Mapping the potential of Community Forest Resource Rights in central India

Only a few states have recognised CFRR to any significant extent — Maharashtra (~5,000 villages), Odisha (~3,000 villages) and recently Chhattisgarh (~3,200 villages). Is this all there is to it? The problem in answering this question is that there is no clarity as to where and how much forest land might be eligible for CFRR claims and in which villages. Consequently, there is not even an approximate ‘target’ that state governments must reach against which their performance can be measured. 

A recent study by our team at ATREE seeks to fill this gap for four forested central Indian states and lay out a methodology that can be used elsewhere as well. 

Using a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and census data and maps, we identified villages with CFRR potential and the likely (minimum) area that may be claimed.