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Sushil Saigal MPhil, MSc, PGDFM

PhD Candidate

Sushil works on issues related to community-based management of natural resources, with a particular focus on forestry in India.

Biography

Sushil has over twelve years of work experience in the Indian natural resources and environment sector. He has worked with three environment & development organisations. He has been closely involved with India's Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme. He coordinated the National Network on JFM and worked closely with the JFM Cell of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. He has also worked on issues related to farm- & agro-forestry, small forestry enterprises, and payment for environmental services.

Career

  • Apr '04 - Sep '05: Program Manager, Natural Resource Management, Winrock International India, New Delhi
  • Jan '01 - Mar '04: Coordinator, Resource Unit for Participatory Forestry, Winrock International India, New Delhi
  • Jan '99 - Dec '00: Project Coordinator - India, Instruments for Sustainable Private Sector Forestry Project, International Institute for Environment and Development, London (Based at ETS, New Delhi)
  • Apr '92 - Sep '97: Programme Officer, Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development, New Delhi

Qualifications

  • MPhil Environment, Society, and Development, University of Cambridge
  • Certificate Sustainable Environmental Management, University of California, Berkeley
  • MSc Forestry and its Relation to Land Use, University of Oxford
  • Certificate, Community Management of Forest Lands, East-West Center, Honolulu
  • PG Diploma Forestry Management, Indian Institute of Forest Management
  • BSc (Honours) Zoology, University of Delhi

Scholarships

  • Gates Cambridge Scholarship
  • Overseas Research Student Award (ORS)
  • Cambridge Commonwealth Trust's Shell Centenary Scholarship
  • Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program Scholarship
  • DFID Shared Scholarship
  • Norman & Ivy Lloyd Studentship, Linacre College, Oxford
  • East-West Center / Ford Foundation Scholarship

Research

There has been a convergence of environment and development concerns in recent decades. This has led to an increasing interest in 'community-based' approaches that aim to address both these concerns simultaneously. Over the past few decades, a number of community-based environment and development projects have been initiated in a range of sectors, with forestry being a prominent one. However, there is considerable debate regarding long-term outcomes of such projects.

Sushil's research focuses on one such community-based forestry project, viz. the Tree Growers' Cooperatives Project (TGCP) in India. The TGCP, initiated in 1986, aimed to establish tree plantations on government 'wastelands' through village-level tree growers' cooperatives. It was hoped that the tree plantations would bring economic benefits to the local community while simultaneously resulting in reclamation of 'wastelands'. The project was an attempt to replicate the 'Anand Pattern' cooperative structure that had been earlier used to promote milk (Operation Flood) and oilseeds (Operation Golden Flow) production in India.

By studying a sample of tree growers' cooperatives from which the project had withdrawn about a decade back, the research aims to understand long-term outcomes of such environment and development projects. The research also explores how such projects originate and evolve over time. The fieldwork for the research was carried out in Ajmer district, Rajasthan.

Publications

Books

  • Bahuguna, V.K., Mitra, K., Capistrano, D., Saigal, S. (eds.) (2004) Root to Canopy: regenerating forests through community-state partnerships. Commonwealth Forestry Association and Winrock International India, New Delhi.
  • Saigal, S., Arora, H., Rizvi, S.S. (2002) The New Foresters: role of private enterprise in the Indian forestry sector. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

