7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
1/15
Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities
IndiaSHASHWAT
Empowered live
Resilient nation
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
2/15
UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES
Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo
or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth
their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition
themselves guiding the narrative.
To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser
that details the work o Equator Prize winners vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ
to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models
replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years
the Equator Prize, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.
Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiatives searchable case study database.
EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph CorcoranManaging Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding
Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Sean Cox, Larissa Currado, David Godrey, Sarah Gordon,
Oliver Hughes, Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma
Mary McGraw, Brandon Payne, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding
DesignSean Cox, Oliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Loren
de la Parra, Brandon Payne, Mariajos Satizbal G.
AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude Shashwat, and in particular the guidance and inputs o Mr. Anand Kapoor. All ph
credits courtesy o Shashwat and Tiany Franke. Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.
Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2013. Shashwat, India. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. New York, NY.
http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdf7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
3/15
PROJECT SUMMARYShashwat is a grassroots initiative that was developed inresponse to the displacement o Koli Mahadeo, Thakarand Katkari tribal communities by the construction o theDimbhe dam, which submerged 11 villages and destroyedcropland in another 13. The organization helps localcommunities develop small-scale shing activities in thedam reservoir, and improve agricultural production on theremaining cultivatable land, much o which is on steepslopes. The dam reservoir has been stocked with sh andthe local population is supported to obtain shing leases,boats, and nets. Fish size and abundance have increased, ashave local incomes.
Tribal armers have been supported to cultivate smallpaddy terraces on steep slopes in the local catchment area.The organization also supports local armers with landtenure securitization, through securing ocial ownershipdocuments. Other Shashwat activities include educationand healthcare programmes ocussed on women andchildren.
KEY FACTS
EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2012
FOUNDED: 1996
LOCATION: Maharashtra State
BENEFICIARIES: Tribal communities near the Dimbhe dam
BIODIVERSITY: Ecosystem restoration, forest conservation
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background and Context 4
Key Activities and Innovations 7
Biodiversity Impacts 10
Socioeconomic Impacts 10
Policy Impacts 12
Sustainability 13
Replication 13
Partners 14
SHASHWATIndia
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
4/15
4
hashwat is a grassroots initiative that was developed in response to
range o challenges aced by indigenous and tribal communities
n the Pune district o Indias Maharashtra state. The initiative works
with Koli Mahadeo, Thakar and Katkari tribal peoples displaced, or
therwise negatively aected, by the construction o the Dimbhe
ydroelectric gravity dam. Construction o the Dimbhe Reservoir
n 2000 completely submerged 11 tribal villages and resulted in
he fooding o cropland in another 13 communities. Shashwat has
worked to develop alternative, sustainable livelihood activities or
hose living around the fooded area, including in villages within the
ams catchment area and those communities negatively aected
y demarcation o the Bhimashankar Wildlie Sanctuary in 1985.
Displacement o tribal communities
he Dimbhe dams catchment area includes 38 villages populated
lmost entirely by people o the Koli Mahadev, Thakar and Katkari
scheduled tribes (a term which reers to specic indigenous peoples
whose status is ormally acknowledged by Indian legislation). When
onstruction o the Dimbhe dam fooded 11 o these villages, 1,253
amilies were orced to leave their homes. A urther 13 villages were
artially submerged, with their inhabitants losing prime cropland
n the banks o the Ghod River. Due to inadequate rehabilitation
measures, most o the aected population settled in 19 villages just
bove the reservoirs submergence line. Since their resettlement,
hese communities have been orced to eke out an existence on theteep slopes surrounding the 2,202-hectare reservoir.
he displaced population is largely uneducated and illiterate and
he alternative livelihoods available to them were limited. Most
ttempted to develop new sources o income rom shing along the
anks o the reservoir. The articial lake, however, was comparatively
arren, with net aquatic productivity less than hal that required or
ood shing yields. And while low sh stocks made shing dicult,
oor soil quality on the steep slopes o the reservoir hampered the
orts o the displaced communities to develop agriculture.
Shashwat works with these communities to bring new, sustain
livelihood opportunities to the dams catchment area.
organizations primary ocus has been the development o small-
shing activities and improving agricultural production on the s
slopes surrounding the reservoir. Another important dimensio
Shashwats work has been supporting displaced communitie
claim rehabilitation and resettlements rights rom the governm
One aspect o this advocacy includes the acilitation o partners
between the communities and local government. The aim
empower displaced indigenous and tribal communities to esta
new livelihoods that are based on responsible stewardship o na
resources in the area.
Shashwat has been able to oster a spirit o cooperation and com
vision between community members such that the comm
enterprises and ederations that have been created are deeply ro
in, and are now somewhat indivisible rom, community ide
Livelihood diversication activities have been complemente
conservation interventions as well as the provision o much nee
healthcare and education programmes.
