Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP), funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims at addressing the problem of forest degradation. The project is being implemented in Society mode. A society by the name Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Society (UFRMS) has been registered under Society Registration Act 1860 with the Registrar of Societies, Uttarakhand.
The project aims at ecological restoration, improving livelihood of the people, creating income opportunities, and ensuring community development activities.
Under the project, 13 forest divisions and 35 forest ranges have been selected to address forest degradation in 839 Van Panchayats (VPs). The 13 forest divisions are: Alaknanda Soil Conservation Forest Division, Almora Civil and Soyam Forest Division, Bageshwar Forest Division, Champawat Forest Division Lansdowne Soil Conservation Forest Division, Mussoorie Forest Division, Nainital Soil Conservation Forest Division, Narendranagar Forest Division, Pauri Civil and Soyam Forest Division, Pithoragarh Forest Division, Ramnagar Additional Soil Conservation Forest Division, Ranikhet Soil Conservation Forest Division and Tehri Dam-1 Forest Division.
Besides, a component of Erosion Control and Sediment Disaster Mitigation has been added in the project. The natural catastrophic disaster in Uttarakhand in June 2013 had led to massive slope failures (sediment disaster) and damaged roads in forest areas. Forest department personnel, posted in remote areas of the State, where presence of other departments is less, nay negligible, can play a very crucial role in combatting such natural calamities effectively and in a timely manner.
The component addresses treatment of landslides, reconstruction of damaged forest roads in disaster affected forest areas, developing a good infrastructure and capacity building of forest personnel. The disaster related works have been implemented in adversely affected areas like Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts.
UFRMP project aims at addressing the problem of forest degradation in the identified forest fringe areas of the State. The project aims at controlling forest degradation, improvement of livelihood options and income generating activities of the people living in the target area, thereby, reducing their dependence on forests.
The project would be implemented by Forest Van Panchayats (VPs), which are community-based organizations in forestry sector, ensuring their capacity development in the process.
Project Components include forestry works, livelihood interventions and income generating activities. These interventions are being implemented by VPs with facilitation support of Uttarakhand Forest Department (UKFD). The Forest Department shall also ensure treatment of landslides and reconstruction of damaged forest roads in disaster affected areas.
Sub-component 1.1: Rehabilitation of Degraded Forest
Sub-component 1.2: NTFP Plantation
Sub-component 1.3: Bio-diversity Conservation and Wildlife Management
Sub-component 1.4: Other Eco-Restoration Activities
Sub-component 2.1: Community Mobilization and Microplanning
Sub-component 2.2: Entry Point Activities (EPA)/BHN Improvement
Sub-component 2.3: NTFP Enterprise Development and Livelihood
Sub-component 2.4: Community-based Eco-tourism
Sub-component 2.5: Non-NTFP Based Livelihood Improvement
Sub-component 3.1: Preparatory Works (Logistic Support to PMU/DMUs/FMUs/VPs/GIS)
Sub-component 3.2: Capacity Building of Executing Agencies (Training for PMU/DMU/FMU)
Sub-component 3.3: Capacity Building of Village Level Institutions (SHGs Training and Exposure Visits)
Sub-component 3.4: Applied Research and Publicity
Sub-component 3.5: Monitoring and Evaluation
Sub-component 4.1: Slope Stabilization and River Training
Sub-component 4.2: Construction of Emergency Shelters
Sub-component 4.3: Overseas Training on Disaster