Black-rumped Flameback

I observed three Black-rumped Flamebacks (Dinopium benghalense) interacting and foraging on an Acacia sp. earlier this week. Photos below.

Politics, perceptions, and actions on illegal logging in Madagascar: Interacting with government officials and the poor

A recent NYTimes story reports on the trend of very open - though illegal - logging in reserve forests in Madagascar. The target species is rosewood - a highly valuable species in Asia, especially China, that has all but disappeared from that continent. According to the story, a lack of political will to enforce rules against rosewood logging has allowed the rosewood trade to persist in Madagascar. Often, government official benefit economically from allowing rosewood production to persist. Although illegal rosewood timber production has been going on for some time in Madagascar, recent political instability has ramped-up rose wood production, with reports of significant ecological disruption in Madagascar's rainforests - home to many endemic flora and fauna species.

NGOs are on the ground, documenting and exposing the illicit trade, which is a highly important part of this process. Given the current government's inability to leverage the rule of law toward forest conservation, civil society can play a role in seeking solutions, either from other governments, or from forces within Madagascar. On the ground reports of illegal logging that leads to ecological destruction can inform other nations' dealings with Madagascar, and could form the basis of diplomacy from rich nations that would incentive the government to crack-down - providing a counterweight to the current incentives officials have to turn their head.

The story misses a crucial element in the strategy on ceasing illegal logging. Interacting with those organizing the illicit logging at the top level is only one part of the solution, and while probably necessary, is ultimately insufficient to prevent future rosewood poaching. As it is now, the poor communities who traditionally lived in reserve forests, but who were displaced some time ago, are providing the labor necessary to extract the increasingly scarce trees, which earns them a wage they find hard to replace. In addition to focusing on interventions at the government level, NGOs must look to work directly with the poor, supporting initiatives that boost livelihoods and build institutions for forest conservation. When the poor have alternatives for income that beat the wages paid by illegal logging operations - typically logging mafias - they can be included in the efforts that seek to halt illegal logging. For, even if the government were to make genuine efforts towards stopping the logging, as long as a market existed for rosewood and the poor had no better livelihood options, illegal timber extraction with proceed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/world/africa/25madagascar.html?hp

Few pics of Prosopis juliflora

Here are a few pics of Prosopis juliflora that Elaine and I had the chance to take this morning near our office.

In the above pic, the lateral shape of the canopy (as described in the previous post) as well as some evidence of cutting for fuelwood can be seen.

In this one, evidence of cutting for fuelwood can also be seen, although this branch was cut less recently.

A new chapter in the saga of Prosopis juliflora in India: Demand from biomass powerplants

Prosopis juliflora is an invasive legume shrub that has been increasingly prevalent in India over the past decades. Native to the Americas, P. juliflora was brought to India in the early 20th century from modern-day Pakistan in order to green the countryside of dry areas in the western states. P. juliflora known for its ability to survive the harsh climes of India's drylands. It can resist drought conditions - it is best with annual precipitation of 250-600 mm, though it can survive with 150mm - and it can be sustained on lands with high salinity, which means it can establish stable populations in areas where other vegetation cannot, like in many parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It has been very successful in spreading itself throughout the country, penetrating ecosystems across regions of the country; it thrives in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharastra, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamilnadu and West Bengal. This species is fast growing and establishes a large lateral canopy, which allows local populations to cover plots of land quite quickly.

                                 Flowers of Prosopis juliflora

Its success in establishing itself has caused ecological damage. It easily out-competes native shrubs and grasses due to its fast pace of growth and large lateral root system that hordes ground moisture. Further, its leaves may have chemical properties that prevent germination of other flora species, especially grasses. Its expansion is thought to work in tandem with another invasive shrub, Lantana Camera. On the whole, this species is blamed for negative changes in rural agro-ecosystem: e.g., it caused a 6% reductions in grass cover in Gujarat through the 1980's.

Yet, its biophysical properties haven't been the only catalyst of its propagation in India. It  has been used extensively in forestry programs in order to meet vegetation-cover targets, as it lateral canopy grows extensively and quickly. It is also farmed in some states in India. Finally, it is a significant source of fodder for goats and its seeds are disbursed in goat dung.

