Dr.Banarsi Lal and Dr.Shahid Ahamad
Forests are useful for human livelihood, soil and water conservation, biodiversity, green house gases, flood control etc. Forests were generally vested with the Government especially after 1947 but usufruct rights of local communities, ethnic groups and tribes continued to be part of management. Irrespective of ownership, forests were treated as open or community resources of local population in the limited sense of traditional rights. Harmonious relationship between official foresters and villagers evolved over centuries on the principles of synergies, obligations, responsibilities, ethics etc. After 1950s commercial demand on forests was increased and regeneration or conservation was ignored by the foresters due to consumerism. Excessive public and private exploitation dwindled productivity or carrying capacity of the resources. Availability of open access goods and services to the poor or disadvantaged sections of the society alienated them from the official opaque process of decision making.
These factors created socio-economic and political conflicts between local stakeholders and so called service providers. Some successful experiments demonstrated that conflicts triggered by forest degrading process could be reversed by restoring transparent partnership among the local communities and forest service. This realization prompted alternative institutional and management strategies based on people’s participation of equitable sharing of rights and responsibilities. The main motive behind was to minimise conflicts and to create new partnership among communities, Government and private sector to ensure forest conservation and its sustainable management. Clarification of forests user’s rights and evolving adaptive policies and programmes were essential for successful implementation of Joint Forest Management. It was accepted that rural people living in and around forest must be brought into the forest management. This strategy involved participatory planning, monitoring, reviewing and strengthening of local institutional structures as well as management agreement.
The earlier forest policies were inadequately responsive to the neoneeds of communities living in and outside the forest areas, while its primary objective was the welfare of the people. The state of economy of the forest-dweller depends on the health of the forests. This strategy was pursued in the National Forest Policy, 1988 which placed emphasis on natural regeneration, preserving biodiversity and adopting management practices which benefited the local people. The Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests issued Joint Forest Management Resolution on 1st June, 1990 for the involvement of village community living close to the forests for their protection and degeneration of degraded lands. This policy resolution prescribed benefits to participating communities to meet their demands of forest products by active involvement in afforestation programmes. It paved the way for voluntary agency and non-Governmental organisation to be associated as an interface between the forest departments and the Forest User Groups for the revival, restoration and development of degraded resources. The main features of 1990 Resolution by Ministry of Environment and Forests are as under:
* Develop partnership between communities and forest departments, facilitated by non-Governmental organisations(NGOs).
*Benefits only to the organised communities undertaking regeneration.
* Rights to usufructs to all non-wood forest products to communities subject to successful protection and compliance approved by the state.
* Ten years working scheme involving micro-plans detailing forest management institutions and technical operations to be developed by user organisations with local foresters and NGOs.
* Funding from forest department programmes with encouragement to the communities to seek investments from other agencies.
In 1995, the 1990 Resolution was slightly modified to incorporate women and landless families. The current circular contemplates legal backup of Joint Forest Management committees, 50% general body membership to the women and extension of Joint Forest Management to good forest areas.
The sustainability of Joint Forest Management initiative can be assured only when there is genuine involvement of the community at each level. At present, the communities are performing their duties of protection of forests in a very effective way. Their roles in management, decision-making, access to information etc. need to be strongly strengthened. The foundation of participatory management of forests has been laid. It is the time to build upon these initiatives so that the long-term environmental security and development of forests can be assured.
No organisation can implement major policies, attitudinal and technological changes without complete orientation, change in mind set and training of its staff and communities. Most of the staff members need training in more than one subject which range from courses in basic computer application and advanced applications, watershed management, soil and water conservation techniques and modern nursery and plantation techniques, Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA) etc. The officials to be trained include the seniors and juniors functionaries as well as members of the communities and NGOs. Human Resource Development (HRD) can play a pivotal role in the continuous and sustained development because ultimately the ability of the department to orient itself to the needs of changing environment would largely depend on the capabilities and attitude of the staff. Successful Joint Forest Management (JFM) depends on a good relationship between the forest department and local communities so that they can work together to mitigate the common objectives. Transparency in Joint Forest Management is of utmost importance.
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