Browsing by Author "Bose, Purabi"

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Forests: Gender, Property Rights and Access
(2012) Sun, Yan; Mwangi, Esther; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth; Bose, Purabi; Shanley, Patricia; da Silvad, F. Cristina; MacDonald, Trilby
"This brief is based on the findings of empirical research in East Africa and Latin America, on the effects of reforms in forest tenure on tribal women in Rajasthan and a case study of a social movement working to make womens voices heard on forest issues in Brazil."
Identity-Based Exclusion: Tribal Women’s Forest Tenure Rights in Semi-Arid Rajasthan
(2011) Bose, Purabi
"Current trend of forest tenure reform promotes identity-based categories such as indigenous people with an assumption to provide better tenure rights access for marginalized groups. India’s historic Forest Rights Act of 2006 recognizes traditional rights of the scheduled tribe and other forest-dependents dwelling in and around forestlands. This paper examines the politics of forestland access for Bhil tribal women in semi-arid tribal district of Banswara, Rajasthan, India. Data was collected using in-depth interviews with 54 key informants, and two focussed group discussions. Rights-based access approach was used to analyze outcomes of forest tenure reform on tribal women’s access to individual forestland, and inclusion and/or exclusion in discretionary decision-making of forestland management. Evidence-based arguments indicate that identity-based tenure reform act as a mere tokenism and hinders tribal women’s political empowerment and access to forest-based livelihood options."
Practice to Policy Impact of Forest and Nature Conservation, Governance and Equity on Indigenous Community
(2019) Bose, Purabi
"This proposed multi-stakeholder dialogue titled ‘Practice to Policy Impact of Nature Conservation, Governance, Equity on Indigenous Communities’ will focus on the relation between indigenous as well as traditional communities, natural resources and the diverse governance tiers important to promote conservation. In doing so, it will aim to highlight the relationship between local communities (men, women, youths), the state, including the government departments indigenous institutes, social movements, civil societies, funding agencies and other private institutions including the role of decentralised local governments. Our panel aims to throw light on the less discussed issue about how some multilevel governance offers favourable conditions than others for nature conservation by indigenous communities."
Rehabilitation of CPRs Through Re-Crafting of Village Institutions: A Comparative Study from Ethiopia and India
(2000) Wisborg, Poul; Shylendra, H. S.; Gebrehiwot, Kindeya; Shanker, Ravi; Tilahun, Yibabie; Nagothu, Udaya Sekhar; Tewoldeberhan, Sarah; Bose, Purabi
"The study examines approaches and experiences of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with social and ecological rehabilitation of common pool resources (CPR), specifically the Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme in India and the 'area enclosures' programme in Tigray, Ethiopia. The paper is based on comparative field-research in the marginal, semi-arid project areas of N. M. Sadguru Water and Development Foundation (SWDF), Dahod District, Gujarat, India and the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), Wori Leke Woreda, Tigray, Ethiopia. A multidisciplinary team of practitioners and researchers carried out field observations, mapping and interviews with households and key informants in two villages from each of the project areas. "Similarities were observed in histories of resource depletion through increasing economic pressures and institutional break-down, as well as present-day community-initiatives to revert negative trends. In both India and Ethiopia the government claims ownership to the village commons, and in both situations people refer to lack of or unclear property rights and short-sighted CPR policies as the explanation for resource depletion. However, within similar institutional frameworks, local specific histories and empowerment processes shape contrasting outcomes. "The comparison of the two study villages in India showed a considerable achievement, but also vast untapped potential, for regeneration of commons. Major reasons for the depletion of forest resources and absence of appropriate institutions appeared to be the lack of long-term resource security through CPR ownership or well-defined and substantial user rights. People favoured the re-framing of rules, practices and remuneration patterns which the JFM framework provides. JFM appears to be the major avenue for the NGO to support management of CPRs. Yet, in spite of the formal instruments, conflicting interests and uneven motivation among government officials continue to create hurdles, uncertainty and conflict. "The area enclosures in Tigray, Ethiopia evolved through a grass-root process. Local people support it as a positive initiative for soil and water conservation, and it has had a clear bio-physical impact on large parts of the degraded commons. The local government institution (the baito) is empowered to control the management of commons, unlike in India where the formal local government body (Gram Panchayat) is not involved in CPR management under the JFM. "Differences in the empowerment of local institutions is interpreted as one of the main factors responsible for the varying processes and outcomes observed in the two study areas. "The political and institutional contexts of the two countries present NGOs with contrasting rules and opportunities, creating a need for a thorough, local-specific understanding of the processes of CPR management. The present South-South research cooperation has documented and analysed similarities and differences, and will further pursue their context-specific implications for NGO strategy, advocacy and policy. The study confirmed that partners gain from joint learning and experience sharing on CPR approaches, but also showed that institutional, cultural and economic differences make transfer of models and practices challenging."
