The Corbett Foundation

The Interim Relief Scheme (IRS) is being implemented by TCF (with WWF-India) since 1998. This is undoubtedly India’s longest-running and most effective large cats conservation programme being implemented by non-governmental organizations. IRS provides immediate ex-gratia financial assistance to the villagers whose livestock are predated by tigers and leopards in and around the tiger reserves of Corbett and Kanha. This project has been implemented unabated since 1998 in the Corbett landscape to prevent resentment and hostility towards tigers and leopards until the time villagers are compensated by the forest departments. The ex-gratia provided is in addition to the compensation that the villagers would receive from the forest department. The increase in reporting of cases of cattle depredation is an indicator of the success of the scheme; and it can be said with significant conviction that as an outcome of the IRS many tigers and leopards survived retribution by aggrieved villagers.

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a common phenomenon at an interface where humans and wild elephants live together. Such incidences result in injury or death of people and elephants alike. Elephants often eat crops causing considerable losses and damage to property to the people residing along the fringe areas. TCF has been working with the local communities and forest departments to implement grassroots conservation conflict mitigation strategies to prevent negative interactions and ensure coexistence. Construction of watch-out points (tongis) and solar-powered fencing in Kaziranga landscape, and installing solar street lights, capacity building of villagers and forest department frontline personnel, awareness and information dissemination to mitigate the issues.

With less than 150 Great Indian Bustards (GIB) and less than 700 Lesser Floricans left in the wild, India needs to take urgent measures to prevent the extinction of these two residents and endemic bustard species of the Indian subcontinent. Bustards need agro-pastoral landscapes and the grassland ecosystem for their survival. Renewable energy projects are being promoted on a very large scale in the so-called ‘revenue wastelands’ of Rajasthan and Gujarat, which are prime bustard habitats. TCF has been working on various fronts - at the policy-level to the grassroots - to prevent the extinction of these two critically endangered species. Restoration of grasslands, monitoring bustard habitat through field research and working with the local community to promote bustard-friendly agricultural practices has been TCF's thrust areas to facilitate bustard conservation.

TCF initiated this programme in 2018 in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Forest Department. The focus is on restoration of degraded forest areas in critical wildlife corridors between tiger reserves to ensure ecological integrity and climate mitigation. Till date, TCF has implemented the forest restoration over 2,000 hectares North Shahdol Forest Division which is a part of Bandhavgarh Sanjay Dubri Corridor, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve. More than 321,000 saplings of native trees and bamboo have been planted, nurtured and protected with an average success rate of around 80% and more than 2,000 tonnes of invasive species have been removed. The local villagers have been harvesting grass from these sites instead of sending their livestock for free and uncontrolled grazing in the forest. These projects have tremendous impact on rewilding of wildlife and great potential for carbon sequestration.

In Abdasa tehsil of Kutch, Gujarat, which is the abode of the Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Wolf, Caracal and several other threatened species, TCF restored around 52 acres of Prosopis-infested community grazing land of Kanakpar village into a productive grassland. The main objective was to involve the local villagers in the scientific management of the grassland and train them for the ‘controlled and rotational grazing system.’ With 100 per cent participation of the villagers, the invasive species were uprooted, seeds of local grass species were sown/broadcasted, and predator-proof fencing was erected to ensure the safety of the plot. Within five years, this area has become a safe grassland habitat for local biodiversity. Around 1.5 ton grass is harvested by the villagers per hectare and stall-fed to the livestock, thus reducing the pressure on the few remaining natural grassland patches in the vicinity with more than 150 species recorded at the restored site.

Local community participation is of utmost importance in nature conservation. Forests in buffer zones and connecting corridors are multiple-use areas and are therefore under tremendous anthropogenic pressures such as firewood extraction, grazing of livestock, cutting trees for making houses and cattle sheds, and collection of non-timber forest produce. The continuous grazing of livestock in the forest adversely affects the wild ungulate population. Agriculture is the major means of livelihood for most of the villages. The agricultural fields occur throughout the corridor and create further discontinuity and habitat fragmentation. TCF has worked closely with the local communities to develop solutions that are simple to implement and replicate. Cattle-shed modifications, energy-efficient cookstoves, predator-proof cattle-sheds and sustainable harvesting of NTFP are some of our grassroots projects to reduce dependency of local communities on forests and prevent human-wildlife conflict.

TCF has been implementing the One Health Programme since 1997. It operates mobile medical units to address primary health concerns for both humans and livestock. TCF team reaches the doorstep of the community to deliver these services on a weekly basis. Ailments are diagnosed and medicines are provided on case-to-case basis. The villagers are also involved in health awareness and conservation awareness initiatives. Annually, around 10,000 human patients are treated under TCF's Rural Medical Outreach Programme and around 200,000 animals are provided veterinary cover under its Livestock Veterinary Care Programme.

Provision of alternative livelihoods to communities living in and around forested areas is a valuable strategy for mitigating negative interactions between humans and wildlife. Alternative livelihood programs, such as sustainable agriculture, NTFP based small businesses and cottage industries, aim to reduce communities' reliance on harmful practices leading to deterioration of wildlife habitats. By offering income opportunities, these programs alleviate poverty within these communities, fostering a positive attitude toward wildlife and promoting local support for conservation efforts. Economic diversification is an additional benefit, making communities more resilient to environmental and economic shocks while improving overall well-being. TCF believes that alternative livelihoods hold the promise of fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife and for supporting conservation goals and enhancing the well-being of communities living near wildlife habitats.