"WORKING TOWARDS RECREATING A SELF SUSTAINING HABITAT MOTIVATED BY A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE LEGITIMATE NEEDS OF PEOPLE."  

9.1. This part of the Mission Statement implies that there is a clear relationship between poverty and environment. They impact on one another. It implies that on-going change is not feasible unless the degenerated environment is also ‘fostered’ so that it revives and regenerates. As resources like soil, water and biomass degenerate, poverty increases. Any short term increase in productivity through inputs without a strategy to regenerate the environment necessary to sustain development, only becomes a symbolic gesture to cater to good photographs and visitors who leave and do not return. Since this Mission Statement focuses on the poor the reference to the environment is not primarily on excess consumption which characterises a luxurious style of living, but the statement does imply that unless there is a control on excessive consumption by a few, poverty will take much longer to be eradicated - hence a balanced perspective is required.  Concern for the environment as a ‘Value’ did not figure high on the list of values which emerged from the study ‘Management by Values’ conducted in 1988-1989; though there were pockets in MYRADA where this concern is high; the overall picture did not show that MYRADA staff gave importance to the environment in its programmes.

This concern for the environment needs to be analysed further if it is to have any operational meaning for our staff. A great deal is written about the Earth Summit in Rio and other major environment seminars; but what does all this mean to a MYRADA Team in Dharmapuri or Kote or Sira? It may therefore be useful, as a start, to separate the environmental concerns into three categories:

9.1.1. One - the ozone hole, it causes and other effects of an increasingly polluted atmosphere. I refer here to carbon and lead emission from automobiles and industries, to the release of CFCs from refrigerators and hair sprayers, to the release of methane from rice fields and animals, to the release of carbon from burning grasslands and forests. MYRADA’s Mission does not cover these areas directly, though some of them are dealt with indirectly. Our Biogas programme for example, harnesses methane and uses it; but the objective of the programme is primarily to utilise a local resource more efficiently and for more uses than one. The fuel efficient stoves reduce carbon emissions, but they have spread because they are also smokeless and hence women want them; our extensive forestry programme which includes both planting and regeneration as well as the creation of micro-climates, surely helps to reduce carbon content in the atmosphere, though the objectives are to provide fuel, fodder, fertiliser, flower, fibre and to protect erosion (wind and soil). All these therefore do have an impact on the environment; but the thrust of the programmes, is to meet peoples needs though they are also an integral part of the strategy to provide a sustainable resource base. The issues discussed at this level however, like the ozone hole, are too remote to be of concern to the poor.

9.1.2. In the second category we have several environmental issues which are closer to the village, though they are not of immediate concern to the people. For example, we had a situation where local washermen and women were quite angry that most of the laundry contracts from large factories in the area were monopolised by businesses in Bangalore. The industries were approached by MYRADA and they agreed to give their laundry work to the local people provided MYRADA organised them. One local group was organised and provided with separate water sources, a place to wash and dry clothes and a drainage outlet which did not directly lead to any water body like a lake. Due to internal politics however another group bagged the contract; but this group used a tank for washing clothes; it is obvious that though the income of these families has risen dramatically, the water body will rapidly become polluted. The project has to work out a response to this situation. Another example was the introduction of a large number of sheep through a Government sponsored programme into an area which was already poor in grazing resources. Though MYRADA pointed this out when plans were being made, the local officials disregarded this advice; their objective was to achieve the targets given to them. Their superiors would not have pulled them up if grazing areas were rapidly degenerating, but they would surely have expressed strong displeasure if the targeted and planned number of sheep were not distributed. After all local officials are posted in an area for a very short period; who can fault them for not being concerned about long term strategies for environmental regeneration? It took some time for MYRADA to initiate a fodder strategy in the area, but this should have preceded the introduction of animals.

9.1.3. The third category of environmental issues which is relevant to our programme concerns the Management of Micro Watersheds. I will not write much about this here since we have already produced a great deal of material in our Rural Management System papers. However, from our experience we find that people are willing to regenerate areas only where the title to the land is clear. This is why in Gulbarga they first opted to regenerate private lands lying fallow. They entered into contracts with the absentee farmer to share the resources of the regenerated fields between the owner and watershed committee. We have also seen that the farmers will first work on their fields and homesteads before their vision and confidence broaden to embrace the entire micro watersheds. This also requires that the micro watershed is not too large, but small enough so that the people can relate all parts to their own private holdings and see the causal inter-relationships between parts and the whole. This is why the traditional rights to graze on common lands on the upper reaches of the micro watershed which are sometimes held by large farmers living outside the watershed, with no cultivable lands in low lying areas are a major obstacle to micro watershed management and sustainable regeneration.

