1. PEN INDIA RESEARCH Putting PEN to Paper
March 2009
Ajith Chandran
University of British Columbia

2. Context PEN study location: India Southern Gujarat
Tropical wet and dry climate with tropical dry deciduous forests
Study area approximately 1200km2

3. Context Villages sampled: 3 Total Population: 1700 (approx).
Total HH: 318
130 households in the sample.
Average # of people per household is 5.3
Key sub-dimensions dividing the sample in terms of livelihood strategies:
Village
Forest area
Distance from road
Initiated to Joint Forest Management by
Jetpur
Proximity to large forest
Far from road head
Self Initiated / FD
Makanjhar
Medium forest
Near to main road
FD initiated
Bharada
Near to road
NGO initiated

4. Household income sources
Main sources for household income
Subsistence:
Agriculture
Forest
Other environmental (Mainly Fish)
Cash:
Livestock
Wage
Agriculture
Forest
Business and services
Other environmental (Fish)
Difference in villages:
Village proximal to large forest (Jetpur) extracts fuel-wood on a regular basis. The village also collect more forest products for sale.
Crops: rice, lentil, shorgum, sugarcane, cotton, maize, vegetables, fodder
Forest: fuelwood, mud, grass, leaves,, bamboo, mushrooms, timber vegetables, wild fruits
Business and service: driver, broom making, alcohol, shops
Livestock, milk and meat

5. Income sources and seasonalityQ1
(Feb-April)
Higher dependence on wage, fish, agriculture and business Q2
(May-July)
High dependence on fish, low dependence on livestock, agriculture, wage and forest products Q3
(Aug-Oct)
High dependence on forest products, wage, agriculture, livestock and business, Low dependence on fish Q4
(Nov-Jan)
High dependence on livestock, agriculture, fish and wages and low on forest products
Observation:
Gathering of forest products maximum in Q3 (except for fuel-wood and clay (mud) which is collected in all quarters)
During the lean season Q2, fishing in Jetpur seems to contribute more to HH income

6. Key forest and environmental products
Forest products:
Throughout the year: Fuel-wood, fodder, mud (subsistence)
Seasonal: wild vegetables, leaves, bamboo and mushroom (both cash and subsistence )
Environmental income:
Fish (subsistence and cash, seasonal)
(Found only in the interior village which has a stream and a dam)
Pricing:
As per household/respondent
Willing to pay
Leaves, bili patta,

7. Income composition and poverty
Observation:
Poor households collect forest products that they both use and sell
Rich households collect fuel-wood and fodder. Less collection of forest products that fetch small income. Main activities agriculture, livestock and employment

8. Other patterns Coping mechanisms during crisis:
Did nothing in particular
Asked for help from friends and relatives
Used savings
Did more labour work
Harvested crops early
Changed crops
Took loan
Observation:
Use of forest for coping with crisis not reported

9. Existing Policies and Overall Findings
Joint Forest Management (JFM)
Collection of fodder and fuel wood from the JFM forest is controlled
Other incentives from Forest Department and NGOs
Milk Cooperatives
Milk production gives increased cash income for households with less land holding
Livestock dependence may not reduce forest dependence since fodder is collected from forest