Despite its negative ecological impact, P. juliflora has become integral in rural livelihoods in India. As noted above, it serves as a source of goat fodder - although it is also blamed for reductions in more valuable fodder types, such as native grasses. Nonetheless, its presence on degraded common lands make it invaluable to landless livestock herders. Beyond its importance as fodder, it is a major source of fuelwood to rural households, who collect it from these degraded common lands for use as a source of energy. In areas where common lands have been degraded severely, P. juliflora may be the only viable source of household energy. Additionally, the poorest households will sell P. juliflora in fuelwood markets as a source of income. With its high calorific value and ability to coppice quickly, it can be considered a good source of fuelwood and is actually preferred by many rural communities.

The link via livelihoods is what makes recent interest in P. juliflora as a large-scale fuel for biomass power plants a threat to the rural poor. Biomass powerplants are on the rise in India, raising the demand for cheap biomass. In this trend, P. juliflora has become one of the most sought-after sources of fuel among biomass powerplants. For instance, 30% of electricity in Andhra Pradesh state generated from biomass powerplants is from P.  Juliflora alone. Its increasing demand has raised its price: on average, it went from Rs 700-1,000 per ton to Rs 1,800-2,300 per ton in the past year. Proponents of biomass power production seek to exploit common lands, the ones that support the landless rural poor, for production of fast-yield woody biomass species, like P. juliflora. Doing so robs the poor of lands that support their very survival through the provision of crucial ecosystem services, including fuelwood and fodder, but myriad others as well. 

The increased price and demand has a severe negative impact on the rural poor who depend on P. juliflora for daily needs. Its increased value will mean that it will be extracted by highly organized, contracted collectors and sold to power plants, instead of being available for household collection. With little political power, the poor cannot do much to prevent P. juliflora's diversion toward industrial interests. With P. juliflora less available, how will poor rural households meet their daily fuelwood and fodder needs? More importantly, if the lands where P. juliflora grows are cut-off, perhaps the provision of P. juliflora is just one among many services that local ecosystems provide that will be lost to the poor. Needless to say, without significant support and planning from government and NGO partners, India's land-dependent rural poor face a considerable welfare crisis. If we could go back in time, perhaps we'd choose against introducing P. juliflora at all. Promoting native species is certainly a better option. However, as it stands now, the rural poor depend on P. juliflora and this must be taken seriously as it becomes less available to them. Long term policy should increase the poor's power to manage degraded commonlands and regenerate them ecologically, phasing-out P. juliflora in favor of native species that promote better ecosystem functioning. However, this is a long term goal that requires careful environmental and social planning with gradual steps that are sensitive to impacts on the ground. Industrial takeover of P. juliflora, and indeed the lands where it thrives, is a step in the wrong direction.

References
Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products. (1998, 05-15-2010). Prosopis juliflora. from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Prosopis_juliflora.html#Ecology

Ramesh, N., Kandhari, R., & Pallavi, A. (2010). Biomass market in flux. Down to Earth, 18.

Robbins, P. (2004). Comparing invasive networks: Cultural and political biographies of invasive species. Geographical Review, 94(2), 139-156.

Green jobs in rural India: Long-term sustainability or short-term help?

A recent issue of Unasylva¹ – the FAO’s forestry journal – featured articles about ways in which creating green jobs could be an environmentally appropriate response to the worldwide economic downturn. This is a generally appealing and plausible idea, harkening back to the role that forming and building some of the national parks in the US played in boosting employment during the great depression; the National Parks Service was created in this effort, which is an example of how progress toward ecosystem conservation and protection can be made while promoting economic development in times of economic strife. 

One of the articles in this volume focused on India, arguing that funds must be increased for the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) programs (guarantees 100 days of paid employment) and that this funding be used to pay rural households affected by the economic downturn to work on forest conservation projects. This would increase, not initiate, a trend of forestry projects offering wage employment to rural households. Presently, India’s Joint Forest Management (JFM) program creates rural employment by offering payments for forest maintenance tasks like planting seedlings, building erosion barriers or digging water tanks.  

The contribution of wage employment in rural is an important part of the economic puzzle; combined with other livelihoods, temporary wage employment can provide cushioning for households, especially in times of crisis, like when droughts reduce agricultural productivity. This important contribution should not be overlooked, and its increase should be pursued to help boost the economic wellbeing of rural households while supporting important forest ecosystems.

