CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS - iCED
Transcript of CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS - iCED
CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
T.V. RAMACHANDRA AND SREEKANTHAEnergy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012
ABSTRACTWetlands are regarded as direct or indirect life supporting system of millions of people in a diverse way. Increased anthropogenic activities over time have significantly contributed to the deterioration of these wetlands. The catchment area of Sharavathi river basin has treasured numerous ponds / tanks with varying use potential. The present study was carried out in four tanks namely Ulluru, Kaspadi, Govatooru and Nagara to analyse the present status of these wetlands and assign conservation values in terms of their direct and indirect benefits. These tanks aid in groundwater recharge apart from being used for irrigating agriculture and horticulture crops. Despite these direct and indirect benefits, these tanks are neglected by the local people and the concerned authorities. These tanks are on the verge of extinction due to lack of sufficient conservation. The study attempts in quantifying the conservation values based on the direct and indirect benefits of wetlands.KEY WORDS : Wetlands, Eutrophication, Conservation, Ecology, Land use, Sharavathi, Western Ghats
Introduction
Wetlands are regarded as direct or indirect life supporting systems of millions of people in many ways. It is known that ancient civilizations had their origin and growth on the banks of major rivers. People use wetland soil for agriculture, catch fish in the wetland for food, cut wetland trees for timber and fuelwood and wetland reeds to make mats and thatch roofs. Other uses include recreation, such as bird watching or sailing, or scientific study, flood control, nutrient recycling, and many more (Barbiei et al, 1997). Extinction of these wetlands is a growing concern all over the world. The human induced threats and improper management systems are reducing the number of these wetlands. In Karnataka, about 35% wetlands are threatened due to sedimentation, 43 % are subjected to encroachment and 22 % have rampant growth of exotic weeds.
The catchment area of Sharavathi river basin has treasured a good number of small wetlands (swamps, tanks/ponds, etc,). The downstream areas of these wetlands are highly valuable due to continuous water availability and suitability of land for areca cultivation. The villagers in the surrounding area are dependent on these tanks for washing of clothes, animal washing, and many other domestic needs. These tanks serve as groundwater recharging sources and presently the tanks of Kaspadi, Ulluru and Govatooru are in bad condition due to various anthropogenic stresses. Increased macrophytic growth and unhygienic conditions prevailing in the tanks have created nuisance. The marshy areas are the places for mosquito breeding and these areas are being turned into paddy fields by the encroachers. The water holding capacity of these tanks seems to be decreasing due to these activities.
In this connection, the present study has been undertaken to illustrate the present status of wetlands and the stresses acting upon them In order to highlight the requirement of restoration, economic valuation of these wetlands has been carried out.
Methodology
In order to quantify the direct and indirect benefits of wetlands, four tanks namely Ulluru, Kaspadi, Govatooru and Nagara in Sharavathi river basin of Western Ghats were chosen. Physico-chemical analysis was done to assess the present status and economic valuation is done to quantify direct and indirect benefits.
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CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
Water samples were collected from three different locations comprising inlets and outlets. The sample analysis was carried out as per the procedures prescribed by APHA and NEERI for water analysis. Totally, 22 parameters were considered to represent the physico-chemical status of the tanks. In order to identify various end uses and the use potential of the tank, local people were surveyed with structural questionnaires. For secondary information, the concerned village accountants were consulted. Remote sensing data (Nov 2003 and March 2004) was used to assess the spatial extent of each tank and its catchment area.
Ulluru Tank : The tank has been constructed for irrigating the agricultural crops around northern part of Ulluru. The total area of the tank is 3.99 ha, out of which nearly 0.5 ha is under encroachment. One third of the area is under weed coverage, dominated by species of Nymphea. As such there are no records of de-silting the tank in the past. About 25.5 ha of catchment area is more or less dry and dominated with moist deciduous forests.Kaspadi Tank : Major use being irrigation, this tank spreads over an area of 1.7 ha. Presently slush and weeds cover a major portion of the tank. In this case also there are no records of desiltation.Govaturu Tank : Total area of this tank is estimated to be 0.955 ha as per satellite imagery of the study area. The tank is situated in a relatively dry area compared to the former two. During summer season this tank dries up due to silt deposition and lack of inflow.Nagara Tank (Shanthi Kere) : As per the local people, the tank was constructed about 500 years ago. The tank is situated on the bank of the historical Nagara Fort. It spreads over an area of 3.58 ha as estimated by satellite imagery. The major use of this tank is irrigation.
