Poverty Context
In the last five decades, India has made systematic efforts to alleviate poverty through increasing economic growth, targeted programs, land and tenancy reforms, participatory and empowerment-based approaches and the provision of basic services. During the period between 1973-74 and 1999-2000, the incidence of poverty expressed as a percentage of people below the poverty line declined continuously from 54.9% to reportedly 26% (GOI, 2000). However, since the population has been constantly increasing the absolute number of poor in India has not decreased significantly. Of the 26% of population, almost three quarters or over 193 million are in rural areas.
Poverty scenario in India is far from homogenous and the incidence of rural poverty differs widely both between and within states, between different social groups, male and female etc. Mehta and Shah (2003) note that the phenomenon of chronic poverty, including high degree of uncertainty of livelihood base in rural India emanates mainly from structural factors that are reinforced by the low endowment of ‘geographical capital’. This is manifested in terms of adverse agro-climatic conditions, inadequate infrastructure, physical, isolation, and social alienation in these regions (Bird, Hulme, & Shepherd, 2001). In India, two particular types of areas are usually viewed as less favored on the basis of agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions. These are large-tract of ‘dry-lands’ regions or ‘forest-rich’ areas especially in hilly regions with predominance of tribal populations with limited access to natural resources, information and markets. A comparison of between the poverty measurements of two areas shows higher incidence of poverty in ‘forest-areas’.
Focusing on the North Eastern part of India particularly the state of Meghalaya, various estimates of rural poverty suggest that about 40% the rural population is below the poverty line (Saxena, 2002). Meghalaya has a predominantly tribal population (about 85%) and shifting cultivation (popularly known as Jhum) and forest resources play an important role in their economic life. About 70% of the geographical areas in the state is under forest cover (FSI, 2000). The total share of rural population practicing Jhum cultivation is estimated to be about 26% as of 1998 and is spread in roughly over 16% forest cover in Meghalaya (Saxena, 2002). Over the years, various factors including the falling productivity of the Jhum lands, increasing demand to clear land for housing/roads, closing down of forest-based industries (mainly plywood/logging) due to ban on timber felling by Supreme Court of India has further exacerbated the destitution in rural areas. The potential role of forest in development of the state has been accorded high priority both by the government and the donor agencies in region.