Protecting the Forests for a Sustainable Future: Forest Conservation Initiatives using Technology in Andhra Pradesh

Protecting the Forests for a Sustainable Future: Forest Conservation Initiatives using Technology in Andhra Pradesh

“Humanity’s well-being and prosperity – indeed, our very existence – depends on healthy ecosystems and the services they supply, from clean water and a liveable climate, to food, fuel, fibre and fertile soils.”

-- Living Planet Report, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 2014

With the increasing demands of the population across the world for various types of resources both renewable and non-renewable, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) observed that, “We need 1.5 Earths to regenerate the natural resources we currently use; we cut trees faster than they mature, harvest more fish than oceans replenish, and emit more carbon into the atmosphere than forests and oceans can absorb.”

The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) in its resolution invited the attention of the member states to recognize the contributions of forest goods and services to national and local economies.

Recognizing such importance of forests, the UN Conference on Environment and Development in the year 1992 endeavored for the conservation of the forest and stated that, “Forestry issues and opportunities should be examined in a holistic and balanced manner within the overall context of environment and development, taking into consideration the multiple functions and uses of forests.”³ Given such significance of the forest – social, ecological, economic and sustainable, technology has become an important ingredient in the protection and conservation of the forests all over the world. The Government of India, by taking a cue from the ongoing technological revolution, has adopted various technologies and deployed them to track the forest cover across the country. The Forest Survey of India is publishing the State of Forest Report capturing the changes in the forest cover in the different types of forests across the country using technology. The collated data is stored in the server of the Forest Survey of India..................

Forest Depletion in India

As per current assessment, total forest cover of the country is 697,898 sq. km which works out as 21.23 percent of the geographical area of the country. In terms of density classes, area covered by Very Dense Forest (VDF) is 83,502 sq. km, with Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) 318,745 sq. km and Open Forest (OF) is 295,651sq. km. The VDF class constitutes 2.54%, the MDF class constitutes 9.70% and the OF class constitutes 8.99% of total geographical area of the country. India being primarily an agriculture dependent country, where majority of the people live on agriculture and allied activities, the pressure on the environment – water, trees, land, etc., is huge................

National Forest Policy, 1988

The benefits of the conservation of forests are innumerable and in a country like India, the need for the protection of the forests is all the more significant, for the simple reason that majority of the people in the country still are dependent on the monsoon rains, be it for irrigation or drinking or for any other purpose. The rivers are full to the brim during the monsoon and the water is stored in reservoirs for different usage – irrigation, power generation, drinking, etc..........

Technology to Track Forest Cover

The Government of India initiated many endeavors towards curbing the illegal felling of the trees, depletion of forests, collecting the data about the forest cover changes and also encouraging the state governments to regenerate the forest cover in those areas which have undergone serious depletion. The total size of the forest cover in India is cited below in Exhibit I..........

The Forest Cover Change Monitoring Information System (FCCMIS) in Andhra Pradesh

The Forest Department of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh initiated the use of Information Technology as a tool for governing forest management and its allied activities. These efforts led to the development of the following modules which helped the senior officials of the Forest Department to manage and conserve the material and non-material resources in the most efficient manner. Some of the IT modules include the following: .................

Issues and challenges

Given the benefits of FCCMIS that accrue to the Forest Department, it appears as the talisman to track the forest cover changes in the most accurate and accountable manner or amenable for acceptance at all the levels. However, the issues and challenges remain at different levels, like being skeptical about the actual benefits that would accrue to the Forest Department in tracking the forest cover changes due to its postdepletion role – meaning that the FCCMIS comes into picture after the depletion...........

Assignment Questions

I. Will the employees shift to the new system from the manual system? Substantiate your argument with relevant reasons.

II. In your opinion can FCCMIS prove to be the talisman in tracking the forest cover changes? Elucidate.

III. Can FCCMIS sustain as a tool for better decisions for the officers in the long run? If yes, how? And if no, why not?

IV. ............

Exhibits

Exhibit I: Forest Cover of India

Exhibit II: Reasons for the Depletion of Forest Cover

Exhibit III: Data Showing Depletion of Forest Cover (2010)

Exhibit IV: Forest Cover Change Matrix of Andhra Pradesh

Annexures

Annexure I: Types of Forests in Andhra Pradesh

Annexure II: Data Capturing Method through FCCMIS

Protecting the Forests for a Sustainable Future: Forest Conservation Initiatives using Technology in Andhra Pradesh

Synopsis

The case study was written in the backdrop of the changes taking place across the government departments which were integrating Information Technology in their processes and practices for better results in terms of productivity and accountability. It enables to discuss the nuances of change management and the various steps in effecting change in an organization. The case study provides an opportunity for the students/participants to discuss issues pertaining to the implementation of technology work processes and sensitizing the stakeholders about the benefits of such a shift towards technology.

The case study facilitates questions like – the need for technology in forest department, integrating technology with the existing processes without eliciting friction from the employees, sensitizing and training employees with the change, overcoming resistance from certain stakeholders, resistance to change at different levels, point of initiation of change, etc.

The case study helps the students/participants in sensitizing how government agencies can raise their performance levels by using technology and also raise awareness with regard to forest depletion at a global level. The case study may throw further light on better ways of managing the fast depleting resources and come out with better and feasible solutions.

Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding

Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding (PCU) material is the background material that would aid immensely in mapping the decision areas of this case study and bring a synthesis amongst the relevant concepts. The participants/students should be encouraged to read this material to benefit from the broader perspectives outlined in the case study.

• • W. Warner Burke, Organization Change: Theory and Practice, Sage Publications – To understand the nuances of change management from a broader perspective
• • Wendell L. French and Cecil H. Bell Jr., Organization Development: Behavioral Science Interventions for Organization Improvement, Prentice Hall, 1995 – To understand the implications of various interventions for producing better results
• • Stephen Robbins, et al., Organization Behavior, Pearson Education – To understand the nuances of change management
• • John P. Kotter, Leading Change, Harvard Business School Press – To understand the various steps in bringing in change as a part of change management in an organization

Expected Learning Outcomes

• • To understand the nuances of change management from a broader perspective and the various steps in bringing in change in an organization
• • To understand the need for the shift towards Information Technology for monitoring forest cover
• • To discuss whether technological changes would suffice in halting the forest cover changes
• • To discuss and debate on the extent to which employees adopt and adapt technological changes

Case Positioning and Setting

This Case Study can be used in MBA/Executive MBA program for Organizational Behavior course to illustrate the concept of ‘Change Management’.

Assignment Questions

The discussions and debate among the students/participants broadly answered the following questions which in turn help in the achievement of the four expected learning outcomes:

• I. Will the employees shift to the new system from the manual system? Substantiate your argument with relevant reasons.
• II. In your opinion can FCCMIS prove to be the talisman in tracking the forest cover changes? Elucidate.
• III. Can FCCMIS sustain as a tool for better decisions for the officers in the long run? If yes, how? And if no, why not?
• IV. ................

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