Results and Discussions TOP
Present status :
The physico-chemical analysis of the tank samples (Table 2 and 3) showed that the dissolved oxygen concentration was around 4 mg/ L. When the dissolved oxygen at the surface is ranging around 4 mg/L, it may decrease with the depth due to lack of sufficient mixing. The dissolved oxygen less than 3.5 mg/L is harmful to aquatic life and there is every possibility of such a case in Ulluru, Kaspadi and Govaturu tanks. Even the coliforms have shown their presence in almost all the tanks revealing organic pollution.
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CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
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Sustainability of wetlands :
The sustainability of these wetlands is largely linked with the activities taking place in and around the catchment. In order to identify the threats to these wetlands, local people around these wetlands were interviewed. Out of the 13 identified threat parameters (Table 4), the Kaspadi and Nagara tanks are facing 7 threats individually, Ulluru 9 and Govaturu 11 threats. It can be stated that the number of threats is inversely proportional to sustainability. In other words, Govaturu tank is under severe stress. As the number of threats increases, the complexity associated with restoring and managing these tanks also increases, Until the magnitudes of all the threats are relatively equal, the theory of classifying the wetlands based upon the number of threats holds good.
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Economic Valuation :
Quantification of direct and indirect use benefits of selected tanks was done. Table 5 lists the most familiar uses under direct uses. In the present case, the direct values include fish and agriculture. Both the values are being estimated to the fullest potential, invariable to the present practice. The potential for fishery activity in Govaturu tank is feeble due to drying up during summer season. However, proper desilting of the tank may provide sufficient space for water storage and can open ways to fishery practices. Agricultural practices in the command areas of the tanks are more or less dominated by commercially valuable areca crops. Due to this the economic value is quite high.
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Financially unrewarding uses are categorised under indirect uses of wetlands. The nutrient retention values are quite high in most of the cases. This is because the catchment areas near the tanks comprise extensive paddy cultivation, wherein farmers use enormous amounts of fertilisers. The leached products are retained by the tanks and lead to rapid growth of hydrophytes. Thus, presently the catchment area of Nagara tank does not have any agricultural activity. Flood control value is quite low in many of these tanks. As the catchment area is very low to cause huge floods, the flood control value remains to be moderate in any circumstances.
Groundwater recharge potential is high in many of the cases unless otherwise there is huge silt deposition. Nagara tank is comparatively more pervious than other tanks. Kaspadi and Ulluru tanks seem to be highly deposited with silt and thus reduce the pervious nature of the soil.
Quasi-option value is the expected value of the information derived from delaying exploitation and conversion of the wetland today. By slightly modifying the concept so as to adjust to the local conditions, it may be further justified that encroachment of the tank area in the form of converting into agricultural fields reduces the value of the wetland as a whole. Thus it is highly necessary to prevent encroachment problems in the case of Ulluru and Govaturu tanks.
Non-use values are extremely difficult to measure. Biodiversity, culture, heritage, and bequest values are classified under non-use values. However, the present study lacks the detailed understanding of the biodiversity issues of these tanks. But overall observation made during field visits showed that the tanks are the habitats for a number water birds such as Little Cormorant, Little Grebe, Egrets, Purple Moorhen, Whitebreasted Water hen, Red Wattled Lapwing, Whitebreasted Kingfisher, Large Pied Wagtail, etc, only Govaturu and Nagara tanks recorded no birds other than White breasted Kingfisher and Little Cormorant. Thus, overall valuation of these tanks shows that they are a part and parcel of the ecosystem. The rich commercial value in terms of fishery and irrigation justifies their necessity to be preserved. Apart from this, other indirect uses include groundwater recharge, flood control and biodiversity values.
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CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
Economic valuation of the wetlands illustrates that they are a part and parcel of the ecosystem. The rich commercial value in terms of fishery and irrigation justifies their preservation. Apart from this, other indirect uses like groundwater recharge, flood control and biodiversity values further enrich the worth of these wetlands. To a large extent, these wetlands are the sources of cloth washing, drinking water for hundreds of cattle, vehicle servicing, and many more needs.
