Emerging Model of Ecosystem Services
and Effective Governance Through
Scalable Technological Solutions Around
Protected Areas: Sharing Experiences
from India
Sunil K. Agarwal
Abstract Present paper aims to discuss innovative features and “systems approach”
adopted in implementing technology-driven developmental programme on “People
and Protected Areas (PPA): Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods in
Partnership with Local Communities” in India. This programme was jointly
implemented at pilot scale by Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development
(SEED) Division, Department of Science and Technology (DST), GOI and
WWF-India during 2009 to 2012–13 in a network mode promoting innovative
process mechanisms to enhance local livelihoods for communities living around 13
Protected Areas (PAs) in diverse ecological areas. In such initiatives, on an average
40–45 % reduction in fuel wood consumption was reported at various sites by
introduction of renewable energy technologies like bio-globules, and improved
cooking devices etc. Such need-based interventions have helped to build confidence
among the members of the community as they were able to adopt simple technologies providing livelihood benefits, reduced carbon footprints as well as better
quality of life. Findings of field-based action research programme suggests that
participatory technological appropriation and transfer (PTAT) involving
community is a necessary process for effective adaptation and governance to
develop diverse and sustainable livelihood models for replication at the local level.
Such process mechanism will have an impact not only on improving quality of life
with livelihoods diversification, but also enable adoption of better conservation
practices for sustainable use of forest resources in and around PAs. Paper suggests
that the “people centred approach” for need-based technological interventions by
adopting “system design” starting with the people and with lateral contribution from
Science & Technology (S&T) Knowledge Hubs and close interface with field-based
voluntary organizations/conservation groups can led to better impact outreach of
developmental projects to evolve and deliver innovative models for conservation
and sustainable livelihoods gains at local as well as global level. Adoption of such
S.K. Agarwal (&)
Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division, Department of
Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi 110016, India
e-mail: sunilag@nic.in
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_35
581
and Effective Governance Through
Scalable Technological Solutions Around
Protected Areas: Sharing Experiences
from India
Sunil K. Agarwal
Abstract Present paper aims to discuss innovative features and “systems approach”
adopted in implementing technology-driven developmental programme on “People
and Protected Areas (PPA): Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods in
Partnership with Local Communities” in India. This programme was jointly
implemented at pilot scale by Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development
(SEED) Division, Department of Science and Technology (DST), GOI and
WWF-India during 2009 to 2012–13 in a network mode promoting innovative
process mechanisms to enhance local livelihoods for communities living around 13
Protected Areas (PAs) in diverse ecological areas. In such initiatives, on an average
40–45 % reduction in fuel wood consumption was reported at various sites by
introduction of renewable energy technologies like bio-globules, and improved
cooking devices etc. Such need-based interventions have helped to build confidence
among the members of the community as they were able to adopt simple technologies providing livelihood benefits, reduced carbon footprints as well as better
quality of life. Findings of field-based action research programme suggests that
participatory technological appropriation and transfer (PTAT) involving
community is a necessary process for effective adaptation and governance to
develop diverse and sustainable livelihood models for replication at the local level.
Such process mechanism will have an impact not only on improving quality of life
with livelihoods diversification, but also enable adoption of better conservation
practices for sustainable use of forest resources in and around PAs. Paper suggests
that the “people centred approach” for need-based technological interventions by
adopting “system design” starting with the people and with lateral contribution from
Science & Technology (S&T) Knowledge Hubs and close interface with field-based
voluntary organizations/conservation groups can led to better impact outreach of
developmental projects to evolve and deliver innovative models for conservation
and sustainable livelihoods gains at local as well as global level. Adoption of such
S.K. Agarwal (&)
Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division, Department of
Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi 110016, India
e-mail: sunilag@nic.in
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_35
581