Funded by :Japan International Cooperation Agency

(JICA)

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management

Project (UFRMP)

Salient Features and Summary of Progress of Works

(Up To May 2015)

&

Plan of Operations (2015-16)

Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Salient Features and Summary of Progress of Works

Loan Agreement for the Project was signed on April 11, 2014. As per the agreed Minutes of

Discussions (MoD), a Tripartite Agreement between JICA, MoEF and Government of

Uttarakhand, following are some of the salient features of the Project:

Project Aim

The Project aims at addressing the problem of forest

degradation in the identied forest fringe areas of the

State. The Project would be implemented by Forest Van

Panchayats (VPs), which are community-based

organizations in forestry sector, ensuring their capacity

development in the process. The project aims at

controlling forest degradation, improvement of

livelihood options and income generating activities of

the people living in the target area, thereby, reducing

their dependence on forests.

The natural catastrophic disaster in Uttarakhand in June

2013 led to massive slope failures (sediment disaster) and damage to roads in forest areas. Forest

department personnel, posted in remote areas of the State, where presence of other departments is

less, nay negligible, can play a very crucial role in combatting such natural calamities effectively

and in a timely manner. To address this issue, a component of disaster management, which

includes treatment of landslides and reconstruction of damaged forest roads in disaster affected

forest areas as well as developing a good infrastructure and capacity building of forest personnel,

has also been kept in the Project.

Total Project Cost

Rs. 807 crore

Duration of the Project

8 years

Number of VPs

750

Target area for Eco-restoration

37500 ha (50 ha per VP)

Project Components

Project components include forestry works, livelihood interventions, and income generating

activities. These interventions would be implemented by VPs with Uttarakhand Forest

Department (UKFD) providing the necessary facilitation support. Treatment of landslides and

reconstruction of damaged forest roads in disaster affected forest areas will be executed by the

forest department.

Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

01

02

Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Operational Area

The Project is being implemented in 17 forest divisions; 13 for forestry and livelihood

components and 6 for disaster affected forest areas. The forest divisions have been selected on the

basis of scientic parameters based on ground situation. These forest divisions are: Alakhnanda

Soil conservation, Civil Soyam (Pauri), Tehri Dam I, Narendra Nagar, Lansdowne Soil,

Ramnagar Soil, Ranikhet Soil, Civil Soyam (Almora), Nainital Soil, Bageshwar, Champawat,

Pithoragarh and Mussoorie Forest Division. The disaster related works would be implemented in

Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts (two forest divisions

overlapping) that were most adversely affected in the disaster.

During the Project period of 8 years, eco-restoration, livelihood improvement and community

development activities will be carried out in 750 Van Panchayats within the selected 13 forest

divisions. The selection of Van Panchayats for these activities is to be done in four phases by

following scientic parameters related to forest degradation, cluster approach and socio-

economic criteria. The rst batch of 150 Van Panchayats has already been selected and selection

of 250 VPs for the second batch will commence soon. The third and fourth batch will consist of

250 and 100 Van Panchayats respectively and will be selected in subsequent years.

PROJECT TARGETS

No. of Target Van Panchayats (VPs) : 750

Target Districts

Components 1-3 in 9 Districts (13 Forest Divisions)

Component 4 (Sediment Disaster Mitigation) in 5 districts (6 Forest Divisions)

Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests - 37500 ha

NTFP Plantation : 500 ha

Bio-diversity Conservation and Wildlife Management

Sacred Groves: 13

People's Bio-diversity Registers (PBRs)- 13

Quick Response Team: 1

Primary Response Teams: 20

Capacity Building and Awareness about Man-Animal Conict: 20 villages

Other Eco-Restoration Activities

Development of Model Departmental Nurseries: 13

Community Development Activities

Number of VPs : 750

Number of SHGs : 1500

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

04

Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Eventually after meeting the primary

elegibility criteria of Van Panchayat (VP) as

indicated in the box along side, further

detailed analysis was carried out for:

- Past performance/ area managed in

the past

- Extent of degradation in their vicinity

within the watershed

- Potential for cluster formation

- Target group population (ST/SC)

GIS technology was adopted for carrying out

spatial analysis of forest cover in proximity to

each Van Panchayat. The technology also

provided unique visualization support to

study potential for cluster formation. The VPs

were then assigned a score based on different

parameters and arranged in descending order.

The top scoring 10-20 VPs in each range,

totaling 150 VPs were then selected in the 1st

recommendation, to be treated in the 1st

batch, subject to further reconnaissance. A list

of additional 50 VPs was then selected as

stand by to ll the gaps created, by discarding

VPs during reconnaissance.

Van Panchayats in the selected ranges with

less than 10 years of experience in managing

forests (i.e., constituted after year 2005), and

having less than 20 ha area under their

management (VP area < 20 ha), were agged.

Rest of the VPs were considered to have fairly

good experience in managing VP forests both

in terms of area as well as years of experience.

PRIMARY CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

OF VAN PANCHAYATs (VPs)

The primary criteria for selection of Van

Panchayat for assigning treatment areas are:

- The VP must be located in the priority

ranges of the project.

