SUS KozhikodeJune 23-25, 2014

How do we collaborate for effective conservation of Kottooli Wetland

for the benefit of all?

Journey so far

• SUS Workshops– March 2013 - Kozhikode– April 2013 – Ahmedabad– September 2013 – Delhi– December 2013 – Ahmedabad • Learnings, experience sharing, discussions, inter team

feedback, knowledge inputs, information sources

Journey so far contd…….

• Beginning: suspicion, lack of confidence & hope – moved towards confidence

• But…. brought together people who were working on different aspects of the same issue – SUS became the platform for this

• Some stakeholders moved away (eg. Builders) and others entered (Residents Associations of Kottooli; half of the land owners)

Journey so far contd…….

• Historically important campaign launched: started as protest against:– Mangrove destruction– Reclamation by filling up wetland– Sale of land by private owners to builders– Establishment of STP within wetland…

• Due to the togetherness and confidence that discussions, activities, experience sharing and support that SUS gave

Achievements

• Residents, social activists, environmentalists, lawyers formed Kottooli Wetland Protection Committee

• Students and youth mobilized by creating awareness among them and empowering them to take up the cause of conserving Kottooli wetland

• Media campaign was done• Booklets explaining importance of Kottooli• STP now planned to be relocated

Actions after December 2013 SUS Workshop

• Mass Campaign..– January 29, 2014 – held at Kottooli; brought together

2000 students from schools in Kozhikode city along with Social Activists, Scientists, Artists, Writers …

• Kottooli Cleaning Campaign – College NSS Programme – December 24, 2013 – 100 students from Providence

Women’s College and 50 students of Calicut Girls Vocational Higher Secondary School

Actions – ongoing contd…..

• Preparing Map– District Collector has recently directed the Asst

Director of Soil Survey Department to demarcate the boundary and identify all encroachments

– This would help in preparing the map– The Department of Mining and Geology prepared

a map of Kottooli wetland in accordance with an order issued from the District Collector of Kozhikode

Actions – ongoing contd…..Comprehensive Publication on Kottooli• Most write-ups obtained; DTP is going on • About 200 pages with 20 pages of colour photographs• Preface: MT Vasudevan Nair (awaited)• Articles by

– C Radhakrishnan (awaited)– MGS Narayan (awaited)– Valsala (Famous writer)– Dr MGS Narayanan (famous historian)– Prof Unnikrishnan Nambisan (well known expert on wetlands)– Dr A Achuthan (structural engineer, well known environmentalist)– Dr Harikumar (Scientist at CWRDM)– Dr Jafer Palot (Scientist at ZSI) and our own team members

Actions – ongoing contd…..

Remaining Major Problem is Private Ownership..• Land acquisition.• Wetland should be considered as Govt. Property and

Govt. should take over it.• We are now planning to submit a Mass Memorandum Signed

by more than 20000 students and residents to The Prime Minister, MoEF,CM of Kerala and KSBB

• Planning to Approach Corporates with Environmental Ethics to buy that land and hand over to Government..

Challenges as Facilitator• Almost half of Land owners not willing to talk to

conservation groups; some developers perceived as ‘mafia’; money power

• How to bring different stakeholders to a common discussion platform

• To explore different values of Kotooly Wetland, in eyes of different stakeholders, especially of ecosystem services

• To support the stakeholders group to explore different types of potential solutions or way forward from current situation where nobody benefits (neither conservation owners, nor land owners, nor wider city stakeholders)

Demand to Protect Kottooli WetlandsNewspaper Cuttings

GREEN PLEDGE

Demand to Protect Kottooli Wetlands

Photos

And ….The thought that we are left with at this point

Little drops of water Little grains of sand

Make the mighty ocean And the beauteous land.

Thank you..