SAFE (South Asian Forum for Environment), a registered non-profit NGO working towards conservation of nature and poverty alleviation through community partnership, participation and equity in the Indian eco-region, took the challenge of conserving East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), the only Ramsar site of West Bengal that was facing the threat of getting removed from the International Ramsar List. Initially the work was started through socioeconomic survey and ecological habitat evaluation. Every year, World Wetlands Day on 2nd February is celebrated as “Jalabhumi Utsav” at EKW with community. Since 2007 till date SAFE has successfully completed a number of conservation programs not only in EKW but in villages of Sunderbans, high altitude lakes in Bhutan, etc. through adaptive management (learning by doing) and community-ecosystem approach of partnership and participation.

BIORIGHTS: SAFE successfully launched India’s first Biorights project in India.

The Biorights component (that is compensating the opportunity cost of poor commons for conserving the ecology of the nature area that sustain their livelihood) was installed through micro-health insurance scheme that covered 140 families.

Project was supported by DFID (UK) through KUSP, KMC Govt of WB that promoted Ecotourism as an alternative economic opportunity during lean season for the poor fishermen of EKW. Two ecotourism hubs were created in Sukantanagar Bheri and Natar Bheri of EKW under the scheme that benefited 380 odd fishermen families, developed women Self Help Groups and involved capacity building in Hospitality, Catering and Marketing for more than 150 fishermen in the area.

The details of the success stories are as hereunder...

Conservation of Endemic Fishes in EKW as an Alternative Livelihood Opportunity for Fishermen (2009)

The project area site Sardar bheri, is in ward No 23 of Bidhannagar Municipal area, existing in the clandestine corner of the EKW, which lacks basic infrastructure like supply of potable water, electricity and transport. About 160 fishermen families depend on this bheri for their sustenance, the Nabard, MD's visit with team of high officials came as a moment of great joy and were very encouraging for the community living in extreme conditions. Nabard under the Environmental Promotional Activity (EPA scheme), provided five solar community street lights and one home light system to the Sardar bheri, as there is no electricity. While the MD inaugurated solar street lights, 160 workers present rejoiced to see the darkest corners lit up by the solar lights. WBREDA extended support to the project through a 20% subsidy on the cost price.

South Asian Forum for Environment, (SAFE) launched this project in March 2009, after it was sanctioned by National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development (Nabard) under the Rural Innovative Fund, (RIF) scheme. The project is headed by Dr.Dipayan Dey, Chair SAFE.

About the project: The RIF as carried out by SAFE at EKW, aims to conserve the vanishing endemic fish species from the wetland ecosystem, and ensure sustainable development of the poor fishermen in EKW, by spreading their fiscal risk with alternative economic opportunity and replicable agro-environmental innovations for environmental conservation.

Initial Implementation of the project : First, SAFE team comprising ecological experts identified and reclaimed the nursery ponds and stocking ponds, initiated harvesting the rain water during the rainy season.

SAFE mobilized the fishermen community to attain hands on training for the production of endemic fish stock; CIFRI has come forward to partner with SAFE for all training activities to be given to the fishermen in the area. After the initial awareness now about 75 workers, including 26 women from the community is trained in CIFRI, Barrackpore through four day training program in the month of November this year.

Initial Success: The challenge was to create a controlled environment at Sardar bheri to stabilize the species at the nascent stage. SAFE collected 7 varieties of endemic fish from rural fringes of West Bengal transferring them to Sardar bheri in oxygen packages. The project team, however, could successfully stabilize them in the nursery ponds at Sardar Bheri, in their budding stage as fingerlings. These varieties are: Sonapunti, Mourala, Bata, Tangra, Kholshe, Gule Bule, and Kalbos. The team had earlier done a study, sponsored by British Ecological society on habitat preference of Mrigel, which is also endemic.

Future Scaling up of the project: This project not only ensures conservation of the precious wetlands, it at the same time negates the negative link between poverty alleviation and environmental restoration here. The future scaling up proposes to:

             1. Installation of a scientific breeding station running on solar power for cultivation of endemic fishes in the wetlands.

             2. Proper identification of the habitat preference and stress physiology of the fishes being acclimatized here, in sewerage fed wetlands.

             3. A proper market survey for designing, merchandizing strategy to promote sale of local and endemic fishes in west Bengal .

             4. The project will develop a network among the other existing bheries and exchange to replicate the program accordingly.