Shift to (De)Centralisation Creates Contradictions in Policy of Managing Commons: A Case Study from Semi-Arid Tribal Districts of Western India
(2006) Bose, Purabi
"Globally, since 1990's, decentralization has been recognized as important medium for bringing transformation in communities by reducing conflicts, improving livelihoods for indigenous groups, and promoting sustainable management. In 1993, participatory democratic decentralization was introduced in Indian states by Government of India (GoI). The constitution reform aimed to benefit the local political bodies of three-tier systems called 'Panchayats.' "In 2000, preliminary literature review and action research comparative study result indicated that implementation of decentralization through 73rd amendment of 'Panchayat had general acceptance particularly by women and Bhils (Scheduled Tribes) in neighbouring three tribal districts of Gujarat (Dahod), Rajasthan (Banswara) and Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua). It was considered as an effective tool, and expected that participatory and accountability would be inbuilt advantage of decentralization (panchayat), if implemented appropriately. Immediate effects were observed that due to reservation quota, several tribal women were democratically elected as 'panchayat' leaders. However, after five years, are these expectations achieved or it is still a distant dream for bordering districts of three Indian states, and in its implementation of decentralization? "In 2005, ex-post impact study was conducted as a follow-up to above-mentioned study to document implications of decentralization on joint forest management and water cooperatives in semi-arid tribal districts. This paper analyzes and shares outcomes on following main questions: (i) Are administrative, financial and political powers of (73rd Amendments) 'Panchayats' closely knit with the other 'recognized' local forest and water committees and district level communities- 'Zilla Parishads' (ZPs)?, (ii) what were underlying factors associated with successful implementation in one Indian state as against challenges in other neighbouring state?, and (iii) has there been learning of decentralization formal or informally, and management of commons through knowledge sharing among these tribal districts, between states, and regionally or internationally? "Some of the key results show complexities that are created by democratic decentralization on other existing local rural institutions, which govern social and economic development programmes including forests and water management. One of the revealing results of this study explains informal flow of knowledge sharing of 'Gram Swaraj' among the adjoining districts particularly from Jhabua to Dahod, and formal uptake of decentralization policy in Banswara. Briefly, the first part of paper reviews and compares the decentralization policies in these three states; then it analyses the bureaucracy and influence of elite groups on tribal districts; and lastly, if learning from this regions could benefit and be adopted nationally and in other developing countries."
Strengthening Institutions: Panacea for Tribal Forest Governance in India
(2008) Bose, Purabi
"This paper recognises the intrinsic strengths of local tribal forest management (informal) institutions and examines the underline causes. In addition, it briefly establishes the inter-linking relationship of the forest decentralisation policy (Tribal Right to Forest Bill) with tribal governance and community forest institutions. The field study was undertaken in contiguous semi-arid tribal districts, taking four cases of community forest management sites two from each state of Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. "Qualitative research methods were used for data collection and analysis. Bhils, poor tribal of this region, have traditionally practiced forest management without the implication of an inter-state boundary issues or different policies. The study demonstrates two complex scenarios between limited implementation of tribal forest decentralisation process on one hand, and often contradictory land tenure, forest and devolution policies affect existing local practices on the other. This has direct impact on source of livelihoods of forest dependent and poor tribal communities, particularly women. "Based on the institutional analysis of the village governance (Panchayati Raj) process, the paper argues that success level of local community forest management is not an outcome of decentralisation process, but depended on strengths of these local institutions. Further, the research highlights that there is need for quality institutional framework."