CHUIRI - CHEPANG COMMUNITY

Self Sustaining Campaign for Chepang Community

Chuiri, Chamero and Chepang: Biodiversity Conservation, Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction

Chiuri Plantation Program: Community-based enterprise for Chuiri

1.     Introduction to Chepang:

The Chepang are one of Nepal’s most disadvantaged indigenous groups and are classified under the ‘highly marginalized’ category on the basis of a set of socio-economic indicators, such as population size, language literacy rate, house type, landownership, occupation and access to higher education. Due to geographical difficulties Chepangs have not been able to get easy access to food, clothes, and shelter and education facilities in the community.

2.     Problem Statement

The project will establish economically and socially sound incentives to conserve and promote sustainable use of biological diversity by protecting sustainable customary uses and supporting local poverty stricken Chepang community to implement remedial actions over the rapidly expanding trade of multipurpose Chiuri (Diploknema butyracea)  and  highly threatened Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus). Chepang community has important social, cultural and economic ties with Chiuri, which flying fox depends on for food. Because of chronic poverty, Chepang have heavily relied on flying fox for meat and selling in local market. Increased local demand for bat meat has meant that flying foxes, which play an important role in pollinating Chiuri flowers, are hunted in masses disturbing the symbiotic relationship between them. This has led to reduced fruit production in Chiuri trees. Chepang also are over harvesting Chuiri to meet increasing demand nationally and internationally causing disturbance to its natural regeneration process and affecting livelihood of the Chepangs. Existence of imperfect markets, information asymmetry, exploitative supply chain and lack of local community based enterprises has resulted in most Chuiri trade benefits going to wholesalers and middlemen, with harvesters not receiving a fair price, exacerbating a worsening gender and ethnic gap in natural resource management.

3.      Methodology

The project outcome is: institutional arrangements are researched so that highly threated flying fox bats are protected together with Chuiri harvested sustainably in case study communities to meet the challenges of CBD articles 10 (Sustainable Use of Components of Biological Diversity) and 11 (Incentive Measures). Impact of this outcome will be: improved and enhanced livelihoods amongst poor people living in these remote and underdeveloped areas in Chepang community raising incentive to biodiversity conservation.

Three phases are planned

 First Phase will consist of basic research and problem analysis.

1. Review of the ethno botany of Chuiri and bat population survey, extent of bat hunting and exploration of relationship between bats and Chuiri plants;

2. Assessment of the current system of Chuiri harvesting, processing and marketing through analysis of supply chain structure;

3. Analysis of power relations between harvesters and middlemen through access mapping;

4. Exploration of community mapping of property right regimes over the forest resources with high concentration of Chiuri trees.

Second Phase will comprise community participatory action research with theory and practice used to propose and iteratively discuss solutions to problems identified in phase 1.

 Outcomes aimed for by the project will be:

1. Identification of key areas for change in the Chuiri harvesters/bat hunters-middlemen- distributor nexus;

2. Development of sustainable management strategies for Churi plants;

3. Development of bat community based bat conservation action plan;

4. Improved management of forest resources to establish equitable access to natural resources with minimal transaction costs.

Third Phase includes implementation of the agreed institutional arrangements will commence.

1. Negotiating management of forest resources with improved and equitable access for Chepang communities;

2. Community-based enterprises for Chuiri harvesting, processing and marketing within which the harvesters are able to negotiate a fair price for their Chuiri product;

3. Community-based bat conservation.

Stakeholder meetings will be held at the beginning, mid-point and end of the project in the case-study villages. Bimonthly coordination meetings will take place in Nepal with participation of international researchers either during field trips. Outputs will be geared at three levels: community-level information on project activities and findings, policy-briefs for national and regional decision-makers, academic papers for international peer reviewed journals.