SAFE looks forward to a valued partnership and we are thankful to NABARD, CIFRI, the Ramsar secretariat, research institutes and media for supporting the project. This partnership can save the EKW, the only Ramsar site of West Bengal , a unique ecosystem sustaining the lives of over 90,000 fishermen who are combating all challenges to protect the World's largest resource recycling facility.

•  Value added Environmental Promotional Activities in East Kolkata Wetlands.(2007-09)

             a) Community water treatment plant
                                  

             b) Community sanitation unit for fisherwomen
                       

             c) Community Solar Street Lighting System
                       

On the request of SAFE, NABARD under the Environmental Promotional Activity (EPA scheme), provided five solar community street lights and one homelite system to the Sardar bheri, as there is no electricity. While the MD inaugurated solar street lights, 160 workers present rejoiced to see the darkest corners lit up by the solar lights. WBREDA extended support to the project through a 20% subsidy on the cost price.

             d) Azolla cultivation

Azolla is a water fern that is widely used as a biofertilizer, animal feed, or for medicinal usage. Hybrid varieties are tried out in EKW in separate artificial small tub-ponds. These can be an alternative livelihood project for the beneficiaries as the product can be tried as fish feed or fertilizer in all the bheries for substituting Chemical feed and fertilizers. The fern is growing luxuriantly in the nursery ponds. SAFE has introduced Azolla cultivation as a valuable component for ecosystem conservation. The cultivar has been collected from the Vivekananda Institute of Biotechnology in Nimpith, South 24 pgs.

In year 2007, SAFE launched the project under the concept of Biorights, titled; Eco-tourism as a means of Poverty Alleviation; Converting Nature Services into Financial tool at the East Kolkata Wetlands, EKW. Two areas in the EKW, Natar bheri and Sukantanagar bheri were selected to install the project as a model. The community though initially was apprehensive about the project as many thought it will bring interferences and there may be encroachment. The community decision was completely taken into consideration and the SAFE team took great effort in explaining the project and its modalities. When the project commenced, the entire community came forward to assist SAFE in executing the work in the field. It is not easy to carry out work in the area, and without the community assistance it would have been impossible to make roads or do the necessary construction works. Huts were specially designed and constructed with bamboo shoots and were colored with organic paints. The landscape was beautified with plantation suitable for the ecosystem. At the Natar bheri two wetlands were created and trees were planted around the area. A huge aquarium of endemic fishes is situated there for awareness. The visitors coming to the wetlands can view the local varieties of fishes cultivated there, the aquarium is a point of attraction for children.

While the landscaping and construction work was going on, the self help groups and members of the community were trained in catering and hospitality. Both men and women participated enthusiastically and learnt to cook chili chicken, fried rice, fish fry, alu dum, puri, and many other popular food items. In the process they learnt to keep proper hygiene during serving food and in their day to day life also. Adequate utensils were provided and two peddle boats were given to the community.

On 2 nd Feb, 2008 , World Wetlands Day, the project under the Innovative Challenge Fund (ICF), of Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor (KUSP), through the Govt.of West Bengal, was launched at the Sukantanagar Bheri. Mr.Biswajiban Majumdar, Chairman, Bidhannagar Municipality , launched the project with other eminent dignitaries. The project was completed in one year and on the 2 nd Feb, 2009 , the project was handed over to the community. Mr.S.P Gonchoudhuri, Director, WBREDA, Mr.Mohaniah, CGM, NABARD, Mr. Nasser Khan, Commissioner, Human Rights, Mr.Biswajiban Majumdar, Chairman, Bidhannagar Municipality and Ila Nandi, Vice Chairman, BM, was present on the occasion. Two cell phones were given to the Secretary of the picnic committee by the dignitaries.

SAFE reviewed the project and it has been observed that the Community of two respective bheries, earned about 78,000 rupees in the first season. They expected to make over INR 2.5 lakhs in the next season. Sukantanagar bhari built the entrance gate which cost them about 20,000 and Natar bheri, scaled up the project by increasing the picnic spots. Picnic committees have separate accounts in the bank and the profit money is equally divided among the members of the fishermen cooperative.

Bidhannagar Municipality helped in building the bridge over the canal at the Sukantanagar bheri, where cars could go inside directly. The project has received appreciation from all corners and is of great success.

