Participatory multi-objective planning for the management of natural resources

• Main Author: Yadav, Jagdish Prasad
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1997

The research study provides a participatory methodology appropriate for the management of natural resources. The major natural resources, i.e., agriculture, forest and community lands are considered. A large proportion of these resources is degraded or is in various stages of degradation. The past and the present management practices have been inadequate to maintain these resources in proper state for sustainable use. In this study, a planning process for the management of these natural resources is demonstrated by selecting a typical site which consists of six villages, with their resources, at Sohna in Haryana State of India. It involves different participants, namely the local people, Village Panchayats (village level elected administrative bodies) and the government agencies which are responsible singly or jointly for the management. In the planning, the natural resources and the goods and services derived from them along with people, livestock and their activities are viewed as an interactive and inter-dependent, 'whole system'. A systems approach has been used, beginning with detailed analysis of socio-economic and bio-physical major sub-systems of the selected site, which is followed by integration of different components of the sub-systems to achieve the specified objectives (environmental amelioration and social welfare) and goals (demand of food, fodder, timber and other minor products, employment opportunities and maximisation of income) through the use of mathematical programming especially goal and linear programming. Two alternative management scenarios - village level and community level - are presented and discussed. The salient features of this study are integration of agriculture resource with the management of common and forest lands, hitherto all of them managed singly, holistic view of management and the participation of stakeholders in the management process.