The development o Shashwat
Shashwat was ocially registered as an organization in 1996
has operated in its current orm since 1999. However, ounde
the initiative Mr. Anand Kapoor and Ms. Kusum Karnik have engwith tribal communities in the area since 1981, working on is
relating to orest protection, community resource access,
economic development. Between 1995 and 2000, Mr. Kapoor wo
on the rehabilitation o 152 villages displaced by the Bargi Dam
Jabalpur, where he was involved in the development o a small-
shing project, among other programs. When the Dimbhe
project had a similarly ruinous impact on nearby communities
architects o Shashwat saw an opportunity to develop a si
project on the banks o the Ghod River.
Background and Context
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
5/15
55
n 2000, Shashwat mobilized 700 tribal amilies rom 13 villages to
obby the Government o Maharashtra. The objective was to garner
upport or the community to create and manage new paddy-elds
n the slopes above the dam reservoir under a rural employment
cheme. The lobbying eorts were successul and a pilot project was
anctioned in 2002. The agreement saw the government covering
ne third o armer wages with contributions rom Shashwat and
he community itsel making up the remainder. Coordination o the
roject was ormally entrusted to Shashwat.
ater the same year, Shashwat launched a shing cooperative or
esidents living adjacent to the Dimbhe reservoir. However, the
ghts o resident communities to sh within the reservoir were
ot easily secured. When the dam was completed, the shing lease
was initially granted to a local politician in a neighbouring district.
hashwat again mobilized the displaced communities to protest,
which, with subsequent lobbying, eventually put enough pressure
n the government to grant the shing lease to the community in
006.
Government cooperation on livelihoods developmenthashwat has had remarkable success bringing the displaced
ommunities o Dimbhe into the old o ormal government
rogramming. In 2004, ollowing petitioning by Shashwat, the
Divisional Commission o Pune made a site visit to the resettled
ommunities. He was able to see rst-hand the overwhelming need
the community as well as the commitment o its members (and
hat o Shashwat) to socioeconomic recovery and stabilization. A
evelopment plan called the Dimbhe Dam Area Poverty Alleviation
rogramme was sanctioned, with a mandate to ocus on the 38
ribal villages residing in the dams catchment area.
The Pune state tribal and sheries departments were p
into the programming, as was the Central Institute o Fish
Education (CIFE) in Mumbai. A series o interventions was launc
in cooperation with the displaced population, including
stocking o the reservoir to boost sh populations and the prov
o needed capital such as shing boats and nets. The project
an overall ocus on building the capacity o resident commun
to develop and manage sheries within the Dimbhe reservoir.
provided technical assistance or management o the reservoir, wShashwat was given responsibility or community mobiliza
including organizational development and strengthening
management capacity.
As the initiative has grown in prominence and credibility
scope has expanded to encompass more holistic developm
planning, encompassing a range o community wellb
and social service delivery dimensions. As such, Shash
has positioned itsel as a trusted partner o local governm
authorities. In 2011, Shashwat negotiated collaboration
Maharashtras Administrative Training Institute (Yashwan
Chavan Academy o Development Administration - YASHADA)
the Karve Institute o Social Service, which resulted in a m
planning process or development o the tribal villages.
level o planning had previously only taken place on an ino
basis, so this collaboration marked a notable incorporation o
communities into the ormal development programming se
Governance and institutional structure
Shashwat operates as a trust and is overseen by eight trus
Hal o the trustees, as well as all three o the primary oce
are women. Several o Shashwats programmes are operated w
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
6/15
6
ood measure o autonomy and independence rom the main trust;
many, in act, have their own governance structures. The sheries
rogramme, or example, is an incorporated, independent enterprise
which is managed as a cooperative society with decisions are taken
hrough an independent General Assembly. Other programmes
ave become ormally integrated into government programming,
uch as the paddy terracing programme which is now administeredirectly by the government with inputs rom Shashwat and resident
ommunities.
hashwat employs a small paid sta. The majority o its work,
owever, is carried out by community members on a voluntary
asis. The principles o transparency, democracy and ull and
ctive participation guide the organization. It aims to maintain
non-hierarchical structure and to oster a high degree o
ommunity ownership over decision-making, programming and
mplementation. Incrementally, Shashwat aims to transer more
nd more management responsibility and authority directly to the
isplaced communities, gradually assuming a supporting role.
