The Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP) is a joint venture of the State environment and forest department and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The project is financed by the Government of Japan through Japan Banks of International Cooperation Agency (JBIC). It was launched in 2006-2007 and has got considerable success through the involvement of local villagers after Government machinery failed to achieve sustainable management of public forests.
Given the tremendous response to the project during its execution, the project was extended for another two years till March, 2015. The principal objectives of the project are improving the environment and alleviating poverty of the locals through restoration of degraded forests and improvement of their income level. The project covers about 2,500 village forests under 14 forest divisions, which is implemented through Vana Suraksha Samitis (VSS). The VSSs are involved in protection, restoration and management of forest blocks to fulfill the objectives of joint forest management.
Now, 14 forest divisions like Baliguda, Jeypore, Rayagada, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Paralakhamundi, Phulbani, Koraput, Bonei, Angul, Baleswar, Bhadrak and Satkoshia wildlife divisions are covered under the OFSDP.
The14 forest divisions are noted very much for their wilderness, natural resources, wild lives, water bodies, wetlands, minerals, various landscapes and primitive human resources. When Baliguda, Koraput, Phulbani, Jeypore, Rayagada and Paralakhemundi forest divisions are coming under southern Odisha, Rourkela, Deogarh, and Bonei come under north western Odisha.
Similarly, Keonjhar, Baleswar and Bhadrak come within northern Odisha, but Angul and Satkoshia divisions come under eastern zone of the State. The western and southern parts of the State are at higher altitude than the eastern and northern parts. The northern and eastern zones are greatly influenced by the sea. The success of joint forest management always rests on the co-ordination between all the partners associated with the operation of the project. The two basic principles of the project are sustainable uses of forest resources and benefit sharing.
Every forest division is scientifically managed through the written instruments of working plans. The entire forest of a particular division is classified in to different forest types on the basis of plant variety. The scientific measures are prescribed through the written prescriptions of individual working plans. These operations are to be taken up through the respective VSSs as a measure of joint forest management in respective project areas.
The whole process of project activities should be systematically monitored to ensure quality implementation of natural resources and forest management within a project area through laid out provisions of the working plans. The effective management of project resources at district level and project level and delivering best forest management are always envisaged in the project.
Forest management is a participatory approach, where the stakeholders coordinate with various institutions and agencies in leveraging technological knowledge for replicating the best practices and providing best technical support in field executions. The process of monitoring and evaluation of natural resource management and forestry management including the facilities extended on interventional supports and studies of vegetation changes etc are the ultimate aim of the project. The evaluation of faults in the execution of the project is also highly necessary. Appropriate measures are to be taken to rectify the process.
The VSSs must get ample freedom to productively contribute to the restoration, preservation and management of forests.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist)