Securing livelihoods and natural resource management through community empowerment: The Experience Natural Resource Management Groups of NERCORMP

Transcription

1 Securing livelihoods and natural resource management through community empowerment: The Experience Natural Resource Management Groups of NERCORMP Regional Sharing Workshop on Assessment of Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia Pacific region for Rio +20 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Kathmandu, Nepal L Baite, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas (NERCORMP), Shillong, India; Dhrupad Choudhury, Kathmandu, ICIMOD and Sanam Aksha, Kathmandu, ICIMOD

2 Contextual Background Uplands of North East India.. Under developed; poverty in the midst of plenty Top-down development approach, little involvement of communities Alienation, on the periphery of mainstream development change Entrenched subsidy mentality aid syndrome; rapid erosion of self reliance Widespread unrest, insurgency and atmosphere of distrust and alienation

3 Background.. Against the background of failed development initiatives..disillusionment in the NER, the role of the project will be to demonstrate a new approach to development which focuses on interventions which are technically appropriate, culturally sensitive and institutionally effective. - NERCORMP Appraisal Report, Vol I, September, 1999

4 Desired Goals Promote participatory, community led decision making and planning Develop a viable, participatory, bottom up development model for the NER Narrow the developmental disparity between Northeastern upland communities and the rest of the country

5 The Project... North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas (NERCORMP) jointly funded by IFAD and the Government of India Assam N C Hills & Karbi Anglong Manipur Senapati & Ukhrul Meghalaya West Garo Hills & West Khasi Hills (Total Households: 87,000)

6 Project objective and components The overall objective of NERCORMP: to improve the livelihood of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner through improved management of the resource base in a way that contributes to protecting and restoring the environment. Major components: Capacity building of communities & participating agencies Economic livelihood activities Community-based biodiversity conservation Social sector activities Village roads & rural electrification

7 Inclusive Development: Community decision making, client-driven development Natural Resource Management Groups (NaRMGs) Membership : Male & female members from each household Village Development Council - compliment Traditional Institutions Transparency, accountability, empowerment

8 Fostering ownership of development initiatives: clientdriven planning and implementation Natural Resource Management Groups (NaRMGs) Decision making, fund management, implementation monitoring Participatory planning of activities (Perspective plans Annual plans) Revolving funds; community contribution Gender mainstreaming

9 Gender mainstreaming: Empowering women through affinity groups and alliances Self Help Groups & Federations (SHGs and SHG Federations) Membership : Affinity groups (women from disadvantaged households) Critical constituent and member of NaRMGs Savings, micro-credit activities Income generating activities, implementation and monitoring Matching funds; Bank linkages

10 Inclusive economic development: Reducing the dependency on jhum diversifying options Home gardens Improved nutrition, Additional income: investment of Rs /-; returns from Rs /-; gestation period: 3 months Reduced drudgery Extended homegardens, incorporation of horticultural crops Cash crops, income diversification Wet rice cultivation Increased staples security

11 Infrastructure development: minor irrigation, village roads, access education, markets

12 Off farm income diversification Weaving, handicrafts Groceries, petty business

13 Aloe vera Agro-products, NTFPs Fibre extraction (Banana, pineapple) Income diversification: cash crops, value addition

14 Empowering communities in entrepreneurship: Tea growers federation 1020 households; 564 ha, 69 villages 600 registered members Peak season collection: 7000 kg Lean season: 1100 kg 9 collection centres, Mon- Thurs upto 12 noon Green tea leaves Rs 10-13/- per kg Total capacity: kg/yr 7 grades Revenue: Rs 20 million/yr

15 Environmental management: Community driven conservation initiatives Provisioning, Ecosystem services (water), Wildlife reserves (Elephant, python, Gibbon Reserves) States Districts Area (sq km) Purpose Assam N C Hills Catchment, Community Reserves Karbi Anglong Community, Sacred groves, Catchment, Stream protection,ntfp Manipur Senapati Village reserves, Fuelwood & Timber, Germplasm, Sacred Groves Ukhrul Catchment, village, wildlife, Bamboo reserves, Green belts Meghalaya W Garo Hills Catchment; village reserves, bamboo & other reserves; wildlife reserves, Elephant reserves W Khasi Hills Village reserves Community initiated Community managed NaRMGs Registered with authorities Linked to FDA

16 Community driven conservation initiatives Fish sanctuaries (Simsang river, Garo Hills) Community initiated and managed Breeding sites protection 100 metres upstream & downstream Chocolate mahseer, trout and other hill stream fishes Replication 24 sites along Simsang river Replication in other districts (East & South Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills)

17 Community landuse management at the landscape level Perspective landuse planning using Participatory 3 Dimensional Modelling (P3DM) Management of shifting cultivation land optimisation, plot consolidation, fallow management Landuse planning for catchment reserves, forest conservation, wet rice cultivation, cash crop plantations

18 Rio + Agenda, Green Economy, COP and other initiatives Encourage community-led decision making, planning, implementation and monitoring Empowered communities can bring about transparency, accountability, inclusive growth and greater ownership of development initiatives Empowered communities can contribute to SMD goals Social inclusion, empowerment of marginalised Economic development local resources, value addition, alliances of marginalised Environmental conservation sustainable use and management of resources

19 Thank you