However, despite its clear benefits, wage employment for rural households should not be seen as a permanent solution to supporting rural livelihoods or improving ecosystems. In addition to increased temporary wage opportunities during this economic crisis, the long-term viability of rural livelihoods in rural and India and their connection to local natural resources, including forests, should also be taken into consideration. Many households in rural India are directly dependent on forests and other natural resources for their daily needs and livelihoods: they collect fuelwood, food, small timber, and a varieties of forest products for their own consumption and for selling. This is especially true for the poorest, most vulnerable households that do not enjoy large land holdings. While this pattern of dependence may at some point decline, for the foreseeable future the welfare of such households will be closely tied to local forests, watersheds, pastures, among other local natural resources.

To support households in rural India over the long term, they must be afforded greater decision-making powers and more secure tenure arrangements over the resources they depend on daily. In addition to these rights, governments and NGOs must support local communities in resource management around the development of sustainable management institutions and regimes that would provide appropriate resource-use rules and norms for ecosystem conservation while also allowing rural households to meet daily needs. In the long term, we want not just green jobs in rural India, but green careers that benefit both households and ecosystems simultaneously. 

¹ Unasylva 233, Vol. 60, 2009

Jehangirpura Birds - Elaine's Pics

Elaine and I stopped at a small water tank near the village of Jehangirpura (near the FES office) on the way to work the other day. She snapped a few great shots of birds there, and we had a great time.

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)

     3-in-1 surprise (only thought she was taking a picture of one bird)

                    White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

Back in India

I'm now back and settled in India after being home, in the US, during late February and almost all of March. I'm now working directly for the Foundation of Ecological Security. Check-out their website: http://fes.org.in/

I'm living in Anand, Gujarat, a very different place than Madanapalle, and Andhra Pradesh for that matter. Now that I'm back in action, more posts will soon be on the way!

Birds of India

Here are a few birds photos I shot through the year. These photos were taken in either Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh (1-3) or Anand, Gujarat (4-7). 


1. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

2. Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)

3. Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)

4. Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)

5. Black Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa)

6. Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)

 7. Brahminy Starling (Sturnus pagodarum)

Crimson Rose

Here are a few pictures of a Crimson Rose (Atrophaneura hector) - a common swallowtail in India. I took these from my back porch in Madanapalle. Check out the Wikipedia link for more info on this species.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrophaneura_hector

Nagarjun Forest Reserve, Kathmandu

My partner, Elaine, and I have spent the holiday in Kathmandu, Nepal, and we are loving every minute of it! We took a day hike in the Nagarjun Forest Reserve just outside Kathmandu. Although it has been difficult to get much information on Nagarjun, it appears that its status as a reserve forest excludes all uses except recreation; at its summit, known as Jamacho Peak (approx. 2100 meters), is a Buddhist temple popular among pilgrims and the hiking trail is used by tourists and locals alike. The peak yields nice views of Kathmandu Valley as well as several of the famous mountains surrounding the Valley.

We really enjoyed the hike, and the forest was stunning. The trail begins at around 1500 meters and is a 5K hike to Jamacho Peak. There didn't seem to be drastic floral changes as altitude increased, although the trail opened-up into a grassy section (around 1800 meters) with wild berry shrubs (berberis asiatica) here and there. Although we noticed Chir Pine (pinus roxburghii) from the trail head in very small numbers, this beautiful species became ubiquitous at about 1760 meters. It was wonderful to see the many rhododendrons (rhododendron arboreum) of the forest, especially some of the very large specimens we found. The forest was decorated with many varieties of moss, and moss diversity seemed to increase as we neared the summit. One striking change was the increase of bamboo (dendrocalamus strictus) as we climbed, with only short plants at lower altitudes that increased to a maximum of around 10' at 2050 meters where the canopy was considerably more open.

At around 1800 meters, we noticed considerably more coppicing, indicating that trees in this forest were indeed cut at some point. Interestingly, we noticed that the coppicing appeared newer as we advanced up the trail, and at 1950 meters we actually encountered a group of 6 local women producing fuelwood and fodder on the hiking trail. Our guide said that, at times, local peoples were allowed to collect dry wood in the forest. However, while this group was collecting some dry wood, they had obviously cut wet wood as well and were in the process of bundling as we encountered them. Lopped and topped trees on and off the trail corroborated that cutting for wood had occurred recently and in the past. We observed them bundling, but were only able to identify rhododendron among the species they collected, although there were others we could not identify. We attempted to converse with the group of collectors about their activity, but they were reluctant to engage with us, and our guide was reluctant to help us speak to them. Similarly, our guide seemed to white wash their collecting activities until we showed we were aware of illicit felling from our work in India, at which point he was more open about the potential illegality of the collectors' activities, along with other illicit forest uses that may occur in the forest.

