Two-Day Community Forest Resource Management Workshop in Bodla, Kabirdham

ATREE’s CFR team organized a two-day training workshop focused on Community Forest Resource Management in collaboration with Shikhar Yuva Manch in Kabirdham district, Chhattisgarh. Representatives from Community Forest Resource Committees (CFRCs) of approximately 5 villages from Kabirdham as well as ATREE field staff from Mandla district participated in the workshop.

On the first day, Anubhav Shori (ATREE District Coordinator) and Dr. Shruti Mokashi (ATREE Post Doc) gave a detailed presentation on important provisions of the Forest Rights Act 2006, the objectives of forest management, and key aspects of a successful forest management plan. The session included video demonstrations showcasing exemplary forest management practices in Maharashtra and Bastar. Following this, participants broke out into groups and drafted forest management plans for their respective villages.

On the second day, Hritik Bhatnagar (ATREE RA) highlighted the utility of the WebGIS platform developed by ATREE and explained how satellite maps can be effectively used in forest management planning. Followed by a live demonstration of the Aamcho CFR mapping application. Following this, participants presented their village-specific forest management plans in groups. Anubhav Shori then concluded the workshop with an in-depth discussion on the responsibilities and duties of the Gram Sabha and the Community Forest Rights Management Committee (CFRMC). He emphasized the role of Gram Sabhas, democratic processes, and the importance of collective decision-making in ensuring effective forest management.