A path out of poverty
Many of these benefits are apparent in Darewadi, a formerly impoverished and despairing community that now generates year-round employment for a majority of inhabitants.
Back in 1995, with farm work in short supply, Darewadi’s 131 households were losing many men to far-flung seasonal work as sugarcane cutters or building laborers. Those who remained often herded sheep, further depleting grazing lands and draining the low water table. The village and its satellite hamlets were surrounded by barren hills, and women walked miles to fetch water and fuelwood. When Father Bacher visited at that time, he concluded that if rejuvenation were possible in Darewadi, it would be possible in any watershed (WOTR 2002:1).
The Darewadi watershed covers 1,535 hectares. Two-thirds is privately owned; the rest is made up of common lands owned by the Maharashtra state government’s Forest Department (WOTR 2002:1). WOTR’s first task was to overcome the mistrust of many villagers, especially sheep and goat farmers, including many poorer families, who feared that grazing bans on regenerating land would cut down the available fodder, harming their already fragile livelihoods. Through a series of village meetings, the NGO explained how the temporary bans would allow trees to grow, eventually yielding more fodder and more water for crops.
A compromise was eventually agreed in the village assembly, or gram sabha, whereby land closure would proceed in phases as the conservation and planting work progressed and any violators of the ban would pay a fine to the community. It was not an easy compromise to reach, but the villagers were encouraged by the prospect of increased income within a comparatively short period. In addition, most livestock owners are also farmers, and therefore not solely dependent on grazing for income. Another inducement to try the restoration plan came in the form of technical assistance from WOTR, which offered loans and training to livestock owners who wanted to switch from sheep and goats to high-yield milk cows (Lobo 2005c).
Once the villagers had accepted the restoration scheme, WOTR helped them take the necessary official steps to gain state permission and structure the project’s management. First they helped the community negotiate a Joint Forest Management agreement with the state Forest Department, legally granting local people the right to work on the state-owned common lands surrounding Darewadi and to own the agricultural produce grown on these lands (Lobo 2005c). Without attention to this question of land use and tenure on state forest lands, a regeneration plan covering the entire watershed would not have been possible, nor would it have been economically attractive enough to gain village support.
Next, the gram sabha nominated 24 people to the Village Watershed Committee, which became the registered project authority, legally responsible for managing funds and overseeing development activities. The watershed committee included representatives from all social groups—including landless people and seven women—and from every corner of the scattered community (WOTR 2002:2-3). This was essential, according to Lobo, to create an effective, trusted community institution that could rule by consensus. “What makes our participatory approach work…is involving all stakeholders in arriving at negotiated outcomes that are beneficial or acceptable to all” (Lobo 2005a).
Members of the Village Watershed Committee were assigned tasks by the village assembly. Responsibilities included monitoring grazing bans, organizing paid and voluntary laborers, supervising work and wages, maintaining records, and imposing fines on villagers who broke agreed project rules. Committee members were unpaid, trained by WOTR, and held accountable for fulfilling their duties by the gram sabha (Lobo and D’Souza 2003:14-15). They also negotiated with local stakeholders, including the landless, on the specific areas of land to be set aside for phased grazing bans and regeneration. When conflicts arose, they were settled by the committee, sometimes assisted by Forest Department officials, with WOTR taking a back seat (Lobo 2005c).