As I indicate above, it has been difficult to obtain much solid information about the reserve forest, so I am not wholly certain as to the rules that would apply regarding the use of a Reserve Forest, although it is my impression that no use whatsoever is legally allowed. The forest was guarded at the entrance by armed members of the military and we paid an entrance fee. So, it may be that the fuelwood collectors were able to make a deal with the guards to enter the forest for collecting, or perhaps they snuck in through a back entrance. The forest showed lots of evidence of use for fuelwood, and perhaps timber, so it seems that local people have some degree of regular access and are dependent, to some extent, on the forest despite its Reserve status.

Another case of mishandling vulnerable people's place in the natural environment

A few months back, I wrote about the policy and philosophical issues surrounding the tenuous access and rights afforded to traditional dwellers of a national park in Botswana. Similar issues were reported regarding the Ogiek in Kenya by the New York Times on 14th November of this year:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/world/africa/15kenya.html?ref=africa

The Ogiek are traditional dwellers of the Mau Forest in Kenya, wherein they have hunted and collected non-timber forest products (NTFP) for subsistence. The article reports that the Ogiek's lifestyle and livelihoods have been under threat from harmful forest policies since the time of British colonialism, when the British removed native flora from the Mau Forest in order to plant non-native tree species for the production of timber. This practice was common British forest policy and was certainly known here in India, where forest dependent peoples were similarly impacted by having their means of subsistence and livelihood diminished through timber-oriented forest transformations.

The ecosystemic changes caused by timber-oriented forest conversions have devastating short and long term impacts on forest dependent peoples since the goods and services provided to such people by well-functioning, native ecosystems are lost after such disruptions. Typically, the non-native tree species replacing the native ones removed from forests are scarcely beneficial to forest dependent peoples who rely on forests for food, energy, and other products to consume directly or sell. In the case of the Ogiek, honey is a mainstay. In short, when forests are drastically changed, the ecosystem dies and with it the livelihoods of people in those forests.

Presently, the Kenyan government is pledging to evict all inhabitants of the Mau Forest, which includes the Ogiek as well as other who were misguidedly given parcels in the forest in the past. Destruction of the Mao forest ecosystem has significantly decreased its productive capacity for water, a resource the nation relies on. The article describes the government's plans to evict forest inhabitants as a move toward conservation and restoration. This may or may not be true, as there is also speculation that renewed interest in timber activities could be also be behind the new policy.

Despite the government's intentions, there are clear lessons to be learned about forced exclusion of people from the lands they depend on. The most important of these lessons is simple: it doesn't work. For people who are highly integrated in direct dependence on ecosystems for subsistence and livelihoods, real exclusion from said resources is not often possible. People continue to use the resource, although in less sustainable ways and, under the exclusionary policies, illegally. Strongly supportive, participatory approaches to changing forest-dependent people's reliance have shown much more success throughout the developing world. These policies give people a stake in protecting and conserving resources such as forests while allowing them to use the forest in ways consistent with its preservation.

In this case, another, newer population of Mao Forest inhabitants are also stakeholders. These are not traditionally forest-dependent people like the Ogiek, but those who have been handed parcels of land in the past and have cultivated agriculture there - a practice that, along with timber extraction, has led to the Mao Forest's degradation in the first place. Although relocation and exclusion of these people may be more feasible given their shorter tenure in the forest and their status as agriculturalists, they too will resist and likely use the forest illegally after exclusionary policies are undertaken.

By all signs, this case is a mess created by decades of policies abusive to ecosystems and people. All evidence from the social and natural science of forest management points to the need for a new policy that will include forest dependent people in forest conservation and preservation, not exclude them. Let's now hope the government of Kenya can heed this evidence.

 

Gardenia Gummifera

In the course of my study of human and natural systems in India, I'm looking at the dependence on a particular tree species - Gardenia Gummifera or Bikki, its common name in Telugu. Endemic to India, it is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although it is sparsely distributed. It occurs as a shrub or small tree in dry, deciduous woodlands. Bikki produces a small, sweet fruit, which is collected by villagers in our study area to sell and for personal consumption. The wood is sometimes harvested for fuelwood, although less so than other species. Non-human fruit predators include slothbears, goats and sheep, and wild boars. Other threats include the extract of gum. It flowers in March and produces fruit between April and August. Like other trees in local forests, it is susceptible to seasonal fires, which pose a threat to regeneration.