he genesis and implementation o a recent project provides an
lustration o how this devolved governance system unctions. Ideas
or new areas o ocus may originate rom Shashwat core sta and
olunteers, who number around 60, or on the basis o demand rom
ommunities themselves. In 2008, a Katkari tribal community rom
he village o Old Ambegaon approached Shashwat or assistance
n accessing a government housing scheme. Lacking the land
tles required to take advantage o this scheme, the community
was initially aided by Shashwat in soliciting donations to purchase
5-square metre plots o land or each householder. Shashwat
then supported the villagers through the negotiations involve
gaining approval rom the relevant government oces, and
our-year process o convincing ocials to allow the communi
manuacture the bricks themselves rather than entrusting the
to a contractor. Shashwat was given the go-ahead in August
to begin planning the construction o the villagers new hous
collaboration with a local architect. Ater six rounds o consultawith the community and the architect, the design plans w
nalized. Government unds, however, were due to be release
installments, so Shashwat raised INR 400,000 to cover the i
construction expenses. Construction is due to be completed by
2013, and will be acilitated by the arrival o government unds
The decision-making structure o the initiative has evolve
Shashwats sta has grown in size and experience. Through a th
tier system, ideas may take up to two years to take a concrete
ater they are rst raised by sta members or volunteers. Idea
aired during monthly programme review meetings, with se
sta and trustees consulted regularly. Village-level stakehoare involved at every stage o the evolution o new projects, w
Shashwats senior sta help to sharpen and shape project de
Seven key sta members including Shashwats two ounde
well as its project coordinator, school manager, and team mem
responsible or womens health and womens programmes
take the nal decision on project implementation. From sta
nish, projects are developed with a high degree o commu
ownership, acilitated by what is described as a fat instituti
structure in which plain speaking is actively encouraged and
individuals opinions are respected.
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
7/15
77
Key Activities and Innovations
he common characteristic across Shashwats wide-ranging
ctivities is support to tribal communities to ully realize and exerciseheir rights. The organization operates with the twin objectives o
reating sustainable livelihood opportunities or tribal communities
while also conserving the environment and natural resources on
which these communities depend. Most notably, Shashwat activities
nclude the development o community-based agriculture and
sheries, support or and documentation o community conservation
o local orests, the provision o healthcare and education services,
dvocacy and lobbying to build constructive partnerships between
ommunities and local government, and community capacity-
building and empowerment.
Terracing on steep slopes
One o Shashwats rst endeavours was to initiate dialogue between
ribal communities and the Government o Maharashtra. The goal
was to leverage nancial support or the construction o terraced
paddy elds on the steep slopes overlooking the reservoir - slopes
which, until that point, had limited the ability o the displaced
ommunities to undertake productive agriculture. This negotiation
ook years. In 2002, the state government agreed to und a pilot
project under the rubric o the Maharashtra Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme. The government agreed to pay one third o
ommunity wages, what amounted to approximately INR 2,088 per
armer. Shashwat was entrusted with overall management o the
project, contributed an average o INR 1,250 per armer.
etween 2002 and 2004, 203 armers participated in the construction
o paddy terraces on their lands. The work was carried out using the
raditional padkai system - a practice o community mutual aid in
which community members work together on a rotating basis to
omplete work on individual plots o land. Young people rom the
illages were trained in measurement work a capacity building
bonus collecting data that was then cross-checked and certied
by government department sta. The collective endeavour brought
3 hectares o land into cultivation and provided a temporary source
o employment or local armers. As a result o this project, annual
paddy outputs increased rom 68 to 98 kilogrammes o rice
amily. This substantial increase in grain yield meant that arwere able to secure their household ood supply or 10 to 11 mo
rather than six to seven months, as was previously the case.
The paddy terracing pilot project was the rst o its kin
Maharashtra. Because o its overwhelming success, the governm
was compelled in 2010 to implement a ull rural employm
scheme in the area. Initially sanctioned and unded by the T
Development Department, the programme expanded rom
villages in 2010 to 20 villages in 2011-2012. In September 2
the Secretary o the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Sch
visited the area and met with villagers, Shashwat sta,
researchers rom Prayas, a local non-governmental organiza
Ater the visit, the programme was approved or replication in ohilly areas o Maharashtra under the Mahatma Gandhi National
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Fishing cooperative
Sustainable shing in the dam reservoir has been a priority activi
Shashwat since 2003. Prior to interventions by the group, betwee
and 40 amilies were trying to survive on the lakes relatively me
sh catch. Unsustainable shing practices were depleting an alr
small sh population. Shashwat was able to establish standards
regulations amongst the shing communities, eectively reac
agreement to scale back damaging shing methods (such as th
o poisons and explosives) and to implement net-size regulatThree wood-ramed boats were constructed or community u
shing activities.
