Land-use practices and regulations to reduce poverty : lessons from Anaikatty, Tamil Nadu

Though village commons can be an important livelihood support for forest fringe communities as discussed in the previous chapter, even households with their own small farms face severe constraints in the revenue-generating capacity of their lands, as this chapter will reveal. Asymmetries in access to resources like water and fertile land hinder financial and ecological sustainability of small farms. Inequitable land use and conservation measures reduce the impact and longevity of poverty reduction measures in these landscapes. It is argued that regulation of commercial extractive use of land and water resources and incentives for sustainable use are essential components of an effective antipoverty package in these areas. Fertile land resources and safe practices are crucial for sustaining millet-based rain-fed agroforestry systems which are fast disappearing from the forest peripheries along with increasing dependence for food and livelihoods. Improved traditional systems of land use can ensure nutritional security and food sovereignty among these marginalised communities. This chapter illustrates how land-use regulations can be instrumental in encouraging locally appropriate land uses in the dry forest peripheries of Western Ghats