4.  Changes resulting from the project will be:

1) formation of community-based enterprises for Chuiri harvesting, processing and marketing; 2) Establishment of community led conservation strategies for bat conservation; 3) facilitate better access to forest resources for Chepang communities; 4) improved ability of the Chepangs to negotiate an equitable price with middlemen and increased transparency of the supply chain through market information and awareness 4) institutional design for sustainable harvesting of the Chuiri resources 5) reduced conflict between communities accessing the resource and 6) improved management of forest ecosystem for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services.

The main project beneficiaries are 2,000 poverty-stricken forest dwelling Chepangs residing in 300 households residing in Chitwan districts, Korak VDC ward no3.

The changes will be enabled through the close working relationship of the partners with the target communities and local administration, and involvement of the Government of Nepal through Department of Forests.

5.  LOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Impact

Establishment of community-based enterprises/conservation for maintaining symbiotic relationship (Chuiri and bats), livelihood enhancement and poverty reduction from sustainable harvesting of Churi with equitable benefit shares returning to the Chepang communities.

Outcome

Design of institutions for equitable and sustainable Chuiri harvesting/marketing and bat conservation through community-based enterprises and negotiation of fair prices from middlemen to benefit the rural poor.

Measuring outcome - Indicators

Indicator 1	Implementation of community led bat conservation will reduce incidence of poaching and increase in bat population.
Indicator 2	Increased in Chuiri flower pollinating bat population will result into increased Chuiri production.
Indicator 3	Better ability to negotiate for a fair price for Chiuri from the wholesalers by the proposed community-based enterprises will translate to increased income level of the harvesters, lifting them out of international poverty level of US$ 1.25 per day and improving their livelihoods.

Verifying outcomes

Indicator 1	Records of incidence of poaching from local police crime survey, household survey, focus group discussions and minutes of meetings held with the stakeholders including: community leaders, middlemen, wholesalers, and ex-poachers. Current level of bat poaching of around 20 bats daily per person to complete stoppage in bat poaching practices. Comparison of  bat population from the pre project baseline survey and post project bat population.
Indicator 2	Amount of Churi per tree at pre-project base line survey and post project Chuiri production per tree
Indicator 3	Current income level from the baseline survey and Nepal Living Standard Survey. Data from census and Department of statistics. Current price of Chuiri per kg for Chepang increased from NRs. 200 to at least NRs. 300 per kg after project implementation.

Risks and important assumptions

Assumption 1	Topographic difficulty is the major part in project period.
Assumption 2	Although the Chepangs reside in remote areas, they remain open and welcoming to the project team.
Assumption 3	Chuiri is harvested twice a year during March-April and August-September, which is suitable for underking research due to favourable climate.

Outputs

Output 1	Survey of bat population, extent of bat hunting and estimation of Chiuri harvest carried out.
	Social awareness raised amongst the stakeholders about the long-term benefits  of bat conservation and sustainable Chuiri harvest for maintaining local ecosystem and reducing poverty and  improving livelihoods through advocacy work
Output 2	Community led bat conservation activities initiated with participation from Chepang Community and Department of Forestry.
Output 3	Enhanced deeper understanding of the linkages between Chuiri and bat population and Chepang community through exploring the ecology and ethnobotanical investigation
Output 4	Community-based enterprises established to co-ordinate sustainable harvesting, processing and pro-poor marketing mechanism for Chiuri products to ensure Chepangs benefit from Chiuri trade.
Output 5	Enhanced capacity building at institutional or community levels in the host country by training NGO Self Sustaining Campaign Team.

6. Estimated Budgeting:

S.N.	Particulars	Quantity	Rate	Amount
1	Chiuri Saplings	1,500 pcs	Rs. 10	15,000
2	Supervisor	1 person		5,000 per year
3	Labour Charge	10 people	Rs.200	2,000
	Miscellaneous Charge		5000	5,000
	Total			27,000

7. Timeline of Chiuri Plantation

	March	1-15 February	April	Monitoring
Fund raising 10 Rs. Per person (interest based)		Monitoring	Monitoring	Monitoring
Land Preparation				Monitoring
Plantation of Chiuri				Monitoring
				Monitoring