Opinion

Opinion        24/12/2018                     1621. Sub : - Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 3. Towards Multi-centred Governance in the Western Ghats : FAO put the objectives succinctly : Strategies and Action Plan Ref : FAO put the objectives succinctly : Strategies and Action Plan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Organic agriculture improves food access by increasing productivity, diversity and conservation of natural resources, by raising incomes and by reducing risks for farmers. Improvement also results from sharing of knowledge among farmers. These benefits lead to poverty reduction and a reversal of rural outward migration. Policy requirements to improve food access include: increasing farmers’ rights to seeds, local varieties and biodiversity; expanding fair-trade systems along the full ...

Opinion        23/12/2018                     1618. SUB :  Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 3. Towards Multi-centred Governance in the Western Ghats : UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention REF : UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention : There can be no dispute that the Western Ghats are a unique biological heritage that needs to be protected, and nurtured along the path of environmentally and socially sound development. This is why WGEEP has strongly recommended that the entire Western Ghats tract be considered as an Ecologically Sensitive Area, with substantial areas brought under Ecologically Sensitive Zones 1 and 2. It is proposed that the further process of fine-tuning the limits of the various zones, deciding on management regimes and the implementation be a participatory process going right down to gram sabhas. WGEEP believes that these propo...

Opinion        21/12/2018                     1616. Sub : Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 3. Towards Multi-centred Governance in the Western Ghats : Direct Payments to People, Communities and Companies for Conserving the Biodiversity of the Western Ghats :- Ref : Direct Payments to People, Communities and Companies for Conserving the Biodiversity of the Western Ghats :- Forest ecosystems provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services broadly termed the ‘ecosystem services’ (MEA, 2003). A key goal of creating a Western Ghats Ecology Authority is to maintain the existing forest cover as well as increase the tree cover in other areas including degraded lands and privately held lands so as to promote ecological sustainability. At the same time, the large human population in the ghats, the highest population d...

Opinion        20/12/2018                  1614. Sub : Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 3. Towards Multi-centred Governance in the Western Ghats : 3.5. Forest Rights Act : 3.5.1Poor regulatory oversight and institutional coordination : A More Thoughtful Conservation and Development Through Education Ref  : A More Thoughtful Conservation and Development Through Education Role of Schools, Colleges and Voluntary Agencies Educational institutions with their voluntary force of students of NSS and NCC programmes, often working in tandem with local voluntary agencies, could an make an important contribution to the effort at environmentally and socially sound development of the Western Ghats. To be fruitful, however, such an effort should be directed and form part of a long term plan. Ideally, the effort should focus on a definite locality ...