PEN INDIA RESEARCH Putting PEN to Paper 23 - 28 March 2009 Ajith Chandran University of British Columbia

Context PEN study location: India Southern Gujarat Tropical wet and dry climate with tropical dry deciduous forests Study area approximately 1200km2

Context Villages sampled: 3 Total Population: 1700 (approx). Total HH: 318 130 households in the sample. Average # of people per household is 5.3 Key sub-dimensions dividing the sample in terms of livelihood strategies: Village Forest area Distance from road Initiated to Joint Forest Management by Jetpur Proximity to large forest Far from road head Self Initiated / FD Makanjhar Medium forest Near to main road FD initiated Bharada Near to road NGO initiated

Household income sources Main sources for household income Subsistence: Agriculture Forest Other environmental (Mainly Fish) Cash: Livestock Wage Agriculture Forest Business and services Other environmental (Fish) Difference in villages: Village proximal to large forest (Jetpur) extracts fuel-wood on a regular basis. The village also collect more forest products for sale. Crops: rice, lentil, shorgum, sugarcane, cotton, maize, vegetables, fodder Forest: fuelwood, mud, grass, leaves,, bamboo, mushrooms, timber vegetables, wild fruits Business and service: driver, broom making, alcohol, shops Livestock, milk and meat

Income sources and seasonality Q1 (Feb-April) Higher dependence on wage, fish, agriculture and business Q2 (May-July) High dependence on fish, low dependence on livestock, agriculture, wage and forest products Q3 (Aug-Oct) High dependence on forest products, wage, agriculture, livestock and business, Low dependence on fish Q4 (Nov-Jan) High dependence on livestock, agriculture, fish and wages and low on forest products Observation: Gathering of forest products maximum in Q3 (except for fuel-wood and clay (mud) which is collected in all quarters) During the lean season Q2, fishing in Jetpur seems to contribute more to HH income

Key forest and environmental products Forest products: Throughout the year: Fuel-wood, fodder, mud (subsistence) Seasonal: wild vegetables, leaves, bamboo and mushroom (both cash and subsistence ) Environmental income: Fish (subsistence and cash, seasonal) (Found only in the interior village which has a stream and a dam) Pricing: As per household/respondent Willing to pay Leaves, bili patta,

Income composition and poverty Observation: Poor households collect forest products that they both use and sell Rich households collect fuel-wood and fodder. Less collection of forest products that fetch small income. Main activities agriculture, livestock and employment

Other patterns Coping mechanisms during crisis: Did nothing in particular Asked for help from friends and relatives Used savings Did more labour work Harvested crops early Changed crops Took loan Observation: Use of forest for coping with crisis not reported

Existing Policies and Overall Findings Joint Forest Management (JFM) Collection of fodder and fuel wood from the JFM forest is controlled Other incentives from Forest Department and NGOs Milk Cooperatives Milk production gives increased cash income for households with less land holding Livestock dependence may not reduce forest dependence since fodder is collected from forest