Comparison between the presence and absence of wetlands : TOP
When the wetland is converted into an agricultural area, it assumes purely the shape of a paddy field and definitely there will be decrease in productivity due to lack of water availability. The command area gets dried up. Assuming the conversion, the annual revenue decreases to 8000/ ha/year. Thus, there will be a sharp decline in annual revenue in the command area as well as converted wetland area. Further, the indirect values, option and quasi-option values also diminish in the absence of the wetland. The overall observations clearly highlight the need for preservation of the wetlands.
In general, it can be stated that the wetlands of Sharavathi River Basin are in a pathetic condition due to a number of threats. Waterfowl census of these four tanks shows that most of the tanks (three out of the four sampled tanks) are suffering from increased weed coverage and siltation. Thus, it is of prime importance to restore the wetlands immediately.
Overall observation of the wetlands in Sharavathi River Basin indicates that encroachment is the major problem. As per the Revenue Department, landless farmers are targeting the tankbed and forestlands and converting them into agricultural areas. Even the studies carried out in Keladi Lake of Sagara Taluk (Sreekantha et at, 2002) and Anekere of Karkala Taluk (Bhat, 2001) pointed out that encroachment is the major threat to the sustainability of the wetlands.
Restoration of wetlands :
These wetlands in the dry region can support the drinking water requirement of the village if managed properly. When there is scarcity of sufficient groundwater for both drinking and irrigation, these wetlands can be highly advantageous if they are restored. With the groundwater table alarmingly dropping down in recent times, they can act as water sinks to enhance the water table. Consideiing the health of the various hydroelectric power projects in Shaiavathi River Basin, these wetlands can inhibit the silt flow to the reservoir. Properly managed wetlands can be commercially used for fishing activities. The fisheries department can get new opportunities to extend the fishing activities in these wetlands. The aesthetic value of properly managed wetlands is very high.
The restoration and management measures of these wetlands should be the responsibility of various organisations either directly or indirectly associated with them. The role of local people is a major factor that needs attention. The local people are closely associated with the wetlands. So they can actively take part in restoration activities of the wetlands. For this purpose, the village committee should be formed and the responsibilities of monitoring and management should be handed over to them. Strategy followed in JFPM scheme can also be extended to the present case. The Gram Panchayath and the Revenue Department should take prime responsibility in supervising the restoration and maintenance after restoration of these wetlands. The Project authorities of the Sharavathi River Valley Projects should be actively involved in the restoration considering the watershed management and direct and indirect benefits to the projects after restoration. The Forest Department should take necessary action against deforestation in the catchment area and catchment area treatment.
Conservation and Management Strategy for these wetlands :
The tank boundaries are susceptible to encroachment. These sensitive areas should be properly monitored. Cattle grazing in the marshy areas of the tanks can contribute significant amount of nutrients to the lake/tank thereby leading to eutrophication. Anthropogenic activities like cloth washing, vehicle servicing and cattle bathing in the tanks should be prevented considering the quality to be maintained for future use as drinking water. Instead, for such activities, water extraction should be allowed by taking utmost care to avoid release of the wastewater into the tanks again. Properly maintained database on ecological conditions, regular water quality and catchment area monitoring is essential for any management options. Healthy catchments are required to maintain the wetlands in healthy conditions. The degraded areas of the catchments should be brought under afforestation programmes associating the local people.
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CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are grateful to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited, Government of Karnataka for the financial support. We thank the Karnataka Forest Department for providing necessary permission and cooperation during the field data collection.
REFERENCES TOP
Barbier, E B.,Acreman, M. and Knowler,D. 1997. "Economic valuation of wetlands - A guide for policy makers and planners". Ramsar Convention Bureau.
Bhat, H.R. 2001."Threatened Wetlands of Karnataka - with special reference to Anekere of Karkala". Asian Wetland Symposium, Penang, Malaysia.
Sreekantha, Desai S.R. and Ramachandra,T.V. 2002. Monitoring Keladi lake exploring the conservation and management strategies, National seminar on Biodiversity and sustainable use of bioresources, Oct 10-12, 2002. Organised by Department of Limnology, Barkatullah University, Bhopal.
