Forests and implications of climate change in Arunachal Pradesh-25 ...

Forests and implicationsofclimate changeinArunachal PradeshBamang TagoArunachal Citizens Rights

Arunachal Pradesh is not included in thelist of scheduled Areas, PESA(Panchayati Raj Extension to ScheduledAreas) Acts, 1996 or autonomous/District Councils not enacted in the stateand is not covered by special provisionsof Indian Constitution like that ofMizoram, Nagaland and Sikim etc,People traditionally enjoy ownership andmanagement rights to natural resourcescovering rivers, mountains, land andforest.These traditional rights are not codifiedinto legal entitlements

Example: Land Acquisition Act, 1894, theIndian Forest Act, 1821, WildlifeProtection Act, 1972, Assam, ForestRegulation, 1891, Forest Conservation Act1980, National forest policy,1988,Environmental Impact AssessmentNotification-2006, Environment ProtectionAct, 1986 including Arunachal PradeshLand Records and Resettlement Act,2000, Arunachal Pradesh waterResources Regulatory Act, 2006, etc;

• Drained by six major rivers – Subansiri, Lohit,Dibang, Siang, Kameng and Tirap.Tawangchu drains the district of Tawang• The Indian Government & the ArunachalGovernment eye the hydro power potential ofthese six river basins and has turned theState into a proposed power house of India• Till date a staggering 137 MOAs/MoUs( As on23 rd Nov, 2010) have been signed with bothpublic and private sector developers with acapacity of more than 58,000 MW• The Lower Subansiri (2000 MW), Kameng I(1120 MW), Pare (110 MW) are underconstruction• Ranganadi Stage I Hydro Electric Project of405 MW the first large hydro in Arunachal

• The rich forests and biodiversity ofArunachal is subjected to growinganthropogenic and biotic pressure andhuge infrastructural developmentprojects• At a time when the global community iscalling for to stop deforestation to haltclimate change• Deforestation contributes to between15% to 25% of the greenhouse gases• On the other hand forests such as thatof Arunachal with rich biodiversity canact as rich carbon sinks

• The HEPs under construction – LowerSubansiri will submerge and deforest 4000ha, Kameng will deforest close to 800 ha.• Deforestation figure for Middle Siangproject is 2800 ha and it is a staggering5,500 ha for Dibang Multipurpose project.• Proposed projects with capacities varyingbetween 500 MW to 11,000 MW are goingto destroy at least 50,000 to 60,000 ha ofprecious forests and biodiversity• One French-Canadian joint ventureinvolved in oil prospecting in Changlangand Tirap districts have applied to theMoEF for a forest clearance of 56,000 haat one go!

• Deforestation and diversion at such amassive scale will have huge implications forArunachal Pradesh – its climate, its forestbased communities and biodiversity and hilleco system• Both shifting and wet rice cultivation will beimpacted which may lead to food insecurity• Forest based livelihood will be impacted• During the rains, landslides and landslips,leading to disruption of road links will impactmajor district towns. This year Anini andvillages around are facing terrible food andessential commodities crises – almost acalamity• Major changes in geomorphology may invitemajor disasters

• Moreover, such massive diversionand deforestation will happen oncommunity owned lands.• The compensation in terms of NetPresent Value (NPV) goes to thegovernment and that is now beingpaid to forest department forplantation• But communities who haveprotected and generated theseforests for generations do not getanything

• Forest department which hasnothing to do with thesecommunity forests are insteadbeing paid a part of the NPVleading to thousand of crores ofrupees• Not only do communities enjoytraditional and customary rightsover these forests, the forests arepart of their culture and tradition,basis for identity, existence andlivelihood.

• It is obvious that due to massivedeforestation the communities inArunachal will suffer irreversible impacts– climatic and geographic, cultural andlivelihood• The communities who have protectedand conserved their forests and ecologyare the ones who will suffer immenseconsequences• But, they do not have a voice in theplanning and execution of such massiveinfrastructure projects• They do not enjoy any legal support toexert their rights over their forests• That void could have been met by therecently enacted Forest Rights Act 2006

• The Forests Rights Act empowersthe communities to protect andconserve their own forests• Forests cannot be diverted withoutsettling rights and express consentof the communities• Forest Rights Act can still play amajor role in stopping this massivedeforestation• In halting impacts of climatechange

• The Communities need the Forest Rights Act fortheir survival• But, due to restriction of land ceiling limits underChapter III, part-II says, “Where the Forestrights recognized and vested by sub-section(I) are in respect of land mentioned inclause (a) of the sub section 3 such landshall be under the occupation of anindividual or family or community on the dateof commencement of this Act and shall berestricted to the area under actualoccupation and shall in no case exceed anarea of four hectares” for which communities inArunachal Pradesh, yet to accept FRA forimplementation

Community collective rights