Forest Health No Longer Hangs by a Thread

	A local Indian woman weaves silk made out of local wild oak silk.

At the foot of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, forests of regal, old oak form a natural watershed for two major rivers that feed the plain below.

However, when the Indian government closed off the area to preserve this ecologically vital area, a major source of daily supplies for the region’s poorest people was closed off as well.

A local non-governmental organization, Appropriate Technology, India (ATI), saw the situation as both a challenge and an opportunity to create market-based incentives for the locals to conserve the region's biodiversity.

As Sharmila Ribeirio from ATI explains, "As commercial sericulture depends on silkworms feeding on mulberry trees, our idea was to commercialize wild oak silk."

Among the 2003 Development Marketplace winners, ATI successfully found a way for the locals--more than 50% of whom live below the poverty line--to live off forest products and resources without destroying the trees. It developed wild oak silk harvesting and forest preservation techniques in the area.

Some 750 people, primarily women, are benefiting from this enterprise in silk worm rearing, cocoon production and silk production. Working in silk production, or even as part time spinners, women can earn up to US$300 per year. India's national GDP is $400 per year.

An Indian woman adds tassels to a silk shawl made out of local wild oak silk found in the Indian state of Uttaranchal at the foot of the Himalayas.

The project started in 1996 with the planting of 10 kg of wild oak seed. Last year 162 kg of seed was planted, which amounts to about 1 million saplings. This year alone, more than 500,000 saplings were raised, while more than 5,000 mature oak trees were protected through the project.

Using sustainable harvesting norms, only 30% of the allocated forest area is used for silkworm harvesting and then is left alone for three years. The project has established nurseries and plantations to regenerate the forest.

"It's a challenge to educate people and build their capacity in conservation," says Ribeirio. "There are also a lot of misconceptions, such as thinking that setting forest fire helps regenerate forests."

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Many local and international partners and donors are providing ATI additional support to grow its program. ATI has developed close working relationships with key government agencies, such as the Central Silk Board. In addition, ATI is working to leverage the initial DM grant to secure funding from respected international donors, including the Ford Foundation, IFAD, and USAID others.

This enterprise has even gained the government's permission for sericulture in forbidden parts of the forest.