● Introduction
● Methodology
● Results and Discussions
● Acknowledgement
● References
● HOME
Results and Discussions● - Present status● - Sustainability of wetlands● - Economic Valuation● - Comparison between the presence and absence of wetlands● - Restoration of wetlands● - Conservation and Management Strategy for these wetlands
TABLES● Table 1● Table 2● Table 3● Table 4● Table 5
Poll Res. 25 (1) : 61-66 (2006) Copyright © Enviromedia
Address for Correspondence :
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CONSERVATION VALUES OF WETLANDS
Dr T. V. Ramachandra,Energy & Wetlands Research Group, CES R.NO. 215,
Centre for Ecological Sciences Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India,E-mail : [email protected]
E-mail | Sahyadri | ENVIS | Energy | GRASS | CES | IISc | E-mail
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LAKE 2012: National Conference on Conservation and Management of Wetland Ecosystems
06th - 09th November 2012
School of Environmental Sciences Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala
In association with Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
& Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala
Wetland Resources and Livelihood 23
Ecosystem Goods and Services in Uttara Kannada
Ashwath D N, Subash Chandran M D and Ramachandra T V Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore – 560 012, INDIA
Tel: 91-80- 22933099/22933503 (extn 107)
Fax: 91-80-23601428/23600085/23600683[CES-TVR]
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy
Forests provide various services classified as supporting services, provisioning services, regulating
services and cultural services Most of these services are underestimated or not estimated and are thus
undervalued in policy decisions. This paper is based on the quantification of various provisioning
services from forests such as timber, fuel wood, fodder, green leaf manure, medicinal plants and
NTFP. The area under different types of forest is derived from remote sensing data. Quantification of
forest goods has been done based on the data compiled from the division offices of the Forest
Department and micro level studies (productivity, etc.). Market prices were used for valuing the
goods. The valuation of forest goods and services at micro level is expected to explore the possibilities
for more effective micro level planning. This helps in integrating the environmental services with the
economic goals of the region while ensuring the sustenance of natural resources and maintaining
intergeneration equity.
Keywords: Valuation, forests, Western Ghats, Provisioning services, Market price
Introduction: Ecosystem functions are those processes which
includes the exchange of energy between the
plants and animals which are needed for the
sustenance of life. These functions include
nutrient cycling, oxygen regulation, water supply
etc. The specific ecosystem functions which are
beneficial to humans are termed as ecosystem
services. Thus ecosystem goods and services are
the conditions and the process through which
natural ecosystems and the species that make
them up sustain and fulfill the human needs
(Daily, 1997). Forests are multifunctional
ecosystems provide both ecological and
economic security with provision of goods and
services. Forest ecosystems account for over
two-thirds of net primary production on land–the
LAKE 2012
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conversion of solar energy into biomass through
photosynthesis making them a key component of
the global carbon cycle and climate (MEA,
2005). Forests worldwide are known to be
critically important habitats in terms of the
biological diversity they contain and in terms of
the ecological functions they serve. The forest
ecosystem provides a large number of valuable
products such as timber, firewood, non-timber
forest product, biodiversity, genetic resources,
medicinal plants etc. There are two types of
needs for timber-commercial and industrial. The
commercial timber production is the local
utilization of timber while the industrial timber
is used by the industries. The second most
important and dominant part of forest produce is
fuel wood. According to International Energy
Agency (1998) 11% of world energy
consumption comes from biomass, mainly fuel
wood (CBD, 2001). In addition to the timber and
firewood, forest provides the non timber forest
product (NTFP) like seegekai, honey, wax, etc.
For the purpose of valuation it is important to
take into account all resources including NTFP,
etc. Most of NTFPs consumed by local
populations, and some are marketed. These
include plants and plant materials used for food,
fuel, storage and fodder, medicine, cottage and
wrapping materials, biochemical, as well as
animals, birds, reptiles and fishes, for food and
feather. Unlike timber-based products, these
products come from variety of sources like:
fruits and vegetables to eat, leaves and twigs for
decoration, flowers for various purposes, herbal
medicines from different plant parts, wood
carvings and decorations, etc.
The survival, livelihood and human welfare
depends upon the flow of array of goods and
services obtained from ecosystem. Inventorying
and valuation of the flow of goods and services
is essential for appropriate ecosystem
management decisions. Ecosystem goods and
services represent the benefits human
populations derive, directly or indirectly, from
ecosystem functions (Costanza et al, 1997) or the
benefits people obtain from ecosystems as well
as non-utilitarian sources of value (MEA 2003).