Photo: Tiffany Knight

Ecological Management of Redwoods

The October 2009 issue of National Geographic featured a fantastic article (not to mention photos) about the present state of forestry in Northern California in the United States with a focus on redwood management. The article details a team's trek through the redwood forests in California to examine not only their ecological condition, but also to interview the range of stakeholders in redwood management in the region, including local communities, environmentalists, and loggers. 


While national and state forest reserves secure (relatively) small patches of old growth, healthy redwood forest ecosystems, a significant portion of the existing - though not always old growth - redwoods are in private hands, often those of large logging interests. The ecological and social benefits of healthy redwood ecosystems are not contained, though, only within the boundaries of the forest reserves. The entire forest landscape must be managed well in order to maintain and increase redwood forests, as well as to sustain social and economic connections to these forests. Often, poor management decisions have been taken, especially on the side of the biggest loggers, when the divides between the various stakeholders at the table have been substantial.   


Surprisingly, the article gives hope with its positive view about these stakeholders being able to work together toward ecologically and socially sustainable forestry of redwoods. Most notably, several loggers are featured discussing the adoption of less intense, "ecological" approaches to forestry wherein thriving forest ecosystems are built then selectively logged so that important ecosystem functions are maintained. This is beneficial not only to the vulnerable wildlife depending on privately (logger) owned redwood forests, including the northern spotted owl Strix occidentalis caurina and the marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus, but also produces better timber yield in the long run. 


In a context where environmentalists and commercial loggers have long clashed over redwood management, broader understanding between these groups bodes well for balanced management approaches that can meet a range of needs. If logging can be carried out in a way that is minimally harmful to ecosystems and wildlife in redwood forests while social and economic needs are met, then it seems a good compromise will obtain. We will have to wait and see the results of these approaches.  Nonetheless, the political challenges that have hurt the effort toward redwood conservation for so long seem to be softening, which is itself a reason to look up.


http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/10/redwood-management/fay-text

Energy, Environment, & Poverty Paper Recently Published

I have recently co-authored a paper on energy and ecological conservation and poverty in South India with Tim Severyn, Peter Hovmand, and Gautam Yadama entitled Modeling the Dynamics of the Energy, Environment, & Poverty Nexus: A Study of Biogas Unit Diffusion in Andhra Pradesh, India. The paper qualitatively evaluates the diffusion of an energy conservation technology, biogas stoves, by offering a system dynamics model as a conceptual framework for studying this issue. The paper was published in the proceedings of this year's International System Dynamics Conference where the paper was presented. I've put the abstract to the paper below, as well as a link to the whole paper.

Abstract:

In this paper, we use system dynamics modeling to examine the broad set of socio-economic and ecological factors which together play a role in determining a household’s decision to adopt a biogas unit.  Informed by data we collected during the summer of 2008 with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in Andhra Pradesh, India, and with corroboration from the relevant technology diffusion and energy transition literature, we model the process of biogas adoption and traditional technology replacement.  We find that only by improving biogas interventions to address this complex interplay of energy, environment, and poverty-related factors, notably household usage of a multiple-stove strategy and the energy insecurity of the poorest households, can an intervention realize desired  human and ecological outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of model applications for both FES and the broader rural development community.

The full paper can be downloaded here under Hovmand, Peter with John Peipert, Tim Severyn and Gautam Yadma   Modeling the Dynamics of the Energy, Environment, & Poverty Nexus: A Study of Biogas Unit Diffusion in Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.systemdynamics.org/conferences/2009/proceed/index.html 

Loten's Sunbird

I recently (and finally) was able to photograph the beautiful male Loten's Sunbird Cinnyris lotenius that hangs around my back porch. Enjoy!

Elinor Ostrom wins Nobel in Economic Science!

Elinor Ostrom, widely considered the lead scholar of common property management, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Science. This is a fantastic validation of research, policy, and practice around common property management in natural resources, the topic that Ostrom contributed to most. She has been key in updating our understanding of how individuals and groups can manage common property successfully, in contrast to the "Tragedy of the Commons" scenario popularized by Garrett Hardin. Hardin's work inspired policies wherein either governmental control or private ownership has been the central management tool of all natural resources across the world for the past several decades. However, Ostrom and many other scholars have shown that under the right institutional conditions,  natural resources can be managed commonly with desirable outcomes, as has been the case in many rural communities in developing nations. For example, forests in India - my own area of research -  are managed through common institutions by communities that depend on them (forests) for daily sustenance needs with aims in ecological conservation as well as human interests, and there are many cases of success on both fronts. It is exciting to anticipate the long-range effects of this accolade, and one hope is that the US, as well as nations all over the world, will begin to take community forestry more seriously as a strategy toward forest conservation.

