A People’s Plan for Biodiversity Conservation: Creative Strategies that Work (and Some that Don’t)

Abstract

"This paper reflects on some of the lessons that emerged from the process, many of which will be invaluable for similar planning initiatives in both environmental and non-environmental sectors, within and outside India. Particular insights include how to generate stakeholder ownership of the planning process, the use of complementary clusters of tools to target diverse social sectors and the role of voluntary activity. The process was particularly successful at including the voices and views of marginalised social sectors. But it did not build alliances with the politically powerful, which was ultimately detrimental to the plan. The author urges the need for politically astute positioning if such grassroots’ based plans are to be accepted and implemented by government bodies."