There has been widespread deforestation and degradation in many parts of India during this century, leading to a loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and other environmental problems; and to the undermining of the livelihoods of people's dependent on the forests for services (e.g. regulation of water flow) and products. In Orissa, some places have experienced declining water tables and recurrent droughts for up to 30 years, and these phenomena are thought to be, at least in part, a result of the loss of forest cover. It was estimated in June 1993 that ten million people in Orissa were affected by famine, partly as a result of the degradation of the forests.

Forests are an important source in Orissa of numerous products, including timber, fuelwood, fodder and food. The increasing scarcity of forest resources has prompted thousands of communities there to initiate protection of patches of local forest.

Nevertheless, the scale of the problem is still massive, with satellite images showing a 10% decline in forest vegetation cover over a four year period between 1983 and 1987.

There is increasing recognition that local people will need to play a major role in forest management if these negative trends are to be halted and reversed, and hence the formation of self-initiated protection organisations is a positive development. However, the existence of protection organisations does not necessarily lead to effective, long-term management of the forests.

This project aims to contribute towards increasing the effectiveness of local communities in managing forest resources, thereby assisting forest protection and regeneration.

To improve understanding of why spontaneous forest management initiatives have occurred in central eastern India, and the factors affecting their sustainability and effectiveness, and hence to identify support measures and components of an enabling environment that will facilitate the formation and long-term effectiveness of local forest management organisations.

• Understanding of the conditions under which spontaneous forest protection initiatives occur, and of factors affecting their sustainability and effectiveness, improved.
• Better understanding by Orissa forestry department (FD), NGOs, etc. of the socio-economic circumstances in which their support of the formation of induced local management organisation is likely to be most effective; and the kinds of support likely to be most useful to both induced and self-initiated organisations.
• Forestry departments, NGOs, researchers, etc. outside survey states aware of broader study findings of potential relevance outside Orissa.