The shing communities, however, were still operating extra-le
shing in the reservoir without ocial resource access rights. In 2
owing to persistent lobbying by Shashwat, the community was
to obtain a shing lease or the reservoir, allowing community-b
management o the sh stock to begin in earnest. One bene
obtaining the lease was the provision o technical support by
Central Institute o Fisheries Education (CIFE).
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
8/15
88
oday, shing in the reservoir makes the most o modern shing
echniques while still being community-run. The lake was stocked
with seed sh and gradually more low-impact boats and nets were
rovided to the community. Under CIFE guidance, the community
ses a state-o-the-art cage and pen technique in which sh
ngerlings are grown to 100-175 millimetres in length in foating
ages beore being released into the open water. This method
ignicantly increases their prospects o survival and ull maturation.
he community collectively manages the shery, imposing net-sizeestrictions and a strictly observed closed season. The abundance
nd size o sh has increased, a change which has been tracked
hrough community monitoring and evaluation.
he shery project is managed by the Dimbhe Jalashay Shramik
divasi Macchimar Sahakari Society Ltd (Dimbhe Reservoir Tribal
ishing Cooperative Society Ltd), a legally registered cooperative
ody ormed specically or this purpose. Two hundred and ourteen
ribal amilies take part in the cooperative, which now owns 148
oats and over 2,000 kg o nets. The cooperative harvests up to 27
onnes o sh each year, including rohu, catla and mrigala, and local
pecies such as chela all Indian carps. Whereas the average weight
major carp specimens in 2003 was 700g, it has now increased to
-8kg. Between April and November 2012, total catch exceeded 21
onnes. In addition to increases in sh size, this can be attributed
o the increased number o shing days, rom 72 in 2006-07 to 248
n 2011-12. These upward trends in sh size and abundance have
ranslated directly into improved incomes or local shers. Having
ever exceeded INR 700,000 annually between 2006 and 2011, gross
sh sales between April and November 2012 totalled more than INR
,300,000.
his project has also included a number o innovative approaches
o improving the productivity o the reservoir. The community now
lants dhencha or taag, a green manure crop, on lands which are
ubmerged when the reservoirs water level rises. This practice
increases ood availability or sh, while simultaneously impro
the soil quality or the winter planting season by xing nitrogen
cooperative has also experimented with the use o solar drye
dry sh during periods o abundance.
Raising ornamental sh
The non-shing, monsoon months are challenging or commu
members dependent on the shing sector or their livelihood neThis is particularly true o the landless Katkari tribes. To address
Shashwat has introduced the practice o ornamental sh rearin
an alternative income stream or local shers. This new eld o w
that has been particularly lucrative or local women. Participa
women have ormed themselves into 32 sel-help groups w
together constitute a ederation. Through the sel-help gro
women have received training in the upkeep o ornamental
which are reared in cases provided by CIFE. When an initial
project proved successul, the National Fisheries Development B
provided a urther 16 cages. This activity has provided signi
income or tribal women. The womens groups now also make
sell glass aquariums containing a variety o ornamental sh, w
wholesalers oten visit the dam site directly with oers to purctheir entire output. Additional support is required, however, be
this enterprise activity becomes sel-sustaining.
Improving agricultural productivity
Each year, when the reservoir level drops and water is rele
through the dam or downstream irrigation, 400 to 600 hectar
land become available or seasonal planting. To enhance and exp
local agricultural options, Shashwat lobbied the governmen
permission to work with the displaced communities to arm
land and make it productive. The government agreed to lease
land at hal the standard land use charge and nearly 180 armer
now growing crops on about 200 hectares o land.
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
9/15
9
An additional obstacle was that, until 2006, local armers lacked
he equipment necessary to irrigate these lands, thereby limiting
he types o crops they could grow and their ability to maximize
arvest outputs. Again through a combination o lobbying and
roposed partnership with the government, Shashwat was able to
rovide 65 armers (in 13 armer groups) with irrigation pipelines
nd lightweight hand-pumps. By 2012, over 200 armers had been
ble to access 140 hand-pump and pipeline sets. The land is now
eing used to grow pearl millet, wheat, enugreek, vegetables andotatoes, providing ood security or three to our months o the
ear and supplementing other livelihood activities. Out-migration
rom the villages during this traditionally sparse work season has
een substantially reduced.
Other broader eorts have been made to improve local agricultural
roductivity, including through partnerships with local academic
nstitutions. From 2007-2012, students rom the Indian Institute
Technology in Mumbai have undertaken 10-week internships
with Shashwat. As one example o the contributions made by
he interns, a group o students designed and constructed a two-
ilometre irrigation channel to provide water to the village o Patan,
n intervention which has seen a doubling o wheat harvests o
ocal armers. Shashwat has also supported local armers to secure
and tenure. The organization pushed or a needed update o land
wnership documents to refect the names o current owners and
abourers in place o their ancestors.
