{"id":1942,"date":"2021-03-09T10:16:05","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T10:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aviuk.local\/?page_id=1942"},"modified":"2021-03-11T09:29:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T09:29:03","slug":"restoration-of-tropical-dry-evergreen-forest","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aviuk.org\/projects\/restoration-of-tropical-dry-evergreen-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoration of Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Kaluveli Tank Bioregion on the Coromandel Coast of South India covers a triangle between Pondicherry, Marakannam and Tindivanam. The indigenous vegetation of the area is known as Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF). This forest type is found only in South India and Sri Lanka and provides a rare biological richness due to its very high species abundance but it is now close to extinction as only 0.01% survives. Only a few isolated fragments of TDEF exist and many of the 200 odd species of trees, shrubs and lianas listed are on the verge of extinction. Surveys carried out by Auroville in the last 8 years have managed to identify an additional 70 species, seemingly indigenous, but often in small numbers. The bioregion is home to at least 735 vegetative species including 400 plants that have medicinal properties many of which have been used for centuries by traditional practitioners.<\/div>\n

Project Priorities<\/h2>\n

Basically there were two priorities. One was to renew areas of degenerated tropical forest by increasing the amount of forested land, whilst conserving and restoring the indigenous bio-diversity. The second was to tackle the underlying causes of deforestation in the project area, by increasing the awareness and capacity of local populations to participate in sustainable forest management practices. Of the two, the second was seen as the most important – and the most challenging – as it required radical socio-economic change, whilst preserving the uniqueness and beauty of Indian culture – itself an endangered species.<\/p>\n

Environmental Context<\/h2>\n

The environmental context is intimately intertwined with the political and socio-economic one and that a solution to socio-economic difficulties has the potential to automatically result in an environmental reversal. India\u2019s population growth is now stagnating in the rural areas, while its arable acreage and the fertility of this acreage is decreasing; and this while the water table continues to fall in most areas.<\/p>\n

The environmental devastation in the project region is typical of many areas of India. The pressure for new land is constant, and farmers of groundnut, cashew or casuarina are clearing remnant forests near villages. At the same time the State Forest Department is clearing large areas of forest for planting of exotic pulp wood trees, e.g. Eucalyptus. Firewood collection and animal grazing inhibit any natural regeneration.<\/p>\n

Objectives of the Project<\/h2>\n