Nobody's Child: The Economic and Institutional Aspects of Soil Conservation in India

Abstract

The paper addresses problems caused by encroachments into forests by the rural poor for the purpose of cultivation in hill areas. While some encroachments were regularized in the past, there remain many encroached-upon lands for which title deeds have not been given so as to discourage further encroachment. Though soil conservation is of critical importance, farmers do not invest in lands under their possession for which they have no title deeds. This paper analyzes the institutional and ecological factors which influence investment in soil conservation and the economic returnsfrom such investment. Analyses have been conducted by ecological zones and age of farms. The results will show that costs are high and returns are low in uphill areas and on newer farms. Thus, cultivation on deforested lands in uphill areas is not economical, particularly if it does not involve soil conservation measures. It is not the lack of awareness of the problems of land degradation, but the institutional and economic constraints that getin the way of proper soil conservation measures. These observations are illustrated on the basis of an area in Iduki district in Kerala, South India, an area which was earlier under forests but subsequently brought under cultivation.