To learn about India’s forests, their significance and their relationship with people, we spoke with Neha Singh, founder of Forrest India, a Pune-based organisation working on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem connectivity and climate change.
Village Square: What inspired you to take up conservation through Forrest India?
Neha Singh: After graduating I worked with various organisations in the domain of waste management, organic farming and watershed development. I felt that not many were keen to take up challenges at the grassroots level and make efforts where it’s really necessary. I was disappointed with how little they were attached to the projects and the people involved.
So in 2015 I decided I had to do something. I had to first understand what the government was doing on conservation in wildlife sanctuaries and other areas. I requested the forest department in Pune to let me do the management planning at a sanctuary and they agreed.
We started with the ecological assessment of Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra to understand about the animals, their population, water bodies, invasive species and forest fire. The department was extremely helpful. We got access to whatever resources we wanted for our research.
Very early on I learnt that invasive species such as weeds and lantanas cover 40% of tiger reserves in India. They take up all the nutrients and water, destroy soil and hamper forest regeneration. In a way, they are replacing our forests and adversely affecting biodiversity.
(ALSO READ: Our Lantana story)
We started thinking about restoring some of these areas. Besides developing the management plan, we started researching restoration techniques. The very first lesson I learned was – plantation isn’t restoration.
Village Square: Why do you say that? What are some of the steps in the restoration process?
Neha Singh: In our observation, usually for a plantation drive two or three native species are picked randomly and planted five or eight feet apart. The survival rate of this method is poor because trees don’t exist individually. Like people, they live in families and communities too. When trees are in a forest, they support each other, share resources with each other.
We’re cutting down forests and trying to make up for it by planting trees. Just planting trees will not create the rich ecosystem of a forest.
There are various techniques for restoration. There are a few principles which should be kept in mind. First is to closely study what the original state of that area was. This can be done by studying forest department’s documents and research papers.
The next step is to find out the original species that inhabited the forest so that you know what flora and fauna are to be introduced. This puts the process of restoration on the right path.
Village Square: How can environment and forest conservation benefit from the rich, traditional ecological knowledge of India?
Neha Singh: It’s a very interesting topic. While traveling across India for research we often talk to old people in villages and nearby universities to learn about information that is not documented anywhere. Their traditional knowledge of local species and methods of conservation is invaluable.
Village Square: How do you see the tension between issues of livelihood and forest conservation?
Neha Singh: See, there are two lines of thought. One says that people who are originally from that land should be taken into consideration while building conservation strategies. The other line of thought assumes that local people need not be considered.
It is termed as a conflict area because there are animals and humans living there. In my experience, for the most part local people coexist well with the forest and its species. I think people are the key stakeholders while planning conservation strategies as their livelihood mainly depends on it.
In most of central India – in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha – tribal people have been collecting mahua for many years. If they are suddenly stopped from doing that, what will they do? They don’t have any option left.
Livelihood of people living in forests should be an important consideration while working on conservation strategies.
Habitat loss for animals is a major cause of human-animal conflict. The loss of water in the river due to dam construction has been a big factor too. It is not because of the people living in the forest.
Village Square: Tell us about the Miyawaki method employed by Forrest India for conservation?
Neha Singh: We came across the Miyawaki method while researching restoration methods. It is named after a Japanese scientist who was devastated by the massive mangrove destruction and soil erosion. The method is employed to grow dense, native forests. He tested the principles in various climatic conditions and various parts of the world to confirm its effectiveness.
This method focuses on studying the original state of the forest before undertaking restoration. This can often involve long periods of research (six to eight months) to know the native and ecologically suitable solutions.
Conservation efforts will not bear fruit till people at the grassroots level are not involved. For any effort to sustain, building a conservation consciousness is the key.
The lead image at the top shows Forrest India’s team studying the flora and fauna of the forest (Photo courtesy Forrest India)
