Annually about INR 300,000 to 400,000 million is spent towards restoring degraded common lands through public investments such as MGNREGA. While these investments are highly necessary to restore the lands, the financial investments need to be backed by institutional investments, such as long-term tenurial rights to communities and strong village-level institutions to build durable community assets, such as pastures and forests.

FES assists Panchayats align their plans for restoration of common lands and water bodies with the Right to Employment Act. FES also aids Panchayats and other village-level institutions to establish transparent democratic decision-making systems and effectively implement Commons programmes.

Our efforts involve working closely with the central and state governments to influence investments on land and water resources. We join hands with various levels of government to conduct publicity campaigns to spread the message of the Commons, as well as inform local communities of the schemes and policies being offered by the governments. In response to these campaigns, we provide information and conduct capacity building programmes so that communities can self-organize themselves.

The Right to Employment Act has already begun to bring about a long overdue adjustment in rural wage rates and improving the purchasing capacity of the rural poor. With widespread degradation of natural resources, it has a key part to play in meeting future challenges posed by food security and climate change as much as building an appreciation for the dignity of labour.

Below are highlights of work we have done:

Kheda (Gujarat): By innovatively combining NREGA with reclamation of ravines along Mahi river, degraded lands are being brought into productive use to provide good and enduring environmental and social outcomes. Institution building and secure rights over the land could multiply the benefits from MGNREGA.

Rajasthan: For effective implementation of soil and water conservation measures in water scarce villages, and to ensure effective worksite management of MGNREGA, 700 women mates were trained in Rajasthan on aspects such as registration of work demand, allocation of work, record keeping, and attendance logging in muster rolls.  Improved implementation of NREGA funds for common land restoration has added to rural incomes and helped reduce migration by minimizing fodder costs, and increasing livestock units per household. In Bhilwara, restored common land contributes an average of INR 10,000 to annual household incomes and meets more than 60% of their fodder requirements.

Yavatmal (Maharasthra): Appointed by the Government to facilitate wider MGNREGA awareness, strategies were developed for information dissemination, training, and hand-holding support across the block. The approach resulted in improving demand for employment and employment generation of 5.35 lakh person days, leveraging INR 123.1 million under MGNREGS in 131 habitations of Ghatanji block.

Chikkaballapura (Karnataka): Using MGNREGA funds to remove silt from the tank bed and funds from Zilla Panchayat to strengthen the tank bund, villagers of Tolapalli improved the storage capacity of their tank to irrigate a command area of 95 acres belonging to 87 farmers. 

Andhra Pradesh: Coordinating the Common Pool Resources (CPR) - IWMP programme on behalf of the Government, FES undertook capacity building programmes for government socials and NGO staff and helped them leverage INR 266.51 million for restoring common lands in five districts since 2014.