DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATION GOVERNANCE

Kalpavriksh has always believed that conservation goals achieved without taking into consideration livelihood aspirations of the local communities residing in or near the natural resource can never be sustainable in the long run because it is inherently unjust. Kalpavriksh believes in humans being part of the very nature that they are attempting to conserve. Further, we believe that a world view that excludes humans from the rest of nature is antithetical to conservation. Natural resource governance must include the aspirations of all concerned – from global to local stakeholders, prioritizing the needs of those who have the biggest stake in conserving that particular ecology – the local communities. Kalpavriksh recognizes that local communities are not homogenous groups of people, rather a heterogenous group of people held together through complex relations of caste, class, gender, politics, religion etc. Achieving conservation goals, therefore, need to consider the aspirations and relations of this complex set of individuals and groups. Democratic conservation governance is a participatory approach to conservation that involves working with local communities to create a shared vision for sustainable development. It involves respecting the rights of people and the need to protect the environment. In India, the strongest opportunity for this is the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (in short, called Forest Rights Act 2006), which empowers communities to not only claim rights to use forests but also to their management and protection. It ensures that local communities, who have historically been excluded from decision-making processes, are given a central role in managing and protecting their environments. This coexistence framework is not only more just, but also more effective.