Despite the essential functions of ecosystems
and the consequences of their degradation,
ecosystem services are undervalued by society,
because of the lack of awareness of the link
between natural ecosystems and the functioning
of human support systems evident from most of
the contemporary approaches based on utilitarian
approaches (CGER, 1994). The ecosystem goods
and services with the ecological perspective of
valuation can be grouped into four different
categories, which are:
i. Provisioning services – it includes
products i.e., food (including roots,
seeds, nuts, fruits, spices, fodder), fibre
(including wood, textiles) and medicinal
and cosmetic products.
ii. Regulating services – which are of
immense importance to the human
society such as (a) carbon sequestration,
(b) climate and water regulation, (c)
protection from natural hazards such as
floods, avalanches or rock-fall, (d) water
and air purification and (e) disease and
pest regulation.
iii. Supporting services – such as primary
and secondary production and
biodiversity; a resource that is
increasingly recognized to sustain many
of the goods and services that humans
enjoy from the ecosystem.
iv. Cultural services – which satisfy human
spiritual and aesthetic appreciation of
ecosystems and their components.
Figure 1 provides an integrated framework for
assessing the ecosystem goods and services (De
Groot et al, 2002). The total economic value
(TEV) is the sum of all the benefits that are
attributable to the specific resource or ecosystem
being valued. The total economic value is
composed of (i) use value (UV) and (ii) non-use
value (NUV). Use value to humans consists of
direct, indirect and option value. Direct-use
values can be consumptive or non-consumptive
and are commonly derived from goods and
services by the inhabitants of the ecosystem
whereas Indirect-use values are those that are
3
more functional, the benefits of which often
extend away from the ecosystem itself and are
not consumed. This communication is based on
the valuation of provisioning services of forest
ecosystem in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka
state, India.
This involved
• Quantification of various provisioning
goods and services derived from forest;
• Total valuation of provisioning goods
and services derived from forest.
.
Figure 1: Integrated framework for assessing ecosystem goods and services
Methods Goods and services quantified from forests of
Uttara Kannada at taluk level include timber,
NTFP, bamboo, canes, food, medicinal plants,
honey from bee keeping, fodder, fuelwood for
domestic and commercial usage, litter,
mulching leaves, inland fishing, domestic
water use, industrial water use, water for
power generation, irrigation services,
ecological water, oxygen provision and wild
fruits. Data were compiled from Divisional
Office of Karnataka Forest Department,
literatures pertaining to ecological and socio-
economic studies in the district and also
through interview with the subject experts.
Spatial extent of different types of forests was
analysed using remote sensing data. Minimal
forest gate price of the goods are used for
valuation of goods and proxy prices are used
for goods which do not pass through market
transactions. Valuation: The quantified goods
and services are valued by market value
approach given by the equation 1.
� = ∑ ∑ ��,����� × ��,�
����� ……. 1
Q: quantity of goods, P: price of goods, i:
number of taluks, j: goods type
Example:
������� = ∑ ∑ ��,����� × ��,�
�����
where, VTimber = value of timber in the
district; Q = quantity of timber; P = price
of timber; i = no. of taluks, j = timber types
(teak, rosewood, jungle wood, etc.).
4
Study Area
Uttara Kannada district is located in the north –
western part of Karnataka state, in India. It lies
between 13.9220o N to 15.5252o N latitude and
74.0852o E to 75.0999o E longitude. The district
cover an area of 10, 291 km2 which is sub-
divided into 11 taluks. The district has the
population of 13.53 lakh persons. The population
density of the district is 132 persons per km2,
which is the lowest in the state. Figure 2 depicts
the population density across taluks, the highest
population density in Bhatkal taluk (420 persons
per km2) and the least in Supa taluk (26 persons
per km2). The district’s diverse economy span
across subsistence farming, modern agricultural
practice, horticulture, forestry, fisheries,
handicrafts, industries, power generation,
mining, seaports, tourism and many other
services. The district ranks at seventh place in
the state of Karnataka in terms of Human
Development with HDI value of 0.65 and the
district is one among the five districts with
highest education index value (KHDR, 2005).