Peoples Forest Research Institute
hashwat also supports community conservation o local orests
nd sacred groves and assists communities in advocating or their
ghts to use local orests. The tribal communities o the area have
raditionally conserved sacred groves in the orests surrounding
heir villages. To document and prole community relationshipswith the local orests, and their commitment to sustainable orest
management, Shashwat initiated the Peoples Forest Research
nstitute.
he establishment o this institute addressed a clear and persistent
roblem in the region: a lack o appreciation or the environment
nd development benets possible rom community-based
orest management. To give an example, when a portion o the
himashankar orest was declared a Wildlie Sanctuary in 1985,
he resident population o the orest was threatened with eviction.
heir crops were put at risk rom the prospect o large increases in
wild boar populations as a result o a ban on hunting in the orest.
Wild boars are known to completely destroy paddy and bamboo
cultivation, and selective hunting was undertaken by governm
authorities to keep a balance between healthy boar numbers
crop cultivation.
For the last two decades, even beore the inception o Shashw
its current incarnation, the programme ounders worked with
eight villages o the Bhimashankar Wildlie Sanctuary to advo
or their collective rights to remain in the orest. The lobbying e
though it took several years, was ultimately successul in convinthe government to desist rom evicting the villagers rom
sanctuary. Out o this experience the Peoples Forest Rese
Institute was born. The institute documents community-b
orest management practices and has become a valuable reso
or convincing government and other stakeholders o the value
win-win environment and development solutions that are pos
through community stewardship.
Healthcare and education programmes
As additional activities, Shashwat supports a health clinic oc
on child and maternal health as well as a number o educati
initiatives. These include twelve pre-primary school centre
residential primary school or tribal children who have not
started ormal education (or have dropped out o the school sys
available in the area), and a childrens hostel to house students
have to travel long distances to get to school. Shashwat osters
athletic talents o the students at the hostel and school with a
to one day developing it into a sports academy. A plot o land
the Dimbhe dam has already been identied or this purpose
Shashwat is seeking corporate sponsorship to initiate the pro
as well as requesting permission rom the government to use
abandoned buildings o the dam irrigation colony or educati
and sheries training purposes.
As a result o Shashwats educational programming, 40 childre
the Katkari tribe classied as a particularly vulnerable tribal gr
and among the poorest in India are now studying at the Van
Vidya Mandir School in the remote village o Aghane. O th
23 have gone on to study at the hostel school in Dhimbe vil
Shashwats schools also help to promote a spirit o coopera
and social cohesion, as children rom various tribes are educ
together and learn about one anothers languages and custom
It is important for people to understand that those who have lived with the forest for centuri
and preserved the forest for centuries are the best people to know how to conserve it, how to us
it, and how to take care of it. Without them, who knows the forest?
Ms Kusum Karnik, Founder and Vice-President, Shashwat
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
10/15
10
Impacts
BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS
hashwat is deeply committed to the conservation and rehabilitation
o local ecosystems. The environmental interventions outlined below
re complemented by a range o sustainable income generating
ctivities, which constitute an important dimension o the overall
onservation strategy. There is a need to provide members o
esident communities with livelihood options that do not damage
he environment, as they might otherwise be orced to resort to
unsustainable practices to make ends meet.
Sustainable shing
Beore the Shashwat shing cooperative was established, theDimbhe reservoir was almost barren, with less than hal the net
quatic productivity required or sucient sh production. By
tocking the lake and planting dhencha or taag green manure crops
on the banks o the reservoir banks that become submerged when
he water level rises the cooperative has eectively rejuvenated
populations o a number o sh species and restored a ully
unctioning ecosystem. The conservation and sustainable use o
he lake ecosystem has become a source o community pride and
rallying point or community action. A prohibition has been put
n place that restricts the introduction o invasive alien species
n the reservoir, an intervention that became necessary ater a
private company, without the consent o the community, began
ultivating exotic species o sh which broke ree o their net cagesnd threatened to destabilize the lake ecosystem. Members o the
ocal shing cooperative held a protest which orced the company
o abandon their activities and to pay compensation or ecological
damages.
Sustainable agriculture
On the agriculture side, the construction o paddy elds above
he reservoir has helped to avoid siltation, controlling erosion and
engthening the unctional lie o the dam and reservoir. The steep
gradation o the slopes, in combination with the regions high an
rainall, causes a great deal o soil erosion. With no interven
and no terracing, projected siltation rates or Dimbhe dam a
the range o 30 million cubic metres over the assumed 100
lie o the project. The paddy elds, however, trap silt ar abov
reservoir at an average rate o about 150 cubic metres o silt pe
square metres terraced land. Shashwat complements its terra
work by planting o shrubs, trees and grasses on trench and mo
structures on the banks o the reservoir to maintain soil integrity
plants trap silt carried down by rainwater in areas where terrace
not extend all the way down to the waters edge.
