

85). In 1988 it was re-organised under a unified line of command, whereby staff from different line

agencies was deputed to WMD. This had helped to foster an integrated approach, although it was stillprimarily focused on sectors.

Reviewing earlier projects, they were target-driven on techno-economic inputs. Social issues were given

a back seat. Technologies, being externally derived, could not be sustained, and planning being top

down, no stakes could be developed for maintaining the assets on a sustained basis. The Panchayat(local

self-government) with which the project worked failed to enforce common property resource user

obligations.

The Doon Valley Integrated Watershed ManagementProject (DVP)

Background:

The Doon Valley occupies 2408 sq. km. The project area is bounded by the lesser Himalaya in the north,

the Shiwalik hills to the south, the Yamuna river on the west and the Ganges on the east. The terrain

mostly includes steep slopes and to a lesser extent gently sloping pediment plains. Prompted by local

concerns over the environmental degradation in the Doon Valley, the European Union (EU) agreed to

finance the Doon Valley Integrated Watershed Management Project (DVP) with the Government of

Uttaranchal state (erstwhile Uttar Pradesh). The project implementation started in June 1993 andextends to December 2001. The area profile and the project profile of DVP are given in Annexe-1.


2/7


3/7


3

Integration of work and social factor:

The project intervened with seven components in an integrated manner. The components were: 1.

Forestry, 2. Animal Husbandry, 3. Soil Conservation, 4. Agriculture, 5. Horticulture, 6. Minor Irrigationand 7. Energy Conservation. A more detailed description is given by Datta & Virgo (1998).A single male

staff equipped with core multi-disciplinary technical trainings was deputed to handle the community

during the implementation phase. He was assisted by a female community facilitator and a female

motivator for community mobilisation, specially the womenfolk.

On the technology front, resource conservation and production technologies that gave immediate as

well as long-term benefits to the farmers were given priority. In-situ soil and moisture conservation

technologies were adopted. Technical plans were modified to a reasonable degree to incorporate

grassroots needs. A premium was given to integrating conservation technologies and practices with

socio-cultural values. Inputs in livelihood improvement devices were matched and negotiated with

improvement in the livelihood support base systems. The profile of component expenditures and their

major impacts are given in Annexe-I.

Mainstreaming gender in the project process:

The project addressed the specific problems of women in practical areas for drudgery reduction through

promotion of gender-friendly technologies (crop, fodder, animals, devices, implements) coupled with

awareness and sensitisation of men. This gave them more time, support and confidence to participate in

the social decision-making process of watershed activity through Women Self Help Groups (SHGs).

These were reflected in their involvement in meetings, confidence in decision-making and verbal

expression capability. Special attention was given to education, training , awareness campaign, thrift

saving and loaning. The disadvantaged people were addressed through upgradation of traditional skills

and proactive consideration in non-land based benefits and loans.

Enabling process-orientated policies in village-level organisation:

The project believed that the basis of development and progress lies in initially informal but effective

village institutions. A Gram (Village) Resource Management Association (Garema) was formed in each

revenue village in the course of PRA-based planning exercises. One female and one male member of

each household was represented in the Garema. Generally, Garemashave five to eleven members in the

executive body, including women (33%) and disadvantaged people, with five office-bearers (executives)appointed by consensus or through election. The Gram Pradhan (Chairperson) of the Panchayat is the

patron of the committee, who would provide the link with the Panchayati Raj Institution(PRI), i.e local

self-government. The state of Uttaranchal has taken steps to mainstream Garemaswith PRI.

During the implementation phase, the project helped the Garemasto develop the institutional capacity in

framing their own rules, regulations and procedures to meet their upcoming institutional challenges. This

involved continuous action research on sustainable alternatives and consequently developing guidelines

through supportive trainings and workshops of staff and Garemamembers, as well as enabling linkage of

Garemaswith external institutions. These processes led to the evolution of five policy documents by

1998 on 1. Rules of Garema, 2. Reciprocal Obligation Policy, 3. Management of Revolving Fund, 4.


4/7


4

Strategy for Paraprofessionals and 5. Withdrawal Strategy. These documents have been approved by the

Empowered Committee (a high-level committee of erstwhile UP Government) in 1999.