Figure 1: Geographical Location of Uttara Kannada District
Figure 3 depicts the land use in the district based
on the analysis of IRS P6 (Indian remote
sensing) multi spectral data of spatial resolution
5.8 m. Area under forests covers 71.72% of the
total geographic area of the district. The forest
cover ranges from 47% (Mundgod) to 85%
(Supa and Yellapur taluks). Figure 4 illustrates
that about 49% of the total forest land in the
district is of evergreen type followed by 22% of
semi-evergreen to moist deciduous forests. Dry
deciduous forests are very less and are found in
the eastern part of Haliyal and Mundgod taluk.
There has been a significant amount of forest
loss owing to various developmental activities
across district and conversion of natural forests
into plantations. Forest resources across taluks
generate significant use and non – use values at
local and regional levels. Income obtained from
forest substantially supports the majority of the
rural communities who are either agriculture or
landless poor. A large portion of the income of
the tribal and pastoral communities in the district
is derived from gathering economy which they
use for subsistence as well for marketing.
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Figure 2: Talukwise Population Density in
Uttara Kannada
Figure 3: Land –use Map of Uttara Kannada
District
Figure 4: Vegetation Distribution in Uttara
Kannada
Results and Discussion
Based on the consideration and inclusion of
various components in ecological perspectives
we present four scenarios of total value of
provisioning goods and services as follows:
Scenario-I: provisional services include
timber, NTFP, litter and mulching
leaves, fodder, medicinal plants,
fuelwood, food, inland fishing and
hydrological services;
Scenario-II: components in Scenario-I
and ecological water;
Scenario-III: components in Scenario-II
and oxygen services;
Scenario-IV: components in Scenario-IV
and wild fruits.
Table 1: Total Value of Provisioning Goods
and Services in different scenario
Scenario
Total Value (in
Rs. crore)
Scenario – I 8650.66
Scenario – II 9282.08
Scenario – III 12543.62
Scenario – IV 15159.43
Evergreen forest 49%
Semi evergeen to moistdeciduous forest
- 22%
Dry deciduous forest -
0.2%
Teak / Bamboo
plantations 4%
Scrub forest/Grass lands - 5%
Accacia Plantations
- 20%
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Figure 5: Share of Total Value of Provisioning Goods and Services from Forest
Figure 6: Talukwise Share of Total Provisioning Goods and Services from Forest
Timber 17%
NTFP 39%
Litter and Mulching
leaves 8%
Fodder 1%
Medicinal Plants 0.3%
Fuelwood 4%
Food 1%
Inland fishing 0.3%
Hydrological services
20%
Others 10%
Scenario - I
Timber
16%
NTFP
36% Litter and
Mulching
leaves 7%
Fodder
1% Medicinal
Plants 0.3%
Fuelwood
4%
Food 1%
Inland
fishing 0.2%
Hydrological
services 19%
Ecological
water 6% Others
10%
Scenario - II
Timber 12%
NTFP 27%
Litter and Mulching
leaves 5% Fodder
1%
Medicinal Plants 0.2%
Fuelwood 3%
Food 0.5%
Inland fishing 0.2%
Hydrological services
14%
Ecological water 5%
Oxygen 23%
Others 10%
Scenario - III
Timber 10% NTFP
22% Litter and Mulching
leaves 5%
Fodder 1%
Medicinal Plants 0.2% Fuelwood
2%
Food 0.4%
Inland fishing 0.1%
Hydrological services
11%
Ecological water 4%
Oxygen 19%
Wild fruits 16%
Others 10%
Scenario - IV
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Ankola Bhatkal Haliyal Honavar Karwar Kumta Mundgod Siddapur Sirsi Supa Yellapur
Timber NTFP Litter and Mulching leaves FodderMedicinal Plants Fuelwood Food Inland fishingHydrological services Ecological water Wild fruits OxygenOthers
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Figure 7: Talukwise Total Value of Provisional Goods and Services
The estimated total value of provisioning goods
and services are presented in Table 1. Further,
Figure 5 portrays the share of different
components of total provisioning goods and
services in four scenarios. In all four scenarios,
NTFP is the major contributor to the total value.
