Chapter-1 

Project Background, Objective, Scope and Methodology

 1.1    Introduction

A multi-fold increase in population and the resultant increase in demand for wood/timber and other forest products in the latter half of the last century have caused phenomenal changes in the ecologies of the different regions of the world, particularly the tropics and the sub-tropics. Several important habitats have been severely eroded. Over and above this, the new industrial units set up by multi-national companies to extract minerals have further depleted the forest cover.

Population explosion has been particularly distressing for India since the huge growth in the requirement of timber and wood-based materials coupled with non-availability of land for afforestation have created a serious ecological imbalance. As of now, in most of the states of the country, the area under forest cover is much below than that stipulated by the National Forest Policy, 1988. There is mounting pressure on the use of forest resources in order to meet the country’s developmental needs. The fact is that the country currently has much less than the area needed under forest cover to maintain environmental stability and security. As per the National Forest Policy, 1988, a third of the country’s total area is required to be under forest cover. The focus today is on conserving the natural and the forest resources and on protecting the forest wealth from crass commercial exploitation. This has assumed greater significance in view of the dependence of our large rural population on the forests for their survival and livelihood. As per a scholarly estimate, per capita availability of forests in the country is 0.065 ha, which is much below the global average. Our country has recorded a forest cover amounting to 23.38% of its total area. However, as per the State of Forest Report, 2001, forest and tree cover is no more than 20.55%. The greatest need is, therefore, to analyze and assess the means available to protect the forest resources and develop methods for their proper utilization for industrial purposes.

 It has been noticed in the recent decades that the vast areas of land getting degraded into wastelands have negatively impacted the socio-economic welfare of the country. A number of foreign-aided forestry-based projects as well as central- and state-level programmes have been in operation for improvements in both environmental standards and significant socio-economic factors. These efforts are being made in the different parts of the country on both long-term and short-term bases. Obviously, the state forest departments have been playing a vital role in this regard. 

Soon after the formation of the state of Jharkhand, the state government, through a statement, proposed the setting up of the so-called Joint Forest Management and Development Committees (JFMDCs). To promote the people’s participation in afforestation schemes, a number of JFMDCs were established across the length and the breadth of the state. Since that time the people of Jharkhand at large have been availing of benefits in the forms of additional wage employment and availability of grass, fodder, fuel wood and other minor forest produces.  

In addition, the government laid down that, in each of the plantation programmes, 15% of the project cost would be used for the betterment of the socio-economic condition of the rural poor as well as to provide for their most urgent requirements/demands. As such the crucial community assets being created under the different JFMDCs are drinking water wells, water harvesting tanks, hand pumps, check dams, pucca platforms, micro-lifts, community halls, water supply schemes, renovated tanks, wells and check dams,  etc. The focus is thus, also, on the distribution of assets like diesel pump sets, leaf-plate-making machines, fruit\ trees, solar lamps/street lights and water filters.   

 The state of Jharkhand came into existence on 15 November, 2000, following the bifurcation of the state of Bihar. Jharkhand consists mainly of the Chhotanagpur Plateau, which is a part of the Deccan Bio-geographic Province. Jharkhand is 10^th among the states and the UTs of India, as far as the area under forest cover is concerned. To ensure the long-term, sustainable development of its forests, the Vision Statement of the Forest and Environment Department of Jharkhand is:

 “Green Jharkhand, Clean Jharkhand

  Rich Jharkhand, Strong Jharkhand”

 The various afforestation schemes adopted under the State Plan to do justice to the spirit of this vision are as follows: 

         (i)   Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests (RDF)

         (ii)  Plantation of Quick Growing Species (QGS)

         (iii) Roadside Plantation-cum-Urban Plantation

         (iv) Development of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)

         (v)  Lac Development/Tassar Plantation

         (vi) Soil Conservation and Afforestation (SC & A) 

1.2    Need of the Current Assessment

The current assessment study of the afforestation schemes is conducted as a follow-up study to assess whether these schemes have been able to accomplish the identified goals sanctioned by the State Government with special reference to survival percentage of seedlings planted, availability of employment opportunity to community of fringe villages, status of assets created under interface activities, benefits of the project etc. This study also looks into the process of implementation and to know the problem within the schemes and to solve them. Hence, the need for an assessment with the help of both quantitative and qualitative variables make the understanding simpler for taking up sustainable development issues at further implementation of these programmes. 