Forest conservation through sacred groves
Although the area is home to the 111-square kilometre Bhimasha
Wildlie Sanctuary, a strong tradition o orest conservation pre-d
the protected area. Local communities have long maintained sa
groves (devrai), where orest and wildlie conservation overlap
religious practice. Almost every village maintains a sacred g
where human incursions are prohibited and a conservation et
closely observed. There have been multiple occurrences o sa
groves being threatened by orest contractors and private s
logging interests. In these instances, Shashwat has served
lobbying platorm and voice o opposition.
SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTSThe empowerment o tribal communities
Perhaps the most signicant impact o Shashwats work has
the empowerment o tribal communities that were displace
construction o the Dimbhe dam. Many o these tribes have su
rom social and economic isolation and marginalization. They
typically lacked access to education or to the government ser
that would allow or the ull realization o their land and reso
rights. Shashwat has empowered these communities to dem
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
11/15
more rom their government representatives, to invest in the
community as a source o transormational change at the level o
andscape and economy, and to deend community ownership o
and and stewardship o natural resources. Organizing the shing
cooperative and attaining the shing lease or the reservoir were
arge steps in establishing the collective rights o the community
o access land and resh water resources. Shashwat has provided
a communication bridge between tribal communities and
government ocials, resulting in improved interactions, greateropenness and trust, and higher levels o mutual condence between
ocal resource users and policymakers.
Promoting collective action and cooperation
The promotion o cooperation within and between communities
owards common environment and development goals has helped
trengthen social bonds and build relationships between dierent
ribal groups in the area. Notable examples o this approach in action
ncluded: the collective arming o the dams drawdown area, with
groups o armers sharing irrigation equipment; the padkai system o
mutual aid used to construct the paddy terraces; and establishment
o the community-run shing cooperative, where shared rules andegulations were put in place. This spirit o cooperation has been
brought to the younger generation through education and school
programmes that bring together students rom dierent tribes,
bringing dierent languages and customs together.
mproving ood security
The development o the local agriculture and shery sectors has
done a great deal to improve ood security or the tribal communities.
Grain harvests have increased substantially as a result o agricultural
mprovements, now lasting 10 to 11 months o the year rather than
ix to seven as was previously the case. According to an evaluation
carried out by the NGO Prayas in our villages where the programme
had been implemented, only one year ater paddy terracing,
production had increased by more than one third. The measures put
n place by the shing cooperative low-impact equipment, sh net
egulations, and catch size enorcement have also led to greater
sh size and abundance. The sheries management o the reservoir
has helped reduce incidence o malnutrition, a major problem in
ndia particularly among women and children. Improvements in
ood security have had spill-over impacts such as greater condence
o local labourers and shermen to demand air wages , reducing
out-migration to urban centres.
Access to education
The tribal communities served by Shashwat live in remote a
and lack connectivity to basic social services like educa
Shashwat aims to ll this gap, not by creating a parallel educa
system that risks duplicating government eorts, but by ocu
programming and service delivery on areas where none previo
existed. For example, Shashwat runs one school or children
have not been able to access or aord ormal education, sevpre-schools in villages not reached by government program
and a residential school or children who have been unable to t
in the existing school system. Access to education or this segm
o the population is signicant, as the majority o adult comm
members are illiterate and were never provided with acces
ormal education. Shashwats educational programming prom
to reverse this trend. Many o the children attending Shashwa
schools are the rst generation o their amilies to receive a o
education. More than 60 children o the Katkari and Koli Mah
tribes, historically marginalized and acutely poor, are currently b
educated at Shashwat-supported schools in the village o Agh
while 23 have moved on to study at the Shashwat hostel.
11
Shashwats work is guided by the underlying belief that one must respect the people one workwith. Our vision and mission are not written on a board somewhere high above the office, the
are discussed; and the values we believe in fraternity, equality, freedom, justice, truth, love o
fellow human beings, and valuing physical labour are often brought up regarding day-to-da
matters, thus keeping this spirit alive.
Mr. Anand Kapoor, Founder, Shashwat
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
12/15
Empowerment o women
Shashwat has ensured that women are ully involved in the activities
t supports. As one example, during the process o updating land
ownership documents to secure land tenure, the names o more than
500 women were added to land deeds as co-owners alongside their
husbands. Although initially only one member o each amily was
allowed to join the shing cooperative, this has been expanded to
nclude one woman rom each amily, making it possible or womeno participate alongside their husbands. Women have also assumed
eadership roles in governance and decision-making; there are now
hree women on the shing cooperatives board o nine directors.
