Indigenous led Forest Conservation

Problem Addressed

200 million tribals and other traditional forest dwelling communities depend on forests for their livelihood – ranging from shelter to forest produce. In Maharashtra, 10 million adivasis solely live and earn from forest based non-timber produce and agricultural activities. However, low levels of literacy, poverty, lack of technical and leadership skills has resulted in landlessness.

Despite the enactment of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, a landmark legislation, millions of tribals and other traditional forest dwelling communities have not had much success in getting entitlements to their traditional land holdings. We are striving to transform this landlessness into land security. Land ownership will not only help to secure identity and dignity but also improve the livelihoods of the tribal community. We aim to secure land rights of one million oppressed and marginalised tribal and forest dwelling communities by 2025 across India through engagement, capacity building, leadership, data collection and GIS based mapping of land parcels.

20 million Tribals & Forest Dwellers Displaced Due to Urbanization ​

HH

To Restore Individual Forest Rights using Satellite technology
 
Extensive data gathering, Documentation and Filing (Click here to learn more)
To bring transformation through Community Forest Resource Management model
Community-led Afforestation Drive (Click here to learn more)
To enable Women Leadership
 
 
Ensuring participation, then leadership (Click here to learn more)

Democratisation through Technology​

To streamline and accelerate the restoration of forest rights and transformation of community forest resources, we have developed a robust, user-friendly technological platform. This platform:

  • Documents Information and Evidence: Efficiently collects and stores critical data.
  • Maps Land Parcels: Utilizes satellite imagery for precise mapping.
  • Analyses and Shares Data: Facilitates comprehensive analysis and easy sharing of land and resource rights information.
  • Supports Multiple Languages: Available in multiple regional languages for wider accessibility.
  • Operates Online and Offline: Ensures functionality in remote areas.

Empowering Communities Through Technology: We train tribal family members to use this platform, enabling them to map their own land parcels and visualize their ancestral forest land and resources. This empowerment fosters a deeper connection to their land and aids in effective resource management.

Our innovative approach not only ensures accuracy but also has the potential to be replicated and scaled, enhancing forest rights restoration efforts across diverse regions.

Collaboration with Key Government Stakeholders / Departments


Chief Secretary
Govt. of MH
Secretary
Soil & Water Conservation
Govt. of MH
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
Principal Secretary of Tribal Development, Maharashtra

Impact

HH

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