|
Communities, Markets and Environment |
GOAL
Give stewardship of natural resources like forests, water and fisheries to communities
BENEFICIARY
Communities dependent on the natural resources for survival
Is the relationship between humans and ecology of friends or foes? Is the environment something that has to be only protected from human greed and something that should be beheld only from a distance? Our Environment Center's research says that tigers and tribals can and should co-exist. We call this mutual co-existence the Terracotta Approach as opposed to the Green movement that demands complete separation of humans and ecology.
Green and Brown Oustees
People ousted from the brown projects like construction of dams and highways receive huge attention of media and activists. But what about the people who get displaced due to the Green projects, the creation of national parks, sanctuaries or reserves? What about the Green oustees who are denied any property rights to the forests their home for ages and are displaced at one stroke of government policy? When the country wants to preserve its forest why does it punish the keepers of the forest and make them pay the price for the green movements?
The purpose of our research and the Terracotta Campaign is to bring into focus and debate the state's denial of property rights and means of livelihood to traditional communities.
Community Ownership of Fisheries
The main issues pertaining to fisheries are conservation of fish stock and ensuring livelihood of six million fishermen along the Indian coastline. However command and control method of fish conservation has put the two goals at conflict. The fishermen community has to bear the burnt of any government initiative of protecting the fish population.
What if the fishing community, the people whose livelihood is dependent on the fish stock are made the keepers of the fishing stock? What if they are given the community ownership of the fish population or of the sea? Is it not more practical to think that they would then harvest their yield in a more sustainable manner?
We take so good care of our own house and own car, because they are our property. Why can't we apply the same logic foe the natural resources like fisheries and forestry? If the fishing communities are given the property rights of the fish stock or to the sea, they will ensure that the fish stock sustains for the sake of their own livelihood.
The purpose of Terracotta Approach is to research and collate specific examples and case studies of community management of forests, water resources and fisheries from India and abroad and spread the idea of common property rights of natural resources. Understanding of the traditional methods of resource management and stewardship will help develop policies to formalize some of these viable mechanisms.
|
CCS Campaign |
|
Opinions and Commentary |
|
Policy Review |
|
|
Studies |
|
On the Radar |
|
|
Books and Monographs |
|
|
Related Events |
"Terracotta Summit: Beyond National Environment Policy 2004: Institutions, Incentives and Communities "
conference, March 7, 2005
"Keepers of Forests: Judiciary, Ministry, or Community ? " conference, March 28-29, 2003
"Water under Community Management" conference, March 24, 2003
Several dialogues have been held regarding the environment.
|
Resources |
|
More Studies |
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