9.2. It is this particular part of the Mission Statement that will be expressed in MYRADA’s entry into the Uttara Kannada Forestry Project. Our role will not be to plant trees or start nurseries, but to develop with the local people and the Forest Officers a sustainable and appropriate Forestry Management Plan at each village, a plan that will also take into account equity which was explained earlier in this paper. Even within MYRADA the environmental status of the projects differ widely. Kote for example is at one end of the spectrum where the area is not as poor in environmental resources as Kadiri, Challakere, Bangarpet or Dharmapuri. Hence, while in Kote the emphasis should be on management of these resources, in the other four projects the strategy needs to include regeneration and management. The situation in Gulbarga and Holalkere lies in between these two, while Talavadi and Huthur are closer to Kote.

And finally the Mission Statement seeks "TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICIES IN FAVOUR OF THE RURAL POOR". Though the first part of the Mission Statement focuses on people’s institutions which for the most part are alternate institutions and not a continuation of the Government’s delivery system, MYRADA also seeks to influence Government policies so that they become more flexible and appropriate to meet peoples needs, and more importantly, so that they take into account peoples views and wisdom in developing and managing any plan for their progress. It is not enough for the Government to consult people in order to ascertain their views and then to prepare a final plan on its own. The people must be involved in the entire process, and if the plans that the participants (Government, People, NGO) have together drawn up require changes in existing policy, such changes must be considered and policy changes made without undue delay. 

10.1 This part of the Mission Statement takes into consideration that the Government is the major player in the development field. Government policies in development therefore are important factors influencing the success or failure of development programmes. NGOs play an important role here, since the Government system is not ‘friendly’ to policy change where required. The feedback system is poor; subordinates prefer to agree to instructions from above, rather than to express their opinions, participation at meetings is limited to senior officers. The NGOs are in a position to contribute to discussions on policy matters. Unfortunately, many meetings become polarised; we NGOs must share a major part of the blame since we tend to react excitedly, without adequate preparation and to project on a much broader plane our experiences which are often limited. Ideology is another reason for the failure to dialogue though it often serves to hide our pride and a lack of professionalism; the desire for publicity is another factor that causes friction. This is why MYRADA has made every effort to keep a low profile and to  avoid the press, while at the same time approaching every issue with a degree of professionalism which means little more than a serious and educated attempt to plan, monitor, assess results and learn from experiences. The ability of MYRADA staff to carry out these exercises has constantly been upgraded over the past five years through trainings and workshops both in-house and outside, within India and abroad.

10.2 Policy changes can be brought about through a combination of several strategic thrusts.

1. Through intervention in a professional manner at higher levels of decision making. At this level ad-hoc arguments and any claim by NGOs to be ‘Holier than thou’ are not effective. What is required is a thoroughly professional job, well documented, analysed and based on the NGOs experience, as well as adequate leverage in decision making centres. MYRADA’s work on the Action Plan for Rehabilitation of the families affected by the Upper Krishna Project is one example that resulted in a  policy change which falls in this category.

2. Through participatory planning and monitoring where Government, people and NGOs are involved, provided a system is set up to accept and process feedback at a sufficiently high level where policy changes can be recommended and followed through. Our experience in participatory planning and evaluation in Gulbarga and the proposed management pattern in the Forestry Project of Uttara Kannada areexamples in this category.

3. Through actually fostering successfulexperiences in the field which serve as a basis for policy change. Our experience with the Credit Management Groups is a good example. Our experiment gradually took shape and attracted the attention of NABARD officials who after serious analysis of the experiment made significant changes in the pattern of lending to the rural poor. Our experience in Kote with community managed drinking water systems, is another example which was shared quite successfully though with lesser impact with the Government and other institutions involved with a major drinking water project in Karnataka.

4. Through actions such as ‘padayatras’ and other public demonstrations. While this strategy has good public impact it has to be carefully managed and followed through to be effective. An NGO must be able to utilise all these strategies, since, by and large, policy change is not brought about by a single action. The right combination has be to be worked out, one that is most appropriate and manageable in every situation.
   
    10.3 As part of our on-going thrust for policy change, the few breakthrough experiences in participatory systems must be shared with Government staff so that the message spreads. One reason why MYRADA does not conduct its training programmes in the isolation of Training Centres, but in areas where people have actually implemented such participatory management systems with some degree of success, is that the actual field work is the best learning situation and the people involved are the best resource persons. We all know that these experiences are not absolute or perfect and that there are ample grounds for improvement, but the basic trends are visible and can serve as adequate learning experiences for those who are willing to come with an open mind and without prejudice.