The Pro-poor Conservation Paradigm Dr Dipayan Dey South Asian Forum for Environment

Addressing environmental issues and poverty together, needs community based participatory programme… A partnership on equity and reciprocity : Backgrounder Nature degradation leads to poverty and poverty leads to exploitation of natural resources… A negative link

An innovative financial mechanism to compensate the opportunity cost of poor communities towards environmental conservation through payment of environmental services (PES). : What’s New?

Transforming nature services to alternative economic opportunity and translating economic benefits to conservation responsibilities… Developing partnership between non- tangible benefits and tangible returns : The Challenge…

Target Area: Global Ecological Significance, facing threat of degradation Target Beneficiaries: Low average GDP and per-capita. Prerequisites': Available nature services, Community dependent ecology, Loss of nature resources Tool: Conservation CBA, Micro-Finance Compensation model : The Criteria

Financial inclusion of communities towards risk spreading and compensation of opportunity cost. No repay of loan or interest, but active volunteering to generate man hours for conservation. Allocation of payment is based on success of measures in attaining conservation objectives. : Smart Evaluators

: Operating Paradigm

Transforming Nature Services through Ecotourism as a means of poverty alleviation and sustainable environment development through community partnership in East Kolkata Wetlands. India's First Biorights Project : East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW)

To identify economically beneficial nature- services in the area through cost benefit analysis. To expand economic opportunity & capacity building among local stakeholders for livelihood. To en suit sustainable conservation objectives with poverty alleviation strategies through revenue generation in eco-friendly process. To create awareness among local stakeholders about restoration of East Kolkata Wetlands. : Project Objectives

56% habitat restoration in project area (Scaled in terms of Biodiversity Index, Species IVI, Water body permanence index, Limnological assessment and EIA). Rehabilitation of 12 priced fish species endemic to East Kolkata Wetlands. Go-green activities: Plantation, community sanitation, awareness campaigns. Environmental Impacts

450 families covered in micro-insurance policy through Biorights component. 78% attitude change of stakeholders in conservation of wetlands. 25 women self help groups credit linked through financial inclusion programme 17% increase in per head income for the community partners. Social Impacts

Implications

Conservation Priorities Suitable CBA tool Alternative Livelihood: Non-competitive and Un-competitive options Micro-finance as a suitable financial paradigm Common-trade effect Externalities New Challanges