1.3    Objectives of Current Assessment

The main objectives of the study are as follows:

A)  Whether the schemes have been able to accomplish the identified goals/objectives        sanctioned by the State Government. This will include assessment of survival    percentage of the planted seedlings and their suitability with respect to site and          growth. 

B)  To assess the effectiveness of the plantation schemes against the following: 

(a)  Employment opportunities and income to disadvantaged group/individual around the plantation sites and of the community people of the fringe villages as well. 

(b)  Creation of durable community assets under the interface activities that could contribute to overall economic and ecological development of the people and plantation sites respectively. 

C)  In-depth analysis of the following:

(a)  Shortfall in the objectives of the programme approved and the actual implementation at the field level.

(b)  People’s perception/observation of the programme in terms of qualitative parameters e.g. Social harmony and improved livelihood opportunities. 

(c)  Benefits of the project in terms of qualitative parameters e.g. flow of fuel wood, timber, fodder, food and nutrition supplements and other non-timber forest products for self consumption and sale.              

(d)  How gender issues were addressed in the implementation of the schemes. 

(e)  Whether any forward-backward linkages could be established between the Forest Department’s plantation projects and other similar projects of the line departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development, etc. 

(g)  How ecological concerns were addressed (e.g. ways to improve survival percentage of the planted seedlings, overall increase in forest and tree cover, regulated grazing of cattle, control of illicit felling, control of forest fire, etc.) while implementing the programme. 

D)  The recommendation part of the evaluation should include: 

         (a)  How successful the plantation has been in terms of parameters above and what amendments are necessary for improving the performance of the projects.

 

         (b)  Ways of improving the output of the project

 

         (c)  Revised Monitoring and Evaluation methodology and formats for the projects.

 

         (d)  Quantification of outcomes and need for systematic improvement in the programme.                  

1.4    Scope of the Study

The scope of the study includes review of secondary data/records on the plantations under different schemes and assets created under interface activities, evaluation of the performance of the schemes on the basis of target set and the achievements according to the norms. It also includes a close scrutiny of the implementation of the schemes and shortfalls, if any, in the entire process. It attempts to bring out the overall JFMC members/beneficiaries response to various facets and impact of the schemes. The scope of the present study focuses the entire state of Jharkhand covering all the 24 districts. The afforestation schemes included in the Current Assessment Study are Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests (RDF), Plantation of Quick Growing Species (QGS), Roadside Plantation cum urban Plantation, Development of Minor Forest Produce (MFP), Lac Development and Soil Conservation and Afforestation (SC & A)).

 1.5    Reference Period of the Study

The reference period of the study is consecutive three years i.e. 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

 1.6    Methodology of the Study

Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to assess the performance of the schemes. Secondary level information were collected from official records at Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Cell, Van Bhawan, Ranchi as well as the concerned forest divisions in the respective districts. The primary data for the purpose was collected from the plantation sites, beneficiaries, JFMC officials and implementing agencies through a set of four types of pre-designed structured and semi-structured schedules viz., Forest Officials Schedule, JFMC Officials schedule, Beneficiary schedule and Plantation site schedule.

1.6.1  Quantitative Research

Structured and semi-structured schedules were administered to collect the required information at plantation sites. Through the interview schedule of JFMC officials village level information was also collected. Besides, notes were prepared based on the observations of the researchers during field visits to validate the quantitative and qualitative data.

 

To estimate the survival rate of species, intensive visit of sample plantation sites of different schemes was made by evaluation team in all the districts. The method of row counting of species was followed at most of the plantation sites on random basis. Observations of the evaluation team were also taken into account while estimating the survival rate and health of species.

1.6.2  Qualitative Research

The following qualitative research techniques were used.

 1.6.2 (a) Interview with Officials

In depth interviews were conducted among forest officials involved on the implementation of the programmes at the forest divisions in the respective districts. Similarly JFMC officials and beneficiaries were also interviewed by asking the questions regarding the implementation process, their experiences in protection and management of project, nature of impacts observed, success or failure of programmes, constraints and limitations faced etc. The interactions with forest officials and JFMC members helped in understanding the programme as a whole.