Women have also acted as ambassadors or the community in
meetings with government ocials.
The ornamental sh initiative developed by Shashwat was spear-
headed specically with the income generation needs o local
women in mind. The activity provides a valuable source o income
or these women, independent o their husbands. In a good year,
women can earn up to INR 1,500 per month through it. The project
has also involved a great deal o capacity building and training or
ocal women and resulted in the creation o several more womensel-help groups.
POLICY IMPACTS
Lobbying, advocacy and successully petitioning government to
ecognize the rights and resource management capabilities o tribal
communities have all been areas o signicant accomplishment or
Shashwat. On multiple occasions, the organization has been able to
mobilize community members to infuence government policies,
everse unjust land and resource allocation decisions, and secure
avourable outcomes or the displaced tribal communities they
erve. Shashwat has excelled at bringing this previously socially
and economically marginalized population into the old o ormal
government programming and legal entitlements. Documentation
o community-based natural resource management capacity in the
orestry and sheries sectors has helped make the case to relevant
policymakers that local stewardship o biodiversity and ecosystems
can have positive environment and development benets.
Lease agreements
Such was the case when ensuring that resident communities
were granted the lease to sh in the reservoir: by successully
demonstrating the positive impacts o community-based sheries
management, and the compound benets this could have or local
ivelihoods and ood security, Shashwat was able to secure the leaseagreement or a reduced rate o INR 54,000 instead o the standard
NR 121,000. The same outcome was achieved when Shashwat was
able to demonstrate the ways in which communities could make
drawdown land productive.
nfuencing policy
Lessons learned rom Shashwats work with communities aected
by the Dimbhe dam are also inorming wider sheries policy
n the region. Based on its experience, Shashwat presented its
ecommendations on the development o overarching sheries
policy at a regional seminar in Goa in 2007 and at a state-
cooperatives conerence in 2011. Also in 2011, Shashwat m
a submission to the Indian Government Planning Commiss
Working Group on Fisheries or the drating o its 12th Five Year
(2012-2017).
The advocacy work done by Shashwat to enlist govern
support or the construction o paddy terraces had a ripple ee
government policy. The project marked the rst time that the pasystem o cooperative labour was accepted and ormalized u
the Maharashtra state Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
to the success o the project and the partnership arrangement
the state government, the method o using stone bunds on pr
armlands (those having slopes o between eight and 20 per
was subsequently sanctioned or 38 dierent villages in the Dim
dam area.
Securing land tenure
Shashwat also pioneered the practice o village camps or upgra
land ownership documents and has received strong support
government ocials in this activity. Between 2004 and 201
such events were held in the area by Shashwat and the governm
revenue department. The approach involves holding set days du
which depositions rom all claimants to village land are recor
The names o those currently cultivating the land are then reco
on the land title documents in place o their ancestors, which m
it easier or community members to access government sche
and legitimises their land tenure.
12
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
13/15
13
Sustainability and Replication
SUSTAINABILITYAlthough many o the projects Shashwat supports are not yet sel-
ucient either in terms o nancing or technical capacity the
rganization has achieved excellent results in developing sustainable
velihood options or tribal communities. Shashwat is dedicated
o ensuring that the organizational structure is democratic and
ommunity buy-in is strong enough to support the projects over the
ong term.
ather than governing projects directly, Shashwat invests substantial
ort into building community capacity so that the involvement
Shashwat can be gradually scaled back over time. With this inmind, Shashwat places strong emphasis on collective action and
trengthening community bonds. As an indication o the return on
his investment, Shashwat has been able to rely heavily on volunteer
orts; only nine sta members are employed, supplemented by
ignicant voluntary work by community members.
Partnerships between communities and local government
Much o Shashwats work ocuses on building relationships within and
etween tribes, through co-education o tribal children, promotion
collective labour, and the establishment o cooperatives. The
adkai system or the construction o paddy terraces is an excellent
xample o this approach, with armers sharing labour andquipment to achieve results that could not have been achieved
ndividually.
he sheries project is entirely managed by the cooperative
ociety. Participation in the cooperative is high and it is becoming
ncreasingly autonomous in managing its own relationships with
overnment agencies and partners. Although the sheries initiative
s not yet nancially sustainable, it is providing valuable livelihoods
o the local communities. The results achieved to date are a strong
emonstration to communities o the value o cooperation and
collective action. Also crucial or the long term sustainabilit
Shashwat and its initiatives, however, is continued collabora
with ocial government channels.
