By Vasundhara Bhubaneswar Restoring Forested Landscape: A Case Study from Ranpur Block of Nayagarh District, Odisha

1. Regenerating forested
landscapes: Community Forest
Management in Odisha

2. Restoring Forested Landscape: A Case Study
from Ranpur Block of Nayagarh District, Odisha
Total Population: 1.29 lakhs
SC Population: 9693 (8%)
ST Population: 6672 (5%)
Total Inhabited Villages: 219
SC Inhabited Villages: 119
ST inhabited Villages: 83
Recorded Forest Land: 56% to total GA
Marginal Farmers: 83%
Average Land holding: 1.05 acres
ST Households: 0.75 acres
Landless: 75% of ST HHs, 72% of SC HHs
Dependency on Forest is high: Household &
Agricultural implements, Forest Products

3. Forest Governance-Degradation-
Restoration
Prior to 1947
Considered as ex-State
Property
Governed under ex-state rules
No Rights except some
privileges to Communities
Peoples movement on access &
control (Praja Meli Andolan)
Focused more Teak Plantation
1947 - 1970
Declared as State Property
(Deemed to be RF)
Large scale Degradation: 1960s
– 1970s (Timber Harvest &
expansion of agricultural land)
1970s onwards
Communities faced lot of
hardship for timber, fuel wood
& forest food (impact on
women was high)
Villagers Started Protecting
Forest areas located closed to
their village (both revenue
forests & RFs)
• 158 villages protecting forests out of 219 villages;
• Out of 158 forest protecting villages, only 123 villages located
close to forest areas;
• Further out of 159 forest protecting villages, women forest
protecting villages are 42.

4. Degraded to Greenery Forests
LANDSAT data of US satellite –
December 2004
LANDSAT data of US satellite –
December 2009
Collective Efforts of Communities

5. Change in Forest Cover
Type of Forest % of
Density
Area (in
hect.)
Very Dense Forest 70 - 100% 1882.65
Moderately Dense
Forest
40 - 70% 15530.9
Open Forest 10 - 40% 7929.612
Scurb Forest 0 - 10% 6507.912
Total 31851.074
Type of Forest % of
Density
Area (in
hect.)
Very Dense Forest 70 - 100% 1982.83
Moderately Dense
Forest
40 - 70% 17532.72
Open Forest 10 - 40% 5827.612
Scurb Forest 0 - 10% 6507.912
Total 31851.074
2004
2009

6. A glimpse of Ecological indicators of CFM areas in Ranpur
In total 240 species of plants, 150 species of
birds, 18 mammals, 43 butterflies, 12 reptiles
have been documented. This includes 23 species of
RET plants and 24 RET animals.

7. How this transformation happened?
• Institution played a Pivotal Role
– Diversified Institutional Mechanism;
– Flexible, Adaptive, Accommodative, Emergent;
– Accountability, Transparency & Sustainability
have been guiding principle;
– Leadership largely voluntary and often seen as
service to community;
– Conflict Management in build within the system;
– Women Representation further strengthened the
institution

8. Institutional Mechanism

9. How this transformation happened?
• Management of Resource:
– Diverse – simple to complex systems of forest
management;
– Rules and regulations are often dynamic;
– Need based management;
– Accountability, Transparency, Sustainability and
livelihood security is overarching principle;
– Indigenous/traditional knowledge and knowledge
of practice;
– Intense and continuous interactions

10. Glimpse of Community Forestry in Odisha
• More than 10508 forest protecting groups (involves approximately 16,000
villages) (joint assessment by a group of NGOs in collaboration with OJM
and District Federations, 2008); (49000 approximately villages, 32587)
• State Forest Department: Approximately 40% of total recorded forest area
was under active protection of villages (Annual Report, 2005);
• Further its another report, it mentions that 12,500 VSSs/EDCs have been
assigned to protect 11.68 lakh hectares of forest land (AJY Proposal, SFD)
• Conservative Estimate: Annually communities spends 1.5 billion rupees

11. Sacred Groves:
Another form of Community led Conservation
• Large number of sacred groves are found in 13 districts out of 30;
• Maximum 322 sacred groves are recorded from Semiliguda block
of Koraput District (Malhotra et al. 2000).
• Approximate Area: 0.1 acres to 1000 acres
• Groves are considered as repository of gene pools and act as
reservoir of biological diversity;
• Governed under the customary laws of concern ethnic group.

12. Key Issues & Challenges
• Lack of Facilitative Response from the State;
– Co-option through various programs & schemes
e.g. JFM, Ama Jungle Yojna (external funding)
(JICA funded OSFDP);
• None implementation of the Forest Rights Act,
2006, especially recognition of CFR rights
(3264 out of potential 32587 villages)
• Major Threats: Mining, Industries, Plantation
Programs

13. Thanks