- The VP should have an elected body.

- The VP should have given consent to

participate in the project.

- There should not be any similar on-going

intervention.

- VPs qualifying as per above criteria are to

be further evaluated for their past

performance, extent of forest degradation

in the vicinity, possibility of cluster

formation, target group population

(socially/economically weaker sections

such as BPL, ST and SC population).

Interaction with Van Panchayat (VP) representatives

at Bhingrara, Champawat

Division

Range

Division

Range

Alaknanda SC Aser Simli Range

Ranikhet SC

Gagas Range

Attagad Range

Gairsain Range

Tharali Range

Chanthria Range

Almora C&S Gananath Range

Tehri Dam

Dharkot Range

Jageshwar Range

Nailchami Range

Kosi Range

Nanital SC Mukteshwar Range

Okhalkanda Range

Bageshwar Kapkot Range

Dharamgarh Range

Bageshwar Range

Ramgarh Range

Pauri C& S

Champawat Lohaghat Range

Bhingrara Range

Devi Dhura Range

Pabo Range

Pauri Range

Satpuli Range Narendranagar

Maniknath Range

Jaiharikhal Range

Saklana Range

Matiyali Range

Ramnagar SC

Ringlana Range

Nainidanda Range

Pithoragarh Pithoragarh Range

Didihat Range

Gangolihat Range

Dhumakot Range

Mussoorie

Mussoorie Range

Raipur Range

– 1

Chalusain RangeLansdowne

Selected Forest Ranges/Forest Divisions for the components (1-3):

Eco-Restoration, Community Development &

IGAs and Other Support Activities

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Selected Forest Divisions for Component 4

(Erosion Control and Sediment Disaster Mitigation)

Division

Uttarakhashi and Tehri Garhwal Districts Uttarakashi Soil Conservation Division (Non-

Territorial)

Uttarakhashi and Tehri Garhwal Districts Uttarakashi Forest Division (Territorial)

Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli Rudraprayag Forest Division (Territorial)

Badrinath Forest Division (Territorial)

Bageswar Forest Division (Territorial)

Pithoragarh Forest Division (Territorial)

District

and Rudraprayag Districts

Chamoli District

Bageshwar District

Pithoragarh District

Uttarakhand Forest Resource

Management Society

The Project is being implemented in Society

mode . U t t a r akhand Fores t Resource

M a n a g e m e n t S o c i e t y ( U F R M S ) , a n

autonomous Society has been constituted under

Society Registration Act 1860. A High Powered

Committee (HPC) at the State level, called the

Governing Body of the Society, headed by the

Chief Secretary of the State is in place, as the

highest policy decision-making body, guiding

the Project at the apex level. An Executive

Committee (EC) is also in place headed by Principal Secretary (Forest) and PCCF as Vice

Chairperson, to oversee implementation of the Project at regular intervals. The Project is being

implemented by a Project Management Unit (PMU), established at the State level. In the eld, the

Project is implemented by DMU (Divisional Management Unit) at DFO level and FMU (Field

Management Unit) at the Forest Range level. PMU is registered as an autonomous body under the

Society Registration Act, 1860. A DAC (District Advisory Committee) proposed at the District

level, headed by District Collector will ensure Inter-Sectoral Convergence (ISC). DAC would

form an important strategy not only to achieve the Project goals but also impart sustainability to

the Project ingenuities.

Project Management Consultancy

At the State level, PMU will be assisted by a Project Management Consultancy (PMC) to

augment its capacity in providing necessary skill sets required for process improvement and

expertise in various elds in Project implementation. Field Level Experts (FLEs) would also be

put in place to assist DMU at the division. Field level NGOs (FNGOs) would also be involved in

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting chaired by

the Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand.

Project implementation. The need for FNGO is felt because of lack of staff required for skills like

community participatory approach, prevailing social structure and its attitudes and dynamics in

the Project area. The FNGO would ll this gap by providing support of qualied professional

staff to cover the social engineering aspects of the Project. Each VP will be given NGO support

for handholding.

Livelihood

Livelihood related activities would aim at

improvement of Basic Human Needs (BHNs),

Community Development Activities (CDAs)

and Income Generation Activities (IGAs).

Under CDA, activities will be taken up aiming

at community mobilization for creation of

small community infrastructure having

potential for enhancing incomes of local forest

dependent people on a sustainable basis. VPs

will be provided with a revolving fund under

the Project to provide small loans for IGAs to

be executed through SHGs along with required

facilitation to enhance their capacities and

develop linkages for micro credit from banks and other nancial institutions. Focus would be on

making SHGs self reliant through various need based support & evolving strategies as the Project

progresses. Two SHGs will be supported at each village level.

Micro-Plans

All the eld interventions would be based on

comprehensive micro plans, prepared through

a process of participatory planning approach.