These documents transpire the spirit of institutional processes which could evolve in the context-specific

socio-political and environmental milieu. They offer a tolerable limit of standardised institutional

measures and guidelines required to spearhead scale-up of a large-scale participatory project.

Enabling reciprocal obligation process for building of ownership:

The reciprocal obligation measures could not be brought into practice until the project was reasonablyaccepted by the villagers. Once the project interventions started getting accepted in the villages, thecontributions were progressively scaled-up from 1995 to 1997 by making the community understand theneed to raise a viable fund for self-reliance and sustainability (see Annexe-IIfor a sample). The wholeexercise was standardised as a Reciprocal Obligation Policy in 1998. The major considerations for

determining the cash contribution from individuals were:

1. Sacrifices made in adopting conservation practices.

2. Economic benefits reaching the stakeholders directly through the items.

3. Pre-exposure to the items and easily disposable nature of items.

4. Items directed towards individual or group of stakeholders.

5. Socio-economic conditions of stakeholders.

6. Remoteness of the area.

Technology value of the items to meet the projects objectives, e.g bio-gas plants.

The contributions of the farmers in kind practically meant following those conservation practices which

led to education and awareness for long-term environment gains. These were: closing plantation areas

for at least five years, stall feeding of cattle, rational lopping of trees, prevent forest fires, planting the

agriculture bunds with fodder grasses, maintaining the common natural assets and vegetative treatment

of erosion-prone areas through collective Shramdan (voluntary labour), etc.

Since the cash equivalent of villagers contributions was deposited in their own fund, their participation,

ownership and stake in the creation and management of a revolving fund became very high. The

principle of reciprocal contributions has engendered a sense of local ownership, favoured local

maintenance of the assets and reduced the subsidy dependency syndrome (Virgo & Roe, 2001).

Revolving funds for financial empowerment:

In the early stages of the project, it was envisaged that the funds would be utilised only for the purpose

of maintaining or managing common property resources after the project withdrawal. But subsequent

experience transpired that it would be preferable to start up circulating money within the community for

loaning. The idea was floated amongst the villagers and caught their imagination after initial resistance.

The Garemashave evolved their own institutional procedure to manage their loaning systems (modes of

payment and repayment; rules and regulations regarding selection of candidates; rates of interest and

penalties; etc).

Members have used loans for varied social and economic purposes. The social pressures to repay and

maintain the funds have proved to be stronger than any outside pressure. The revolving fund has


5/7


5

become the focus of group transaction. The groups ability to maintain records and manage its affairs in

turn increased the members confidence and self-reliance. This process gave them greater financial

empowerment. The position of revolving funds is illustrated in Annexe-I.

Developmental initiatives through paraprofessionals:

Bearing in mind the dearth of adequate field staff, the project introduced paraprofessionals to promote

institutional building processes and manage the scale-up programme implementation portfolio. This gave

the staff more time for trainings, monitoring and developing new ideas for systems development. This

also helped to build the technical capacity of the villagers. The project facilitated the service linkage of

paraprofessionals with the communities through the Garemaand gradually phased out its own support.

This exercise could be useful in isolated pockets. Outmigration of paraprofessionals remained the major

setback in this exercise.

Federation of Garemas:

The common concern for environmental protection and effective external linkages led the socially

affiliated villages (three or more) to come together to form federations called Corema (Cluster of

Resource Management Associations) in 1999. Coremas have been actively involved in evolving and

sustaining a monitoring and evaluation system and an inter-village auditing system, protection of inter-

village common property resources, resolving conflicts and promoting production-related activities

(Sitling, 2001). Funds for undertaking all these activities have been mobilised from 2% on the principal

and 10% on the interest derived from the revolving fund of the Garema. The supportive role of Coremas

has kept the enthusiasm for the Garemaalive even after the withdrawal.

Mainstreaming withdrawal protocol in the project process:

The project enabled the people to develop a timeframe for taking over the responsibility for the

maintenance of resources. At the time of withdrawal, a ten-year Resource Management Plan or

'Withdrawal Plan' had thus been prepared by each Garema. This plan outlines the details for upkeep and

management of Common Property Resources (CPR), Community Assets (CA) and Private Assets (PA)

by providing adequate institutional, financial and technical arrangements. The plan shows a high degree

of environmental and social commitment as reflected in their fund utilisation pattern (Annexe-III).

