Phụ Nữ Champawat Cứu Rừng Hồi Sinh Nguồn Nước Sinh Kế Bền Vững

The forest friends from the Phan Bang Chay Ac Council have worked hard to restore 11.6 hectares of degraded forest land They brought the underground water and greenery back to their land Faced with the dire state of the village forest the women of the community decided they had to take action Under the leadership of Bhagirathi Devi The woman of Manna vowed to revive the wicked Fan Bang Chay and save their beloved forest We said that if you just give us management of this forest for five years we'll work there Recognizing these outstanding efforts organizations such as BIF decided to lend a helping hand to Panama and her team BIF also provides technical expertise and technical support in water and soil conservation For example constructing level channels to help maintain and replenish the groundwater here After a decade of relentless effort by the entire community the 11.6-hectare forest is now capable of sustaining itself and meets the local residents' sufficient needs for grass and livestock feed Previously we had to walk a great distance—about 5 kilometers—just to reach the Sita Temple that far away indeed We usually leave at 8 or 8:30 in the morning and don't get back home until noon or 1 p m Upon arrival they promptly let the cattle graze and drink water Cooking chopping and cleaning all day long without a break—how could anyone possibly rest Women in Mana typically spend six to eight hours per day three times a week traveling to collect water and firewood They had to carry heavy loads weighing millions on their heads as they walked home On average they spend up to 800 hours a year just fetching water and collecting firewood Uttarakhand has lost over 50 000 hectares of forest area over the past 20 years due to various activities The forest began to dwindle making the villagers' journeys to fetch water and gather firewood even longer and more exhausting Yet in a small corner of Jambawat district in Uttarakhand a group of women launched a quiet revolution For over fifteen years the forest friends from the Van Bang Chay Ac Council have bee as worked to restore 11.6 hectares of degraded forest land They brought the underground water and greenery back to their land This not only saved the forest and also saves them an invaluable amount of time The central figure in this story is an elderly woman in her seventies affectionately known by many as Phanama We can confidently say this forest exists thanks to Phanama Even Ai was intimidated by Phanama as were we and everyone else Why is she called Phanama Since they often saw me in the woods and because I served both as a forest ranger and head of the village Uttarakhand a state where over 70% of its geographical area is classified as forest land It is also the birthplace of India's oldest forest management system the Phanbanchayat These community forest management systems have played a crucial role in reforestation controlling wildfires as well as preventing large-scale land encroachment and poaching Yet over the past few decades this state has undergone tremendous changes A region in India has been dubbed Bird City all due to rampant illegal construction Similarly Jambawat district in Uttarakhand is also facing a comparable crisis The 12-hectare forest area of Mana Village was nearly wiped out in the early 2000s The water source dwindles leaving behind ever more barren desolate patches of dry land Faced with the deteriorating state of the forest the women of the village decided they had to take action Under the leadership of Bhagirathi Devi The women of Mana village vowed to rise up against the wicked forces and save their beloved forest In the years 2004 and 2005 Bhagirathi Devi went door to door Persuade everyone to join the conservation effort We've said that if you entrust us with managing this forest for five years We will work there All of us will clean up together clearing the thick brush to build a fence Everyone agreed At first there were very large trees there but they had no leafy canopies The woodcutters had stripped all the branches and leaves from them There was nothing left there— they'd cut down every branch for firewood Before we started cleaning up there was absolutely nothing there But ever since we got to work on it it started thriving again We did what was needed there We cut down the thickets and gather them together We don't scatter them randomly throughout the forest but pile them in one place After two days of clearing brush two people will cut it down while the other two will gather it into a pile Then we dug trenches for drainage Next we dug holes for planting trees preparing raised beds and laying down grass Then the grass grew abundantly sir Very good for our cattle We gather green grass from there and bring it back Just like in October and November when there's no grass available We can bring the green grass back from there for the cows to eat The Friends of the Forest group had used the very trees they planted to fence off the forest area Then the members planted more thorny bushes and climbing flowers to protect the young trees Protect young shoots and grass from being damaged by livestock They also uproot weeds and invasive alien species such as ironweed Lantana camera was removed to make space for native grass species to thrive Recognizing these outstanding efforts Organizations like BAF have decided to lend a hand in supporting Panama and her team We lack the necessary infrastructure and funding to plant trees here as this area was once just a thicket Until 2004 to 2005 we had to handle everything ourselves With the villagers' support sometimes just for one or two hours Then the BAF organization arrived and connected with us Initially the BAF identified invasive species present here such as spruce trees The tree species did not support land restoration well So BAF replaced it with broadleaf species such as oak wood and many other native species such as cashew known locally as "bạc" and "cà phanh " BAF also provides techniques for barren land cultivation and technical support for water and soil conservation For example constructing level channels to allow the groundwater here to be monitored and replenished At the same time to limit erosion organic matter will also be collected the lower crevices to create a complete ecosystem After a decade of relentless effort by the entire community The 11.6-hectare forest is now self-sustaining and meets the local community's needs for grass and livestock feed And in the year when the woman long past seventy had just taken on the role of head of the notoriously wicked Phan Ban Chay village She was someone who despised the forest yet nothing small escaped her notice and nothing could slip past her keen discerning eyes We've been tirelessly vigilant day and night working nonstop Previously we had to travel great distances And even if cows or buffaloes come to damage the fields we have to drive them away Some women climb the mountain at night to steal firewood We caught them at 8 p m while they were coming up to chop wood Yes they came to steal firewood and a few trees We fined them 2 500 rupiah Thus we have preserved our forest for twenty years vast and enduring for two decades In addition to the clear ecological benefits from enhanced biodiversity The forest also helps increase groundwater recharge and spring flow These benefits extend far beyond the boundaries of the village of Mana From 2017 to 2021 the streamflow of the three streams in Mana increased significantly Increased from an average water level of 2.8 liters per minute to 4 liters per minute The abundance of water and firewood has also contributed to improving financial security for households while saving countless precious hours for the women of Mana The drought-resistant oak wood and a grass species known as Najibaruk We can obtain all those items here under proper management Previously we had to travel a great distance taking between six and seven hours just to get home We no longer have any time left to tend to our fields But now the forest is close to home so we only spend about an hour traveling there and back Once home we have time to tend to our fields Caring for the cattle giving them water feeding them grass then tending to their calves and doing household chores We have had more free time than before Everyone has benefited from this Just look at how far the water has reached All the drains now have a steady flow of water In the areas where we work there wasn’t a single drop of water before I had to carry water from home to irrigate the low-lying areas in the forest When I first started there wasn't a single drop of water here Now the forest has grown back and every stream is brimming with water The forest has truly come back to life Mana's case is a clear example demonstrating how forest resources can be effectively managed by ensuring the involvement of local communities The model of aggressive forest clearance had helped the villagers redefine their relationship with the forest From being resource consumers they transformed into resource managers It also serves as a powerful affirmation of women- led movements for the common good of the community Once the forest had regained its ability to sustain and thrive Bagirathi Devi安心ly handed over the village chief's staff to the younger generation Today the path she forged and the flame she kindled continue to be fiercely preserved and carried forward by the next generation