South Asian Forum for Environment [SAFE] has successfully completed India 's first project on BIORIGHTS funded by DFID (UK) in collaboration with Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor (KUSP) programme of Dept. of Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal. In the present project, ecotourism in sewerage fed wetlands act like a financial tool for risk spreading and risk coverage as well. The revenue collected from ecotourism is a form of an alternative economic opportunity for sustenance. A portion of the excess revenue goes for premium of group micro-health insurance coverage for the wetlanders who struggle in stinking sewerage waters for their livelihood and produce fish for the metropolis. The innovation is that here environmental awareness explicitly act as a marketing tool for the revenue generation system. this therefore endorse the BIORIGHTS component.

The project proposed an awareness campaign to enhance community preparedness in commons, inhabiting disaster prone coastal wetlands of West Bengal , towards climate change and its impact on wetland habitats. The aim was inception of climate change issue in peri-urban and rural commons. Inculcate environmental awareness about the importance of wetland habitat in changing climatic regime. Develop community preparedness for disaster mitigation.

Awareness component included:

Restoration and cleaning of water bodies in local vicinity, grass and hedge shrouding to stop landfill in wetlands to encourage commons participation.Dry run and mock show on disaster mitigation after workshop activities.Making use of mobile phones and toll free call system as an early alert system as PPP model. Celebration of World Wetlands Day 2009 on 2nd February. The target group remained wetland dwellers, fishermen's community, honey collectors, farmers and villagers with special emphasis on women and children.

Commencement of the project:

24th & 25th Dec 08: Luxbagan, Sundarban: Awareness Camp and Workshop, 15th Jan 09: Sukantanagar Bheri East Kolkata Wetland: Padayatra, 2nd & 3rd Feb 09: Sardar Bheri and surroundings, Wetland Conservation & Cleaning.

The resource persons for the program were; Dr. A K Sinha, Smithsonian Fellow, Bhagalpur University Bhagalpur, Dr S.P.Gonchoudhuri, Ashden Awardee & Spl Sec. Power Sector, Govt of WB, Mr Milan Dutta, Sr Journalist & Sociologist, ABP Pvt Ltd, Kolkata, Partho Dasgupta, Social worker, IIT Kharagpur. Collaborating Organization was Bidhannagar College.

The project was successfully completed and report was generated through press releases and website. After the success with NEAC project, SAFE launched a project, called Penta C, Cross Country Consortium on Climate Change.

Justification of the project:

Environmental Education is a continual process of recognizing values along with understanding and appreciating the inter-relationship among man and biosphere. Environmental Awareness campaign is thus very important to create an overall perspective, which acknowledges the fact that natural environment and man-made environment are interdependent. It should consider the environment in its totality and should be a continuous lifelong process. It should be inter-disciplinary and examine major environmental issues from local, national and international points of view. The awareness exercise should utilize various educational approaches to learn from the environment with stress on practical activities and first-hand experience. It is through this process of education that people can be sensitized about the environmental issues.
 

SAFE undertook studies on drying high altitude lakes of Eastern Himalayas and proposed measures for their ecological restoration. Even the glacial Lakes of Eastern Himalayas those are reportedly spawning due to global warming and climate change, posing a potent threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, projects has been taken up by SAFE for risk assessment study in collaboration with other international organizations for better fold mitigation and damage control. The project aimed at a risk assessment study on these lakes for understanding environmental impact and planning conservation and management strategies in these rough geographical terrains. Studies revealed that lowering of lake depth, channeling excess water, devise flood management and establishment of monitoring stations are some aspects of conservation and management. SAFE research team suggested prevention measures and awareness campaigns in the rural settlements along the catchments of the affected rivers for reducing hazard impacts. The findings were disseminated in 10th World Lake Conference 2003 at Chicago, USA and International Disaster Reduction Conference 2006 at Davos, Switzerland. The findings of the project had evoked the interest of international media and the scientists worldwide on the disastrous consequences of GLOF.
 

In the lower watershed of rivers of Himalayan origin and their floodplains along the border areas of Nepal , India and Bhutan habitat loss and ecosystem degradation is a common problem. The work of conserving wetlands for sustainable development of this waterlogged area has been taken up by SAFE in the year 2004. Presently, it is also working towards implementation of low-cost agro technology to encourage eco-friendly practices and initiate alternate farming options to prevent over exploitation of natural resources and damage caused by habitants. The study performs a habitat evaluation to assess the ecological status and suggests appropriate remedial measures for restoration. It further proposes sustainable management practices through community participation and partnership towards eco-friendly development of these important wetland ecosystems. The portion of the same flood plain within the political boundaries of Nepal has been recognized as the Kosi Tappu Ramsar Site. At present, SAFE has taken endeavor to get similar status for the other part of the wetlands falling within the state of Bihar , which is yet not recognized as Ramsar site.