Author: Smita Mishra Panda
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Diss no. HS-96-06
Year: 1996
Academic Program: Human Settlement (HS)
Type: Thesis (Ph.D.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 1996
Examination Committee: Reidar Dale (Chairperson); Govind Kelkar, Amador Remigio (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: Forests are an important feature of the environment and economy of the developing world. In India a number of tribal communities depend on the forests for their livelihood by way of hunting, gathering and swidden cultivation. Forest depletion and degradation has led to a significant impact on the livelihoods of tribal communities. There have been several State interventions initiated to alleviate their socio-economic conditions, but they have not yielded desired results. It is an established fact that a lack of holistic approach to deal with forest degradation along with lack of gender concerns has been the major weakness of most external interventions. Thus it is important to consider the links that exist between forests as resources and gender dimensions of household sustenance while formulating sustainable development policies and programmes for forests and tribal communities. The present study was conducted among tribal (Juang and Saora) communities in two selected villages in Orissa, India, faced with severe forest depletion and degradation. Participatory approaches and tools of gender analysis were applied in the primary survey conducted in the villages. The focus of the study is to first assess the cause and extent of forest degradation and depletion in the study areas. Secondly the impact of forest degradation on the livelihoods in terms of loss of household resources have been studied. The Juang and Saora have adapted to the changing resource environment by taking up wage employment both within and outside the region (male migration among the Saora) and trading in the market, an economy characterised by cash. Thirdly the study focused on the impact of forest degradation and changes in the livelihood on gender relations. An assessment of the development policies and programmes relating to the tribals and the forests has been done to delineate the gaps that could be dealt with, in order to recommend viable approaches in sustainable forest resource management with gender as a crit
Scholarship Donor(s): Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
Note: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Environment, Resources and Development
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