The Art for Conservation project launches a Paper Maché Cottage Industry in Bandhavgarh National Park (Tiger Preserve in Central India). Bandhavgarh National Park (BNP) is one of the highest density tiger reserves in the world. Because of its high density of prey base animals, it has a great number of Tigers in a relatively small area and earns its popularity from them.
However, unsustainable livelihood practices, poor resource management, unrestrained biomass extraction for fodder, wood for fuel/fencing, livestock grazing etc. has led to high depletion of the forest, causing the habitat to shrink considerably, inducing serious human-animal conflict and reduction in the wildlife population.
The National Forest Policy declared by the Government of India in December 1988 is a unique admission of the poor state of forests in the country and its consequential effects on the environment. It recognises poverty to be the main reason why the forest dwellers destroy forests, stating, “Poverty compels people to claim forestland for cultivation as well as to take to axe for domestic fuel, snowballing into a whole-sole destruction of biodiversity.”
After Agriculture there is no defined income for the population. Agricultural yields are very low and used for self consumption rather than profits. Landowners and landless villagers work as manual laborers and resort to odd jobs provided for through tourism in the area. The average annual income of a family in the area is 350-400 U.S. Dollars. This creates a huge dependence on forest resources thereby leading to human animal conflict and loss of forest habitat.
The Art for conservation Project strives to address local poverty due to lack of livelihood and poor agricultural yields, human-animal conflict and lack of awareness and incentives to support conservation in the area. |
