As one traverses the length and breadth of India, one often comes across the co-existence of humans and wildlife, even in the midst of ecological degradation and fast paced globalization. These include a huge diversity of ecological systems and species of plants and animals living therein, which are being protected for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, a wide range of traditional and new systems are used to achieve such conservation. Such sites are important for their conservation value and play a crucial role in ensuring local livelihoods. We refer to these as Community Conserved Areas (CCAs). We define CCAs as:
“Natural ecosystems (forest/marine/wetlands/grasslands/others), including those with minimum to substantial human influence, containing significant wildlife and biodiversity value, being conserved by communities for cultural, religious, livelihood, or political purposes, using customary laws or other effective means.”
Understanding CCAs is important as it could provide solutions to a number of conservati
on related issues faced in the country today. However, CCAs remain invisible to the public at large, are facing many internal and external pressures, are ignored in government conservation policies, and a few are on the verge of breaking down. Recognizing and supporting these efforts, and creating an environment to facilitate their spread, has the potential to start a conservation mass movement in the country.
Kalpavriksh has been working towards this cause since the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the discourse on CCAs in India had gained momentum. In the last two decades, Kalpavriksh’s work on CCAs in India has focused on research, documentation, advocacy, facilitating visibility and awareness about CCAs, facilitating dialogues on CCAs and engaging with CCAs on ground to provide any need-based assistance.