Need-based and site-specic comprehensive

micro plans shall be prepared at the very onset

of the process through Participatory Rural

Appra isa l (PRA) technique . Var ious

community development and livelihood

improvement activities that can be taken up for

alleviating the sufferings of the stakeholders

and for overall integrated development of the

village will also be a part of micro planning

process. Interventions would be planned and implemented by VPs, selected on the basis of

selection criteria and in clusters in micro watersheds. VPs falling in one cluster will have their

own site-specic comprehensive micro plans. Micro-planning process would be facilitated by

Forest Department (FD) and FNGO teams engaged at FMU level. In Reserve Forest (RF) areas,

where it is not possible for VPs to carry out Project interventions, the works would be executed

through FD.

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Interaction with villagers exploring possibilities in

eco-tourism under livelihood related activities.

Training of Field Functionaries.

Project Progress

Activities to be completed by April 2015

Progress

Registration of Uttarakhand Forest

Resource Management Society (UFRMS)

Complete

Constitution of High Powered

Committee/Executive Committee of the

Society

Complete

Establishment of Project Management

Unit

Complete

Preparation of Composite Management

Plans for VPs , to be prepared by Forest

Divisions

Complete

Establishment of DMUs/FMUs Complete

Procurement of Project Management

Consultancy

In nal stages

Procurement of Field NGOs

In nal stages

Selection of rst batch of VPs (150) Complete

Sediment Disaster Management

Out of the total Project cost of Rs. 807 crore, Rs. 150 crore has been earmarked for disaster

management component. Activities under this component would include landslide management,

construction of emergency shelters, reconstruction of damaged forest roads and capacity

building of forest department personnel and VPs for future preparedness to ght natural disasters

in the State. These works would be implemented through forest department. The technical know-

how would be provided by a consultancy appointed for this purpose by the PMU as per

international bidding norms as applicable in JICA Projects. Since 65% of the total geographical

area of the state is designated as forest and forest personnel can play an effective role in this area,

this would go a long way in enhancing the overall capacity of the State in ghting natural

disasters.

Consolidation Phase/ Post-Project Continuity

The last two years of the Project period will be specially focused on consolidating the efforts in

the light of experience gained during Project implementation and evolving strategies for post

Project continuity. Emphasis would be on building strong institutions of local self-governance

(VPs & SHGs), which would not only help in accomplishing Project targets but also lay a

formidable base for achieving sustainable livelihoods, an elixir for addressing problems of

ecological destruction.

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Action Points for 2015-16

Following activities will take place in 2015-16

1. Micro-Planning in VPs.

2. Entry Point Activities (EPAs) for developing rapport with the community.

3. Vegetation mapping using differential GPS in the rst and second batch of VPs.

4. Eco-restoration of degraded forests (on the basis of interventions planned in respective

micro-plans), including fodder development in VPs, rejuvenation of water bodies

(Chal-Khal) and distribution of seedlings having fodder and fruit value to villagers for

plantations in private lands.

5. Establishment of Model Nurseries (in Forest Divisions) for supply of plants to VPs.

6. Formation/adoption of SHGs in rst batch of VPs (150).

7. Capacity Building of VPs/SHGs and Uttarakhand Forest Department.

8. Exposure visits for all the stakeholders.

9. Selection of potential Income Generating Activities (IGAs).

10. Development of business models for SHGs.

11. Formation of clusters for development of market linkages in rst batch of VPs.

12. Selection of second batch of VPs (250).

13. Strategy for convergence with other schemes for community development.

14. Selection of major sites under sediment disaster mitigation component with the help of

PMC.

15. Preparation of estimates, bid documents for the selected sites for execution of works with

the help of PMC.

16. Procurement of contractors for execution of works listed at 14 and 15 above.

17. Construction of NTFP, Centre of Excellence (NCE).

18. Community Based Eco-tourism; nalization of destinations/ eco-tourism circuits,

construction of facilities and capacity building of community at Titalikhet (Soni area),

Devrapani and Nuna top in Almora district.

19. Bio-diversity conservation initiatives; selection of Sacred Groves.

20. Identication of wildlife hotspots with respect to man-animal conict and formation of

Primary Response Teams (PRTs) and Quick Response Teams (QRTs).

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Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

Launching of the Project

The Project activities have now started in the eld (VPs) in 2015-16. All the preparatory

activities, which were required to be completed before the Project goes to the eld are now

complete. Rapport building with the community (VPs) in all the VPs selected in rst batch has

started and rst round of meetings with respect to micro-planning exercise have been organized.

It is a part of preparation for the micro-planning activities, which would form the basis for all the

interventions to be carried out in the eld.

Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)

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Foundation Laying of NTFP Centre of Excellence

(NCE) at Dehradun.

JICA team visit and interaction at Mussoorie.

Interaction with DMU Chiefs at Forest Training

Institute (FTI), Haldwani.

Interaction with Villagers regarding JICA Project

at Nuna VP, Ranikhet.Orientation Programme of Field Staff and Village

Panchayat (VP) representatives, Ranikhet.

Pre-Bid Conference, Selection of PMC, Dehradun.

UTTARAKHAND FOREST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (UFRMP)85, Rajpur Road, Dehradun-248001

Phone & Fax : 0135-2740605 | E-mail : cpdufrmp@gmail.com