ANDHRA PRADESH COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PROJECT

closed

The project development objective is to reduce rural poverty through improved forest management, with community participation, specifically, by tribal forest-dependent communities, to assume full responsibility for the development of forest areas. The three main components include: 1) the establishment of an enabling environment for community forest management, by supporting policy, and institutional changes, as well as capacity building, both of the government, community organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. The Government's institutional framework will be strengthened, to allow the implementation of community-based forest management, while project management support will be provided, to include monitoring and evaluation, consulting services and studies, and operational costs; 2) forest management, focused on improving the productivity of designated lands, through improved planning, and silvicultural practices, using multiple shrub and tree species, including medicinal plants, agro-forestry, common land afforestation, and fodder and pasture development. Adaptive forestry research will also be supported, as will the preparation of a forestry inventory, an environmental and pest management plan, and a forest management information system; and, 3) community development, to improve village infrastructure, and livelihoods, through forest, and non-forest based income generation activities. A tribal development plan would be an integral sub-component in preparing investment proposals, and, a resettlement plan would include mitigation measures for adverse impacts.