REPLICATION
Shashwat actively seeks opportunities to share the experienc
the Dimbhe dam communities with a view to developing si
initiatives amongst tribal communities in other areas o Mahara
and beyond. The organization makes use o a variety o m
and the shing cooperative regularly hosts educational visit
NGOs, scientists, and students rom sheries colleges across IRepresentatives o Maharashtras Department o Fisheries an
several nancial institutions have visited project sites, ultim
leading to elements o the project being promoted across
country. The design o the shing boats that Shashwat introd
to Dimbhe reservoir is being promoted and used by Maharash
Tribal Development Department and various NGOs in other pa
the state.
Participation in knowledge networks
The Oce o the Principal Scientic Advisor to the Governme
India approved a project in late 2012 wherein the Indian Institu
Technology (IIT) Bombay and Shashwat will collaborate to impthe structures o foating cages or aquaculture. The commun
are also hoping to share their experience and knowledge o u
cage and pen culture techniques with communities around
other large dams in nearby tribal regions.
Shashwat shares its experience and knowledge thro
membership in the Konkan Lokadhikar Manch, an association o
NGOs working in six districts to help Katkari communities dev
sustainable livelihoods through sheries in dam reservoirs. Bey
sheries development, Shashwats eorts to have the padkai sy
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
14/15
1414
or construction o paddy terraces recognised or government
mployment scheme unding has been highly infuential, with
milar schemes now being proposed or implementation in other
egions o Maharashtra.
hrough Shashwats Peoples Forest Research Institute, the
management o the orest by local communities is being documented
nd monitored. As well as providing a record o the regions fora,
his endeavour will allow or the replication o successul orestmanagement practices, based on sound evidence o their success.
hashwat plans to initiate similar work regarding the monitoring o
he reservoirs sh species.
PARTNERS
WISSAID India has been a consistent supporter o Shashwat
ogether with the Norwegian NGO Barnas Venner, which has unded
rojects in the areas o childrens education and womens health. The
otary Club o Pune Tilak Road has provided nancial support or
sheries development and the Village Development Council (UK)
as helped to improve the design o shing boats.
he Tech Mahindra Foundation has supported Shashwats school
nd hostel. The Government o Maharashtra has supported land
development in hilly areas, as well as providing boats and net
tribal shers. Most recently, the government sanctioned a hou
project or 22 Katkari amilies on land that Shashwat donated o
purpose. Trans Tech Turnkey Private Ltd. (Pune) provided a sta
grant or this project.
The Central Institute o Fisheries Education (CIFE) has been cruc
providing technical guidance or the development o the rese
sheries, and provides ongoing technical guidance, in collaborawith the National Fisheries Development Board, with respec
cage and pen culture techniques and the rearing o ornamenta
Maharashtra State has supported communities by providing s
boats, nets, and seed stocking o the reservoir, as well as assistin
land ownership and with irrigation equipment.
IIT Bombay has sent students to undertake internships
Shashwat or a number o years. This has proved to be a ru
partnership, with the students designing an irrigation channel
constructed with the help o local armers. Yashwantrao Cha
Academy o Development Administration (YASHADA), Maharash
Administrative Training Institute, and the Karve Institute o S
Service have also partnered with Shashwat in its developm
planning activities. Finally, a signicant number o local, indivi
donors have consistently supported Shashwats work.
7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: SHASHWAT, India
15/15
Equator Initiative
Environment and Energy GroupUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
304 East 45th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: +1 646 781-4023
www.equatorinitiative.org
UNDP partners with people at all levels o society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the
o growth that improves the quality o lie or everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we oer global pers
ive and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizati
o recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.
2013 by Equator Initiative
All rights reserved
FURTHER REFERENCE
Shashwat Equator Initiative prole page: http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=win
detail&id=137&Itemid=683
A. Kapoor and B. Damse. 2011. Tribals Develop Fisheries in Dimbhe Dam. SwissAid. Accessed at http://www.swissaid.ch/sites/deault/
Dimbhe_Fishery_Case_Study_0.pd
A. Pathak. Pude gaon aahe. Documentary on Shahswhat. https://vimeo.com/11214586
Click the thumbnails below to read more case studies like this:
http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=137&Itemid=683http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=137&Itemid=683http://www.swissaid.ch/sites/default/files/Dimbhe_Fishery_Case_Study_0.pdfhttp://www.swissaid.ch/sites/default/files/Dimbhe_Fishery_Case_Study_0.pdfhttps://vimeo.com/11214586https://vimeo.com/11214586http://www.swissaid.ch/sites/default/files/Dimbhe_Fishery_Case_Study_0.pdfhttp://www.swissaid.ch/sites/default/files/Dimbhe_Fishery_Case_Study_0.pdfhttp://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=137&Itemid=683http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=137&Itemid=683http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348261060.pdfhttp://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348165017.pdfhttp://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348151357.pdf