Ingenious checks and balances have been incorporated in this plan to balance the power structure and to

avoid future misuse of funds. The PRIs and District Development Authorities have been sensitised about

this plan. The way communities have involved themselves in the preparation and implementation of

Withdrawal Plans shows their high degree of commitment to sustaining the project process.

Impact on secondary stakeholders:

In the initial years, the government officials tended to be sceptical of the project approach. The lead

agencys (Indian Ministry of Agriculture) formal watershed management guidelines were somewhat

different from the project methodology. Latterly, the participatory processes evolved by the project

became more widely appreciated by both state and central government. The EU as the funding agency

gave consistent support to the projects approach and has frequently cited the Doon Valley Project as

one of their most successful projects in India. These changes in attitude could also be because of an


6/7


6

evolving nation-wide paradigm shift in the perception that village-based, participatory watershed projects

represent the most successful approach to watershed management in India (Kerr et al., 2000).

Sustainability and replicability:As stated at the outset (Virgo & Maleta, 1993), the participatory approach was a new and, at that time,

an untested approach. This concern has been reiterated by Rhoades (1999), warning that proof of long-

term sustainability is needed and that technical issues still remain important.

In a study conducted by a Technical Assistance team (WS Atkins) on the Doon Valley processes,

especially the village-level institution development has shown a high degree of sustainability (Annexe-IV)

with positive indications to continue in the medium term (Virgo & Roe, 2001). Participatory methods

developed by the project have been assimilated into the World Bank aided Forestry and Watershed

Project in the Himalayan region of India. As a large-scale Government project to have internalised theparticipatory approach through implementation, it stands a greater chance of replicability in terms of its

process. WMDs planning, management and monitoring capacities are already being used to identify,

plan, supervise and monitor further integrated participatory watershed and environmental conservation

programmes to be implemented by line agencies and NGOs through government or external funding in

the newly created state of Uttaranchal. This needs enhancing the facilitation role of WMD (Virgo & Roe,

2001).

An optimistic note on change:Impacts of DVP may be small in terms of geographical area, but the lessons learnt have definitely much

wider implications. These will certainly be trend-setting in changing the way developmental initiatives

will be pursued for future mountain development projects.

Acknowledgement

The Authors wish to thank the European Commission, whose clarity of purpose and support for the

approach enabled the project to work with a clear vision and share the valuable insights in this forum.

Thanks are also due to our many colleagues from the Watershed Management Directorate and the

Technical Assistance team, whose contribution and commitment to this process-oriented approach

made participation of the community a reality in a Government organisation. Most importantly we feel

grateful to the villagers of Doon Valley, whose relentless interest and deep involvement in the projectmade possible all these valuable insights.


7/7


7

REFERENCES:

Datta, SK & Virgo, KJ. 1998. Towards Sustainable Watershed Development through Peoples Participation.

Mountain Research & Development 18: 213-233.

Sitling, J. 2001. Participatory Eco-restoration: Breaking Ground in Participatory Action Research. In:

Learning to Share 2 (ed. by N Mukharjee & B Jena), pages 25-46. Concept Publishing, New Delhi.

Kerr, J, Pangare, G, Pangare, Vl & Gerorge, PJ. 2000. An Evaluat ion of Dryland Watershed Development

Project in India. EPTD Discussion Paper 68. International Food Policy Research Institute,

Washington, USA.

Rhoades, RE. 1999 Part icipatory Watershed Management: W here the Shadow Falls. Sustainable Agriculture

& Rural Livelihoods, Gatekeeper Series SA 81. IIED, London.

Thapliyal, KC, Lepcha, STS & Kumar P. 1999. A New Approach for Government: Doon Valley IWMP. In:Fertile Ground: Impacts of Participatory Watershed Management (ed. by F Hinchcliffe, JThompson,

JPretty, I Gujit, P Shah), pages 157-163. IT Publications, London.

Virgo, KJ& Maleta, BP. 1993. Participative Approaches to Watershed Management. Tropical Agriculture

Association Newsletter, September 1993.

Virgo, KJ& Roe, J. 2001. Why was Doon Valley Project a success? reflect ions by the TA Team. National

Workshop on Watershed Strategy for Uttaranchal, Dehradun, India, July 2001.

Documents

World Mountain Symposium 2001: People’s Participation in a Government-led Project