 1.6.2 (b) Focus Group Discussion

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with the community people along with JFMC members at more than 15 places in the state. The average number of participants in FGDs ranged 5 to 10 but at some occasions this number was more than 20 comprising both males and females of various age groups. These discussions provided basic feedbacks in understanding the nature and magnitude of programmes, its implementation process, constraints and limitations of the project, etc.

 1.7    Sampling Procedure and its Selection

A simple stratified random sampling procedure was adopted for the selection of plantation sites. Mostly DCF/DFOs were interviewed at the respective forest divisions. At few occasions ACF and range forest officers were also interviewed. For interviewing JFMC members and beneficiaries purposive sampling technique was adopted as per their availability.

 1.8   Coverage and Sample Size

Based on the secondary level information gathered from PME Cell, Van Bhawan, Ranchi and concerned forest divisions, plantation sites were randomly sampled on proportionate basis in each district for field visit. The number of plantation sites sampled and visited had large variations across the districts. It was highest in the district of Deoghar (25 sites) and lowest in the districts of Pakur (2 sites) and Khunti (2 sites). The details of these are available in the Annexure of district level analysis of plantation programme. A total of 52 forest divisions, 76 forest ranges and 244 plantation sites/JFMCs were covered in the sample. While drawing the sample of plantation sites it was taken care that all the plantation schemes as well as plantations periods (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06) should be cover

Table-1.1

ed. The sample covered in the study is given below in tables 1.1 and 1.2.

Sample Coverage

SL. No.	Sample Item	Sample Break-up	Total Sample
1.	District-No.	24	24
2.	Forest Divisions-No.	52	52
3.	Forest Ranges-No.	76	76
4.	Plantation sites (visited and on the spot information collected)-No.	Minimum- 2, Maximum-25 (Per district)	244
5	Plantation area (116,757.92 ha)	10% from each district (proportionately)	13,242 ha
6.	Forest Officials (interviews)-No.	Minimum-1(Per district) Maximum-6	54
7.	JFMCs Officials (Interviews)-No.	Minimum-1, Maximum-17	79	224
8.	Beneficiaries (Landless Labourers, Traditional collector of forest products, Community people etc.)-Interviews-No.	Minimum-1(Per district) Maximum-18	145
9.	FGDs among community-No.	15 (from 10 district)	15

 Table-1.2

District-wise Distribution of Plantation area and Sample Plantation area in ha

(10% area sampled from each district)

1.9    Organization of Report

The report is presented into five chapters. Chapter-1 introduces the study, its objective and scope, methodology and sampling procedure. Chapter-2 gives the profile of the state, district and beneficiaries. Chapter-3 describes the analysis and findings and impact of the plantation schemes, and assets created under interface. Chapter-4 explains the constraints and the limitations and also the shortfalls in the programme implementation. The final Chapter-5, presents suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of the afforestation programme. Apart from these a detailed district wise analysis of plantation programme has been given in Annexure along with photographs of plantation areas and assets created under interface activities.

 1.10 Limitations of the Study

The study encountered certain limitations during the collection of necessary information from the field and also while conducting interviews with beneficiaries as well as forest officials. It is as follows:

 

•  Community people being too much engrossed in their economic activities as well as other routine works created hurdles in interviewing both JFMC officials as well as other beneficiaries. It happened even after prior intimation given to them by the field level forest officials about the arrival of evaluation team to a certain village or plantation site.

•  The unrest and fear psychosis created by naxalism in the entire state of Jharkhand also affected the field visit in several districts. The forest officials as well as the evaluation team had to compromise with the pre-determined sample plantation sites. Thus unintended biasness took place in the process of sample selection of the study.

•  Although, at most of the forest divisions forest staffs were cooperative but at some occasions, the evaluation team faced the problems in getting the field staffs ready for visiting the sample plantation sites and in this process lot of time we wasted. 

•  Lack of awareness among beneficiaries, JFMCs members as well as among field level forest staffs also created hurdles in gathering the required information accurately.

•  Scorching heat during first half of the field work and rain in the second half also came into the way of this study.  

DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CONSULTANTS (DRC)