Trends in the Contribution of Common-Pool Resources to Economies of Pastoral Communities

Rashmi Komal , VikasAnvesh Foundation

The forest forms a significant Common Pool Resource (CPR) for Nand Gawali communities in Wardha district of Maharashtra, India. Nand Gawalis are traditional pastoral communities who possess large numbers of livestock and heavily depend on the Bor Forest for their livelihood. They also migrate to villages with fodder and water situated along the Wardha river for 3-4 months every year. The exploratory study is undertaken to understand the change in the access and usage of forest grazing land. It also becomes beneficial to explore changes in the livelihood patterns of these communities. Five villages situated in the transition and buffer zone of the forest are chosen for the study. The leading economy in the region is pastoral while agriculture contributes further to the livelihood. Despite their valuable contributions, the declining and degrading grassland pose a threat to the traditional livestock rearing practice of these communities. The age-old practice of seasonal migration for fodder is changing rapidly for Nand Gawalis. The dependence of people on the forest has decreased because of many intertwined factors. Of the many reasons, the decrease in the no. of livestock and tightening of the government policies for Forest appear to be the latest causal factors. Understanding the trends in access and usage of CPR can help in devising means to conserve traditional livelihood practices for these communities.

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 Presented in Session P3. Poster Session Migration, Economics, Environment, Methods, History and Policy