The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), the organization I've worked with in India for the last two years, has made remarkable progress in ecological conservation by building sustainable local governance institutions for natural resource management. A lot of their work has been guided by Ostrom's research, especially her seminal book Governing the Commons. I was inspired by both Ostrom and FES yesterday, as I observed the Madanapalle office giving a workshop to fieldworkers on institutions affecting natural resource management using Governing the Commons as its source. I then walked home only to learn that Ostrom had been awarded the Nobel.

I am lucky to work with such a fantastic organization that has been tapped-into innovative and effective strategies for natural resource governance over the past two decades. It doesn't take an event like this to realize how much I'm learning here, but it is a wonderful validation of the work I'm involved with, and the people who I get to work with everyday. Go Ostrom, and go FES!!!

Here are a few links that will shed more light on the topics discussed above:

News about Ostrom's Nobel:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/12/AR2009101201487.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVarWAboxFQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14632614


Foundation for Ecological Security:
http://fes.org.in/

Elaine Grimm's blog:
http://common-s-knowledge.blogspot.com/

Birding at Rishi Valley

Although I've spent several months in India over the past two years, I've only gone birding a handful of times. In the US, birding is a past-time of mine that has sometimes behaved more like an obsession, which is common among birders. In the field and around my home in Madanapalle, I have been able to identify a number of birds, and I've kept track of a list in India. Nonetheless, I've not taken advantage of many great opportunities for birding here in Andhra Pradesh as well as in Gujarat, where I also spend time. This trend may have changed today, as I went for a wonderful session at Rishi Valley Bird Preserve. The session was led by noted birder and ornithologist, Santharam V., as well as other faculty and students from Rishi Valley school. The School's 350+ acre campus hosts the bird preserve, on which 208 species have been observed! 

On a side note, Rishi Valley School is a fantastic primary and secondary education institution in the hills of Rayalseema near to Madanapalle. Started by Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurthi, the school is famous for its holistic approach to education, and its dedication to extension work in ecological conservation and sustainable approaches to rural development. It seems the school's curriculum and extension work are intertwined to some extent, as the faculty and students I met were highly attuned to the issues of ecology and rural development. I was very impressed by the young students I birded with today, all of whom are more competent birders than me. It is also inspiring that young people are learning natural history and, hopefully, developing a conservation ethic. If future generations have healthy ecosystems to enjoy, I'm sure Rishi Valley School will be in part responsible. http://www.rishivalley.org/

We enjoyed approximately 23+ species today, apparently a slow day for the regular birding group there. Among the highlights were a Painted Spurfowl (Galloperdix lunulata) and a few first of season Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius). It was a great time, and I look very forward to birding with the group again. In the end, I had 15 life species, and one continent species, Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). A near-complete trip list is below.

Painted Spurfowl Galloperdix lunulata            

Shikra Accipiter badius (probable)

Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki*

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 

Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis

Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus

Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus (probable)

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocerus

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii

Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

Spotted Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps*

Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra

Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense*

Common Babbler Turdoides caudata

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Tickells Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus

* Indicates heard only.     

Critical Climate Issues in Andhra!

We experienced record drought in Andhra Pradesh earlier this year, missing the first monsoon almost entirely. This created detrimental livelihood issues for farmers, and many of them lost their crops entirely. Through the deeply intertwined nature of human and ecological systems here, this put additional pressure on forests, as households that would normally depend on income from agriculture were forced to turn to collecting and selling fuelwood.

Now, with a record high for rain in the second monsoon, households are suffering in the north of the state, as well as in Karnataka, from flooding. Weak dams have not been able to hold the intense amounts of rain we've received and one after the other has broken, flooding entire villagers and forcing mass displacement of peoples.

