662
More training programmes have been proposed to be organised at different regions of
the country in association with different
institutions, notably, Gujarat Ecological
Edu ca tion and Research Foundation,
Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Environment Planning
and Coordination Organisation (EPCO),
Bhopal, MP; Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra
Dun, Uttarakhand; Centre for Water Resources
Development and Management (CWRDM),
Kozhikode; Institute of Management and
Ecological Designs, Kolkata; and so on.
(d) Notwithstanding the above, a series of regional
workshops have been organised in various
parts of the country to make people aware of
the importance of the wetlands as well as to
integrate their traditional knowledge in the
planning process. It has been a routine feature
to organise workshops involving the research
organisations and the wetland managers.
31.14.4 Community Participation
and Community-Based
Wetland Fisheries
Management (CBWFM
or in Short CBFM):
Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA)
31.14.4.1 Community Participation
(from MOEF)
This aspect seems to be an important thrust area
of the Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MOEF), Government of India (GOI), as it relates
to proper management and conservation of the
wetlands (MOEF 2007 ):
(a) The livelihood of the local (riparian) people
is dependent on the wetlands. As such, no
decision making could be considered as complete without the participation of the local
people. People have been using the wetlands
since time immemorial. Both the traditional
and latest scientifi c technologies are to be
blended for achieving long-term conservation
goals. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
exercise involving the local communities is
to be the main ingredient of community
participation. Issues of women and gender
sensitisation and involvement of women in the
management process are also to be taken into
consideration (Allison and Badjeck 2004 ).
(b) In view of the above, the components of
community participation could comprise of
the following constituents:
(i) Assessment of resource availability by
surveys and PRA exercises at the site
(ii) Analysis of stakeholders
(iii) Contact with external institutions for
resource and technical advice
(iv) Utilisation of wastes and aquatic weeds
for energy regeneration, e.g. through
installation of community-based biogas
plants
(v) Additional alternative income generation
programmes like handloom, handicrafts,
integrated farm management techniques
and other measures to reduce pressure
on wetlands
(vi) Highlighting of gender-related crosscultural, governance-related practices
and other special concerns for assessment by community
(c) It needs mention here that the Joint Forest
Management Committees (JFMCs), which are
also known as Village Protection Committees
(VPCs) or Eco-Development Committees
(EDCs), are expected to play an active role in
the conservation and management of wetlands
located particularly in forest fringe areas.
Such committees could be instrumental in
mobilising the communities towards proper
conservation as well as for implementing
equitable access to rights to information.
31.14.4.2 Admissible Components
for Assistance
The MOEF gives 100 % grants for the following
components:
(a) Survey and assessment
(i) Survey and mapping through revenue
records and ground truth
(ii) Changes in land use pattern through GIS
(iii) Survey of human settlements and other
human activities in the catchment,
including encroachments
31 Management and Conservation of Wetlands
More training programmes have been proposed to be organised at different regions of
the country in association with different
institutions, notably, Gujarat Ecological
Edu ca tion and Research Foundation,
Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Environment Planning
and Coordination Organisation (EPCO),
Bhopal, MP; Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra
Dun, Uttarakhand; Centre for Water Resources
Development and Management (CWRDM),
Kozhikode; Institute of Management and
Ecological Designs, Kolkata; and so on.
(d) Notwithstanding the above, a series of regional
workshops have been organised in various
parts of the country to make people aware of
the importance of the wetlands as well as to
integrate their traditional knowledge in the
planning process. It has been a routine feature
to organise workshops involving the research
organisations and the wetland managers.
31.14.4 Community Participation
and Community-Based
Wetland Fisheries
Management (CBWFM
or in Short CBFM):
Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA)
31.14.4.1 Community Participation
(from MOEF)
This aspect seems to be an important thrust area
of the Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MOEF), Government of India (GOI), as it relates
to proper management and conservation of the
wetlands (MOEF 2007 ):
(a) The livelihood of the local (riparian) people
is dependent on the wetlands. As such, no
decision making could be considered as complete without the participation of the local
people. People have been using the wetlands
since time immemorial. Both the traditional
and latest scientifi c technologies are to be
blended for achieving long-term conservation
goals. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
exercise involving the local communities is
to be the main ingredient of community
participation. Issues of women and gender
sensitisation and involvement of women in the
management process are also to be taken into
consideration (Allison and Badjeck 2004 ).
(b) In view of the above, the components of
community participation could comprise of
the following constituents:
(i) Assessment of resource availability by
surveys and PRA exercises at the site
(ii) Analysis of stakeholders
(iii) Contact with external institutions for
resource and technical advice
(iv) Utilisation of wastes and aquatic weeds
for energy regeneration, e.g. through
installation of community-based biogas
plants
(v) Additional alternative income generation
programmes like handloom, handicrafts,
integrated farm management techniques
and other measures to reduce pressure
on wetlands
(vi) Highlighting of gender-related crosscultural, governance-related practices
and other special concerns for assessment by community
(c) It needs mention here that the Joint Forest
Management Committees (JFMCs), which are
also known as Village Protection Committees
(VPCs) or Eco-Development Committees
(EDCs), are expected to play an active role in
the conservation and management of wetlands
located particularly in forest fringe areas.
Such committees could be instrumental in
mobilising the communities towards proper
conservation as well as for implementing
equitable access to rights to information.
31.14.4.2 Admissible Components
for Assistance
The MOEF gives 100 % grants for the following
components:
(a) Survey and assessment
(i) Survey and mapping through revenue
records and ground truth
(ii) Changes in land use pattern through GIS
(iii) Survey of human settlements and other
human activities in the catchment,
including encroachments
31 Management and Conservation of Wetlands