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EnvironmentasaBasisforDevelopmentCaseStudies

OverviewoftheCaseStudy/ProjectandContext(includeobjectivesoftheproject,partnerships)Max300wordsPoverty Alleviation through biodiversity conservation in India: A World Land Trust and Wildlife Trust ofIndia Partnership Program.

The WLT WTI partnerships Elephant Corridor Program seeks to secure land for the benefit of biodiversity

conservation whilst alleviating poverty within communities previously affected by regular conflicts with wildlife.

WTI have published a comprehensive list of 88 unprotected corridors critical to the long term survival of IndiasAsian Elephants. These corridors, which elephants and other wildlife use for movement throughout their extensiveranges, comprise the unprotected lands between fragments of protected areas.

Indias rapidly expanding population and industrialization has resulted in encroachment of industry, settlements andinfrastructure into forested landscapes leading to extensive degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats andsignificant impacts on wildlife population dynamics and behavior.

As wildlife is forced into closer contact with rural communities, the incidence and severity of human wildlifeconflicts are elevated. Elephants in particular are responsible for significant damage to property, croplands andinfrastructure in these areas, in addition to occasional loss of life and severe community stress.

In the Garo Hills, NE India, the WLT WTI program has engaged rural communities in the voluntary set aside ofagricultural fallows to be returned to forest and officially designated as Village Reserve Forest (VRF). In recognitionof this conservation action, WTI provides developmental support to participant communities including improvementof educational facilities and resources, access to regular health clinics, development of employment opportunitiesand erection of bridges to enable access during monsoon seasons.

In Kerala, SW India, multiple communities have voluntarily relocated from an elephant corridor where large herds[of elephants] caused frequent and severe impacts on livelihoods. Here, villagers were awarded private land title;modern housing facilities and access to safe drinking water and electricity, all of which were grossly inadequate inthe previous settlements.

Whoaretheprogramparticipants?Wildlife Trust of India:Formed in 1998, WTI is a non-profit conservation organization, working in partnership withcommunities and governments to conserve Indias endangered species and threatened habitats. WTI areresponsible for the implementation of the in situconservation work and all other project related activities leading to

securing of the corridors.http://www.wildlifetrustofindia.org/World LandTrust:Formed in 1989, WLT is an international conservation charity, based in the UK which raisesfunds for the purchase and protection of some of the worlds most threatened lands. WLTs project design transfersownership of the acquired land to in-country project partner organizations (in this case WTI), avoiding the negativeconnotations associated with colonialism. After 22 years of experience, WLT is well placed to facilitate and developconservation projects which deliver demonstrable co-benefits for communities and environmental services. WLTsrole is to provide technical support to WTI in project design and implementation, and to raise funds for their

implementation.http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/india.htmGovernment Authorities: WTI has established working relationships with the National, State and Districtgovernment bodies associated with each of the Corridor projects. This has proved beneficial for the program for avariety of reasons. For example in Meghalaya, the support of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council hasallowed for smooth incorporation of the VRFs into the Indian Protected Area Network. In Kerala the interest of thestate government has leveraged funds for other conservation projects within the state.

Local Community Stakeholders: The participation of local communities in each Elephant Corridor project isconsidered to be essential to its eventual success. Therefore, a key component is the delivery of demonstrable andequitable community benefits at a grass-roots level. Thus far, WTI has engaged local stakeholders in theirconservation programs to the great benefit of conservation and poverty alleviation of communities.

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Howistheprojectbeingmeasured?

Conservation success measured through ecological surveying of corridor and assessment of wildlifeusage. The regeneration of degraded forest areas will be also be monitored with WTI intervention shouldassisted natural regeneration be required (i.e. de-weeding around saplings at regular intervals).

Poverty alleviation success measured through dialogue with the communities and socio-economicsurveys.

Wildlife conflict alleviation measured through dialogue with communities and local Wildlife Department

who receive compensation claims following human wildlife conflicts.

Whatbarriers/challengesdidtheprojectencounter?Howweretheyaddressed? Financial constraints cost of land in India is generally very high (usually comparable to UK land prices)

and land had to be purchased within the corridors and in relocation sites driving up the cost of the project.This was overcome through innovative fundraising e.g. WLTs Emeralds for Elephants event(http://www.worldlandtrust.org/events/emeralds-for-elephants/index.htm) and WLT seeking partner fundsfrom other organisations such as the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands Small Grants for thePurchase of Nature program.

Delays with corridor securing Delays were caused in the Kerala corridor due to involvement of a largenumber of separate communities each voluntarily relocated in succession. This resulted in subsequentlandowners asking unrealistic prices for land within the corridor which delayed the program. Addressing thisissue is still an ongoing challenge but WTI are currently engaging the Kerala State Government in theacquisition of the final village land prior to WTI funded relocation of the community.

Towhatdoyouattributethesuccessoftheproject? Strength of partnership between WLT WTI

Institutional capacity of WTI. WTI employ a multi-disciplinary approach to securing of the ElephantCorridors. For example, in Kerala a social worker is employed full time to interact with the localcommunities and ensure that the process by which WTI introduced and carried out the relocation of thevillagers was fully informed and consensual.

WTIs flexibility and experience with community conservation projects. Sustainability of the conservation actions provided by local communities is assured through provision of

support and advice on alternative livelihoods (e.g. small scale enterprises) and sustainable technologiessuch as improved cooking stoves and solar lighting.