The share of the value of food, inland fishing,
medicinal plants, fuel wood, fodder, litter and
mulching leaves varies from 14% in Scenario-I
to 8% in Scenario-IV. These goods have an
important bearing on the livelihood of people
and especially the livelihood of local people. The
value of ecological water, oxygen provision and
wild fruits comprises to about forty per cent
share in the total value in Scenario – IV. These
components are often neglected in valuation of
forest and policy making but they play an
important role in ecosystem sustenance,
biodiversity and thus in human wellbeing in the
long run. Talukwise share of provisioning goods
and services is given in Figure 6 considering
Scenario-IV. The share of value of food, inland
fishing, medicinal plants, fuelwood, fodder, litter
and mulching leaves in all taluks is around 10
percent of the total share. Figure 6 illustrates that
the share of timber is higher in Haliyal and
Mundgod taluks which are under deciduous
forests. Considerable share of NTFP is evident in
all taluks except Haliyal and Mundgod taluks..
The value of hydrological services varies across
taluks depending upon the extent of water
utilization for domestic purpose, irrigation,
industrial use and power generation. The other
major contributors to the total value of
provisioning goods and services are the value of
ecological water, oxygen and wild fruits across
taluks. Figure 7 presents the talukwise breakup
in the total provisioning goods and services of
the district. This illustrates that Supa taluk
contributes the highest amount of provisioning
goods and services with Rs. 3,218 crores per
year (21% of the district), while Mundgod taluk
contributes the least of Rs. 540 crores per year
(3.5% of the district).
Valuation of provisioning goods and services
from forest ecosystems is about Rs.
2,05,388/hectare/year, which is implicit in the
subsistence, income and local employment.
Forestry sector contributes significantly to the
district, state and national economy and also to
the linked sectors industries, agriculture,
fisheries, tourism, health, rural development,
energy, etc. Sector-wise district’s Gross District
Domestic Product (GDDP) given in Table 2.
GDDP of Uttara Kannada is about Rs 5998
crores and forests’ goods is about 180 crores
(3% of GDDP), in contrast to the valuation of
ecological provisioning services from forest
ecosystems of Uttara Kannada district is about
Rs.15,159 crores.
0.00
500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
2500.00
3000.00
3500.00
8
Table 2: GDDP of Uttara Kannada with
Sectors
Sector Share in Rs. crore
Share %
Primary Sector (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Mining) 1060 18 Forestry and Logging Sector 180 3 GDDP of Utttara Kannada 5978 100 Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics,
Government of Karnataka.
The forest products included in the national
income account framework includes: (a)
Industrial wood (timber, match and pulpwood)
and fuelwood and (b) minor forest products
(Haripriya, 2001). It includes only the recorded
values by forest department and thus all other
benefits from forests are unaccounted in the
national income. This necessitates relook at the
current approach of computations of Gross
domestic district product (GDDP), State
Domestic Product (SDP) and Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). Gross underestimation and non-
accounting of natural resources and forest
resources in particular is responsible for
unsustainable utilization of natural resources.
Under valuation of ecosystem goods and
services is evident from GDDP of Rs. 5978 crore
in 2009-10 (at current prices), which accounts as
the sectoral share of forests of Rs. 180 crores
contrary to Rs. 15159 crores.
Conclusion Land use analyses show that 49% of the total
forest land in the district is of evergreen type
followed by 22% of semi-evergreen to moist
deciduous forests. Valuation of provisioning
goods and services from forest ecosystems is
about Rs. 2,05,388/hectare/year, which is
implicit in the subsistence, income and local
employment. Forestry sector contributes
significantly to the district, state and national
economy and also to the linked sectors
industries, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, health,
rural development, energy, etc. Talukwise
valuation of goods and services from forest
ecosystem show that Supa taluk contributes the
highest amount of provisioning goods and
services with Rs. 3,218 crores per year (21% of
the district), while Mundgod taluk contributes
the least of Rs. 540 crores per year (3.5% of the
district). Goods and services that forest
ecosystems provide are grossly undervalued
evident from GDDP of Uttara Kannada is about
Rs 5998 crores, which accounts goods of forests
as 180 crores (3% of GDDP), in contrast to
Rs.15,159 crores from the provisioning services
from forest ecosystems of Uttara Kannada
district. The valuation of goods and services of
ecosystems are vital for framing sustainable
development policies to curtail further erosion of
natural resources.
Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Government of India, Karnataka
Biodiversity Board, Western Ghats Task Force,
Government of Karnataka and Indian Institute of
Science for financial and infrastructure support.
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