Report of the Tiger Task Force - PRS

TIGER TASK FORCE REPORT JOINING THE DOTS ■lacks the participation from people. If this programme can be revamped so that peopleliving in the fringes can be given management decisions and rights over forest lands, itwill improve the productivity of the resources as well. The answer within the reserve willlie in our abilities to rebuild the resources outside.7. The only way to ensure that the forest department can garner the resources to investin fringe villages is for the government to increase the per capita expenditure that it makeson the fringe of the tiger reserves. In fact, the government must look at investments in thetiger reserves in tandem with the money it should be spending on the fringe communitiesand the allocations should be made in accordance. Again, it must be emphasised theseinvestments can turn productive if and only if they are made in tune with the naturalresource regimes of the areas and not by investing in short-term assets based alternatelivelihoods. It can also only work if people are involved in the management of the naturalresources. The additional funds must be spent as a reciprocal arrangement with the localvillagers — increased investment in their resources to build collaborative and protectivefences around the reserves.The way ahead 131