Himalayan Eco-System Development: Impact of Fuelwood Plantation on Wastelands

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In rural India the major sources of domestic energy are fuelwood, cowdung, agricultural wastes etc., and the heavy dependence on these resources by the majority of the population leads to the problems of vegetation loss, soil degradation and rapid depletion of energy sources. The results are the chronic shortages of fuelwood in rural areas where demand and supply estimates have shown that the gap is ever widening. To fight with the situation, a massive afforestation programme aiming that every village is able to meet its fuelwood requirements was sought in the government documents. In spite of the efforts there is continuous degradation of environment by large scale deforestation and making appropriate technological adjustments to overcome such problems it is essential to understand the existing domestic fuel availability and utilisation pattern at different micro eco-systems. Unfortunately information on such aspects of rural energy consumption is rather scarce in India. The present study is an effort in this direction to provide the needed information on the subject.

This book is based on a study supported by empirical analysis of the rural household enquiry carried out in two districts of Himalayan eco-system. The results of the work indicate that there is significant impact of the farm forestry activities on the total fuelwood needs of the rural households and the main source of domestic fuelwood supply during I the last decade has shifted from forests and market supplies to plantations raised under the afforestation programme. The interesting impressions of the work are domestic energy consumption with considerations to various socio-economic inputs and parameters, impact of fuelwood plantations on the life of rural households and development programme to improve the wasted lands by growing energy plantations so that the fuelwood needs of 2001 projected population are met.

Dr. R. D. SHARMA holds M.Sc (Ag.), Ph.D. | degree in Agricultural Economics and | specializes in farm economy research, rural development and project evaluation. He has long working experience under different capacities in India, Tanzania and Iraq. He is consultant to various organi- sations in Government of India and on the panel of experts with different international bodies. He has travelled widely in Africa, Middle East, South and East Asia under various assignments.

Dr. Sharma is the Founder-Director, Centre for Economic and Development Research, Ghaziabad and is associated with a number of academic institutions. He has to his credit over fifty publications.

More than half of India's geographical area (329 million hectares) is estimated to be in various stages of degradation and 50 million hectares of this area have not been put to any productive use but these lands although wasted have the potential for development. Various organisations. in and outside the government have collected information on the Indian wastelands and some of the data thus col- lected are extremely useful for action plan at district level for the reclamation of wastelands through afforestation. socio and farm forestry, soil conservation and land management practices. It is being felt that an integrated approach for coordinated and realistic programme is needed for the development of eco-systems on these wastelands.

The various studies conducted in India have em- phasised on different aspects of rural energy situation ranging from fuelwood supply and demand to the hard core problems being faced by the rural masses to get fuel within the reasonable distance of approach. The situation has become so alarming that the Planning Commission has estimated that the fuelwood availability would be one-third of its requirement by the turn of the century.. The heavy burden on the drudgery rural people for fuel- wood collection could not be removed unless fuelwood is not made available locally and comparatively cheap. Since land is a limited factor and agricultural lands are not available for fuelwood plantations, there has emerged the thinking to develop the country's wastelands into fuelwood and fodder plantations. This would, thus solve the two problems simultaneously, availability of fuelwood to the needy rural population and improving the eco-systems on these degraded lands.

**Contents and Sample Pages**