While it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to link particular climactic events to the phenomenon of global climate change or global warming, climactic extremes and irregularities are increasingly on the forefront of natural resource management and rural development agendas. Toward this effort, the UN has begun and initiative to study the ways in which vulnerable populations are adapting to these climactic extremes and irregularities: http://unfccc.int/adaptation/items/4159.php. Further, a research framework has been forwarded by imminent natural resource social scientist Arun Agrawal in collaboration with the World Bank: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/0,,contentMDK:21555832~isCURL:Y~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:244363,00.html

These efforts are highly important and should be applauded. Yet, much more research and action is needed from the ground to the level of policy on how poor, rural people in the developing world are adjusting, responding, and coping with climate change. This is yet another example of how research, policy, and practice in natural resource management and social development must be coordinated if desired outcomes are reached on either front.

New blog to check out!

I thought I would take the opportunity to promote a new blog authored by my partner, Elaine Grimm:

http://common-s-knowledge.blogspot.com/

She works with the Foundation for Ecological Security (here in India) and studies common property resources in general, as well. This blog looks at topics in common property resource management and other related topics, like poverty and environment linkages. It is already a great resource for these topics and more.

Definitely check it out.

Plan to attend this fantastic conference!

It has again been too long since my last update. Frequent travel and inconsistent internet access have made it difficult to post as much as I would like. I do have some updates and photos to share of recent travels and experience at home in Madanapalle. These will be up soon!

The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) and the International Association for the Study of the Commons are hosting the International Conference on Commons in January 2011 in India. Plans are still in the works, but the conference will certainly feature fantastic resources for practitioners and researchers alike in the fields of natural resource management and rural development. The details as of yet are feature below; they are taken from an FES blog that you should also check-out: http://subratasingh-fes.blogspot.com/2009/09/13th-biennial-conference-of.html

13th Biennial Conference of the

International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC)

(www.iasc2011.fes.org.in)

The conference will be hosted by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), an organization that has been involved in assisting the management and governance of Common Property Land Resources since 1986. By working with 1500 village institutions spread across diverse ecosystems of six provinces in the country over the last 22 years, FES is recognized for its activities around commons. FES has been an institutional member of the International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASC) since 1999 and has been a regular participant in the biennial conferences.

Holding the International Conference on Commons in India in January 2011 would provide a unique opportunity to resurface the discussion and debate on commons, bringing international experience and evidence from across the world to show that the commons are not a relic of the past, but can play a strategic role in maintaining ecological health, reducing poverty, and improving collective action. By placing the conference agenda in the ongoing discussions around conservation, local governance, human rights, agrarian distress and rural livelihoods in general, we encourage several networks of practitioner organizations to leverage this opportunity to both integrate their ongoing activities with other streams as well as mainstream commons into their nature of work. By pitching it at the interface of policy and practice; research and action; conservation and development we aim to bring several players to a common meeting ground which would in turn help in sustaining the process beyond the conference. By strategically leveraging the conference, we aim to influence larger policy and programmatic focus in the 12th five year Plan (2012 –2017). The conference is not intended to be a one-time event, but a key piece in a longer process of raising attention on the commons.

Conference Chair: Nitin Desai

Mr. Nitin Desai has served as a Senior Economic Adviser for the World Commission on Environment and Development. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and later in 2002 he served as the Secretary General of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10). He is also on the Governing Council of the Stockholm Environment Institute and a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat Expert Group on Climate Change. He is involved in the Helsinki process on globalisation and democracy.

Conference Co Chair: Jagdeesh Puppala

Jagdeesh is presently the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES).

About FOUNDATION FOR ECOLOGICAL SECURITY

The Foundation for Ecological Security promotes the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, forests and water in particular, through local self governance institutions. The crux of our efforts lie in locating forests and other natural resources within the prevailing economic, social and ecological demands at the level of villages and village conglomerates and in intertwining principles of conservation and local self governance for the safeguard of the natural surroundings and improvement in the living conditions of the poor. By working on systemic issues that can bring about a multiplier change we try to bring in a gestalt that establishes inter-linkages between ecological, social and economic realities.

Details: www.fes.org.in

Contact: ed@fes.org.in

About IASC

The International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) is the leading professional association dedicated to the study of the commons. By bringing researchers from different disciplines together with practitioners and policymakers, the association aims to improve general understanding of shared resources (commons) and provide sustainable solutions for related issues.

IASC’s goals are to

• encourage exchange of knowledge among diverse disciplines, world areas, and resource types

• foster mutual exchange of scholarship and practical experience, and

• promote appropriate institutional design

Details: www.iascp.org

Contact: iasc@iasc-commons.org