Ranthambhor National Park, covering an area of 392 sq. kms is virtually an ecological island surrounded by 60 villages whose people for centuries have depended on resources like fuelwood, fodder and minor forest produce from this forest. Declaration of the forest as a National Park in 1981 meant an abrupt disruption of local access to these resources.

The boundaries of the National Park are divided in two categories - the innermost core area and the outer strip constituting the buffer zone. As long as forest existed in the buffer zone, local needs were met from there. Over the years, the buffer areas have been degraded progressively, so that today, they hardly perform the function of shock absorbers to the core area of the park. Restocking efforts in the buffer area have been painfully slow and consequently each year the pressure from increasing populations around the park moves inwards and ingress into the core area increases.

To protect Ranthambhore National Park through eco-development of surrounding villages.

To develop sustainable alternatives, acceptable to the local people, for their income and biomass dependencies on Ranthambhore.

To ensure that the development of alternatives to local dependencies on Ranthambhore lead to a reduction in the biotic pressure being exerted on the protected area.

• The project is expected to come up with a methodology which will be relevant for all the upcoming ecodevelopment projects in the country. In addition, the project is expected to:
• Regenerate degraded village commons for providing local people with alternative sources of biomass.
• Enhance agricultural productivity of the region as a result of better soil and moisture conservation in the area due to regenerating commons.
• Enhance incomes due to better agricultural productivity.
• Build capacities among the local people.