Book Chapters

  • Contributing author: Larson, A.M., Barry, D., Dahal, G.R., Colfer, C. (eds.) (Forthcoming) Forests for People: community rights and forest tenure reform. Earthscan, London.
  • Saigal, S., Borgoyary, M., Lal, P. (2007) 'Forest governance and participatory forestry in India', in: Scheyvens, H., Hyakamura, K., Seki, Y. (eds.) Decentralisation and State-sponsored Community Forestry in Asia. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Kanagawa.
  • Contributing author: Springate-Baginski, O. and Blaikie, P. (2007) Forests, People & Power: the political ecology of reform in South Asia. Earthscan, London.
  • Saigal, S., Mitra, K., Lal, P. (2005) 'Empowering the forest-dependent poor in India', in: Sayer, J.A. and Maginnis, S. (eds.) Forests in Landscapes. Earthscan, London.
  • Saigal, S. (2005) 'Joint management of state forest lands: experiences from India', in: Garforth, M. and Mayers, J. (eds.) Plantations, Privatization, Poverty and Power. Earthscan, London.
  • Macqueen, D., Vermeulen, S., Kazoora, C., Merry, F., Ousman, S., Saigal, S., Wen, S., Weyerhauser, H. (2005) 'Advancement through association: appropriate support for associations of small and medium forest enterprise', in: Bigg, T. and Satterthwaite, D. (eds.) How to Make Poverty History: the central role of local organizations in meeting the MDGs. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
  • Kapoor, N. and Saigal, S. (2003) 'Forest protection committees and panchayati raj institutions: in search of linkages', in: Roy, S.B. (ed.)Contemporary Studies in Natural Resource Management in India. Inter-India Publications, New Delhi.
  • Singh, S., Dutta, A., Bakshi, A., Khare, A., Saigal, S., Kapoor, N. (1997) 'Participatory forest management in West Bengal, India', in: Freese, C. H. (ed.) Harvesting Wild Species: implications for biodiversity conservation. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Saigal, S. (1997) 'Joint Forest Management: an alternate approach to regenerate degraded forests', In: Hiremath, S.R. (ed.) Forest Lands and Forest Produce: as if people mattered? NCPNR, SPS, JVS, JVA, and FEVORD-K.

Papers

  • Saigal, S., Dahal, G.R., Vira, B. (2008) 'Regenerating wastelands through cooperatives: experience of tree growers' cooperatives in Rajasthan, India', Paper presented at the 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons, Cheltenham.
  • Saigal, S. and Vira, B. (2006) 'Logos on Logs: origin, growth, and impact of forest certification', Paper presented at the 9th Biennial Conference of International Society for Ecological Economics, New Delhi.
  • Bose, S., Lal, P., Saigal, S. (2005) 'Information as power: making best use of India's Right to Information law, Participatory Learning and Action, 53.
  • Saigal, S. (2003) 'Improving forest governance: experience of joint forest management in India', Social Change, Vol. 33, No. 2 & 3, June-September.
  • Borgoyary, M. and Saigal, S. (2002) 'Commercial production from subsistence forests: an oxymoron?', Paper presented at the 9th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Victoria Falls.
  • Saigal, S. (2000) 'Beyond experimentation: emerging issues in the institutionalization of joint forest management in India', Environmental Management, Vol. 26 (3).
  • Saigal, S. (1999) 'The Indian tamarind tree: a taxonomic perspective', Wastelands News, Vol. XIV No. 3, February - April.
  • Saigal, S., Agarwal, C., Campbell, J.Y. (1996) 'Sustaining joint forest management: the role of non-timber forest products', Paper presented at the 6th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Berkeley.
  • Saigal, S. and Kapoor, N. (1995) 'Role of JFM research networks', ETFRN News, No.15, November. Reproduced in Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, Vol..3, Issue 3, December 1995.
  • Saigal, S. and Gulati, M. (1993/4) 'Orienting foresters for JFM - A.P. experience', Wastelands News, Vol. IX No.2, November 1993 - January 1994.

