By Ishan Agrawal/Foundation for Ecological Security

1. “Eco-Restoration: Issues and
possiblities in Mandla district”
Presented by
Ishan Agrawal
Foundation for Ecological Security

2. 100 villages,more than 8000
households, 2000
hectares of commons being
protected in Mandla

3. Mandla District:
l Tribal community, forest and poverty

4. Issues in Mandla

7. Current fallow
Deciduous forest
Double / tripple
Kharif only
Other wasteland
Scrub/Deg. forest
Scrubland
Water bodies
0.0000
50000.0000
100000.0000
150000.0000
200000.0000
250000.0000
2004-05
2011-12
2013-14

8. Under story 3:Lantana camara (Bara
Forest floor dominating by some
Invasive species

9. Under story 4: Parthenium hysterophorus
Open area adjacent to forest
block

10. l Ecological Security is the foundation for sustainable development
l Commons – as they are the physical, institutional and political spaces of the poor
l Conservation and poverty alleviation go hand in hand
Leanings of FES

11. Understanding landscape
We take advantage of working on natural features, we start
eco restoration processes by identifying contiguous stretch of
land - may be catchment of a small river, macro watersheds,
range of hills or a social cohesive unit.

12. Grazing
land
Reserve
Forest
Water Body
Farming
Lands
Watershed
Boundary
Village
Settlement
Ecosystems within ecosystems
PanchayatPanchayat
Village
Boundary

13. Vulnerability analysis helps
unfold discussion with
communities on degradation
issues.

14. I. High canopy cover maintained
through:- Conservation
IV. Management measures aimed
regulating grazing, restricting forest
fire, improving soil moisture regime
for rejuvenating plant life and
expression of bio diversity.
III. Open scrubs on medium
slopes improved through:-Natural
Regeneration, Rules and
regulation, Protection
V. Disputed degraded forest land
addressed through Policy level advocacy
and village level actions.
II. Agricultural land: Improving
benefits due to catchement
protection, improving ecological
services for agriculture,
Improvement in production within
resource limits

16. Sacred groves

17. Forest fringes

18. A private forest of a Baiga of kapot behra Forest village

19. Interventions planned in current
cropping pattern
Forest commons
Grid locking,
maize+vegetables:
plantation on bunds,
acceptability for diverse
species; Focus on women
farmers;
Improving area
under pulses and
oilseeds; low
ecological footprint
crops;
land treatment of
uplands along with
input support and
silt application in
uplands; en-bloc
but diverse
plantations on
private uplands
possible
Minimise soil loss,
plantation on
bunds;
Conservation
planning by
communities and
lantana eradication
wherever possible

20. Restoration in commons

22. A patch of revenue wasteland, re-
vegetated by villagers with cut and carry
systems for grasses

23. Kanharikalan, Bichiya: A patch without
community protection in 2010

24. Kanharikalan, Bichiya: A patch with
community protection in 2013

25. New Common Pool resources
Reviving drains and streams and developing new water bodies through institutional
strengthening, integrated watershed planning at micro level. Introduce processes which
help upstream village are shared benefits that generally go to only downstream villages.

26. Exploring eco-tourism, organic agriculture, aggregation and
backyard poultry as ways to improve livelihood portfolio with
minimum ecological footprint

27. Thank You