Addressing forest degradation in the context of joint forest management in Udaipur, India
This case study presents a forest rehabilitation initiative in the tropical dry forests in northwestern India. This project is undertaken by an Indian Non Government Organisation (NGO), the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), in cooperation with the Forest Department and aims at improving the livelihood of tribal communities. The framework of the project is the Joint Forest Management (JFM) Programme in which forest regeneration and protection is managed jointly by government and people. Various measures are being implemented ranging from actual field work to improving forest stocking and grass vegetation to institutional reorganisation aimed at enhanced access to resources, self-governance and benefit sharing between communities and the government.