Discussion Papers

  • Saigal, S. and Vira, B. (2009) Forest Certification: origin, growth, and impact. Discussion Paper # 17, Winrock International India, New Delhi.
  • Saigal, S., Dahal, G.R., Vira, B. (2009) Cooperation in Forestry: analysis of forestry cooperatives in Rajasthan, India. RRI, CIFOR, and University of Cambridge.
  • Saigal.S. (2008) Environmental Entitlements Framework: potential and limitations. Discussion Paper # 15, Winrock International India, New Delhi.
  • Saigal.S. (2008) Sustainable Development: does it represent 'greening' of development thought and practice? Discussion Paper # 13, Winrock International India, New Delhi.
  • Saigal.S. (2008) Environmental Degradation: the inevitable price for economic development? Discussion Paper # 11, Winrock International India, New Delhi.
  • Saigal.S. (2008) Non-Timber Forest Products and Forest Governance. Forest Governance Learning Group-India, Hyderabad.
  • Bose, S., Lal, P., Pareek, P.S., Verma, M., Saigal, S. (2006) Forest-Based Associations in India: an overview. Winrock International India, New Delhi and International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
  • Contributing author: International Institute for Environment and Development (2008) Towards a Global Forest Partnership: consultation, assessment and recommendations. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
  • Contributing author: Ian, T. (2006) (ed.) The Potential and Limitations of Community-based Management of Water Resources: a review of DFID-funded research projects. Department for International Development (UK), New Delhi.
  • Saigal, S. and Bose, S. (2003) Small and Medium Forest Enterprise - India: a discussion paper. Winrock International India, New Delhi and International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
  • Sengupta, S., Mitra, K., Saigal, S., Gupta, R., Tiwari, S., Peters, N. (2003) Developing Markets for Watershed Protection Services and Improved Livelihoods in India. Winrock International India, New Delhi and International Institute for Environment and Development, London.
  • Amezaga, J., Gosain, A., Gupta, R., Saigal, S., Wilson, V. (2003) A Review of Water Management, Watershed Development and Forestry Policy in India, Internal Report, R8171 Project, The Centre for Land Use & Water Resources Research, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
  • Saigal, S. and Kashyap, D. (2002) The Second Green Revolution: analysis of farm forestry experience in western Tarai region of Uttar Pradesh and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Ecotech Services, New Delhi.
  • Saigal, S. and Kashyap, D. (2002) Company-Farmer Partnerships for Supply of Raw Material to Wood-Based Industry. Ecotech Services, New Delhi.
  • Saigal, S. (2000) Does Community Based Conservation Make Economic Sense? - lessons from India. Kalpavriksh, Pune.
  • Aumeeruddy-Thomas, Y., Saigal, S., Kapoor, N, Cunningham, A.B. (1999) Joint Management in the Making: reflections and experiences. People and Plants Working Paper No. 7, UNESCO, Paris.
  • Agarwal, C. and Saigal, S. (1996) Joint Forest Management in India: a brief review. Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development, New Delhi.

Web Publications

  • Saigal, S., Bose, S., Lal, P., Chaturvedi, R. (2004) Accessing 'Public' Information (http://www.policy-powertools.org).
  • Lead author: Winrock International India (2005) Incorporating Stakeholder Perceptions in Participatory Forest Management in India - Perceptions of Sangathans and NGOs (http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/harda/reports/).

Book Review

  • Saigal, S. (2007) 'Book Review: Mohanty, R. and Tandon, R. (eds.) (2006) Participatory citizenship: identity, exclusion, inclusion, Sage Publications, New Delhi', Contributions to Indian Sociology, 41 (2).

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

  • Saigal, S. (2005) 'Business of forest conservation', The Pioneer, New Delhi, February 23.
  • Saigal, S. (2005) 'Selling forests, not trees', The Pioneer, New Delhi, February 22.
  • Saigal, S. (2002) 'Regenerating India's forests', Deccan Herald, Hyderabad, March 26.
  • Saigal, S. (2001) 'Jungle book: an analysis of the status, limitations and potential of more than a decade old joint forest management programme', Humanscape, December.

External activities

  • Member, Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program, UC Berkeley
  • Associate, East-West Center Association
  • Member, Commonwealth Forestry Association, India
  • Member, Forest Governance Learning Group - India (IIED & RECOFTC)
  • Member, Cambridge Philosophical Society
  • Member, Gates Scholars' Society
  • Referee for journals Human Ecology, International Forestry Review and Contemporary South Asia