About 1200 kms from the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal, lie the Andaman & Nicobar islands (between 60 to 140N and 920 to 940E) - a chain of over 500 mostly-uninhabitated islands which are an extension of the Arakan-Yoma mountain range of Burma. The dense tropical rain forests of the islands support a wide range of plant and animal life having characteristics of the Indian, Indo-Chinese and Malayan type. Owing to the isolation of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the plants and animals have evolved over thousands of years in a unique way. Ten percent, or more, of the life forms are endemic (found here and nowhere else). Today, however, due to rapid population growth and unsustainable use of living resources, the rich biodiversity of these islands stands threatened and remedial action is urgently required.

In 1992, Development Alternatives completed a study focusing on conservation of biodiversity in village Wandoor and the surrounding wilderness – an area on the southwestern coast of South Andaman about 30 km from the capital town of Port Blair. Wandoor is significant not only because it is becoming one of the most degraded areas on the islands, but also because it is adjacent to the 281.5 sq.km. Wandoor Marine National Park, established in 1983. The marine park is the only one of its kind on the islands, and one of the only three in the entire country.

The study, which involved three months of field work, sought to:

• assess the state of wilderness in and around the village, especially the forest

• examine the dependency, needs and priorities of the local people with respect to living resources

• develop a set of options for reducing the degradation of living resources and encouraging their sustainable use.

We felt this was required to slap the spillover in the adjoining areas for ensuring the protection of the biota in the Marine National Park.

Wandoor is a gently rolling area of low hills and a small valley, descending to the coast. The hills are forest-covered, while the lowland forest of the valley has been cleared over the years for cultivation. Mangroves still line the coast of Wandoor though much has been cleared and the off-shore reef is still an ideal habitat for a variety of marine life. Wandoor has always been famous for its bountiful fish catch.

People in Wandoor are predominantly Bengalis, who came as refugees and settled here after the Indian and Bangladeshi independence, influx of immigrants to the area continues, owing to the increasing scarcity of natural resources and basic requirements on the Indian mainland. Wandoor’s population has risen by over 7 percent in the last decade, leading to pressure on the wilderness resources of the area. Presently, there are about 225 households in Wandoor.

Everyone is dependent on the forest for firewood. Each family needs approximately 1 to 2 trees per year for fuel, depending on the size and quality of wood. Almost all of it comes from the forest of Wandoor village. Conversion of forest land for housing and plantation (bogicha) is taking place at an alarming rate. New immigrants are encroaching on prime land. The early (or registered) settlers, feeling threatened by the new immigrants, are also encroaching and new areas or clearing their own lands, which are still under natural cover, to assert their ownership. A survey of the village revealed that almost one-third of the households (both registered and recent settlers) have encroached on new areas for bagichas the last five years. Land disputes are becoming more common. These disputes and prolonged judicial investigations have given unauthorised settlers a glimmer of hope that the land they have occupied will ultimately be awarded to them. This again, has encouraged immigration and further encroachment.

The agricultural economy in Wandoor is predominantly subsistence level, with little or no monetary gain. Cultivable land is limited and produces only one rice crop per year. Therefore people look for other sources of employment. As the level of education is high, many prefer government jobs. For the new immigrant population with little or no land, a ready and lucrative source of income is the wilderness itself. This includes: fishing, plucking corals and shells, selling shark-fins, meat and skin of wild animals etc. Many of these activities are illegal and involve high risks. However, the lucrative returns have attracted both early and recent settlers. Rare specimens - conches, shells or some type of wildlife for exotic delicacy - sell at the rate of about Rs 300/- and 500/- or even Rs 2000/- per piece, or Rs 2000/- to 8000/- per kg. Products which are not rare, fetch prices between Rs 2/- to 30/- per piece, or Rs 30/- to 40/- per kg. The study revealed that over 60 percent of the population in Wandoor depend completely or partially on wilderness resources for their monetary income.

The wilderness around Wandoor bears evidence of stress. During the study, the forest of Wandoor was divided into four plots and a survey was conducted to know their comparative status. All plots showed signs of disturbance (Fig:1), especially those closer to human settlements and activities (Plots 2 and 3). Field observations and several analysis confirm this finding. According to the villagers, the productivity of the land cleared for bagichas is reducing, due to increased deforestation and soil erosion.

The Marine National Park and the Jarwa Reserve, situated near the Wandoor area, are also threatened. As resources become scarce around Wandoor, the villagers are pulling more pressure on the protected areas. This process has already started and poses a threat to the aboriginal tribes of the island. With an increasing number of settlers, the rate of degradation and its effects would became exponential.

To prevent this, what is urgently needed is to integrate human requirements with environmental planning. Wandoor must be viewed not in isolation, but together with the area under the Marine National Park. A plan for Wandoor would require restricting the population influx, earmarking areas for conservation and development and carefully balancing both the functions. By recognising integrating the knowledge, value system and needs of the people, providing with technologies for efficient utilisation of natural resources, and generating awareness of ecosystem functioning, the local residents can become a major force conserving biodiversity.

The survey carried out in Wandoor aimed at identifying the needs and priorities of the villagers. A vilable strategy for regeneration and conservation in Wandoor must:

• meet the basic needs of the people

• reduce the rate of degradation

• regenerate and conserve wilderness resources

Objectives Options	Satisfy basice needs	Reduce rate of degradation	Ensure regeneration & conservation
Water harvesting
Upgradation of shelter & sanitation			--
Improving efficiency of chulha			--
Enrichment plantation
Farming wild lives		--
Wailderness tourism		--
Awareness generation programmes

The interventions pertaining to each of the three objectives have to be complementary and simultaneous. Since there is a synergy between the objectives, what addresses one, necessarily affects the other.

The matrix below gives a broad list of the interventions, along with the primary issues addressed by them:

Given a set of options, the people of  Wandoor indicated that their priorities are: water harvesting structures (especially for drinking water); improvement of chulhas (stoves), enrichment plantation (of commonly used indigenous varieties in their own land) for easy supply of fuelwood and construction materials; upgradation of shelter. Awareness generation about the local environment is also considered important by the people.

Since many people in Wandoor are settlers from the plains of Bengal, they lack the traditional knowledge of optimally utilising the terrain and its living resources. However, due to their background and education, many of them are receptive to new ideas and suggestions. They understand to some extent the effect of deforestation on agriculture and lifestyle of the people with respect to supply of firewood. Many are concerned and willing to shift to workable alternative methods or utilising living resources to reduce the rate of degradation if proper guidance is provided.

The situation is critical and requires an integrated approach to save Wandoor and the surrounding area. Successful efforts could serve as an example for the rest of Andaman and Nicobar, and other areas undergoing similar experiences. q

Nina Sengupta