Joint mangrove management in Tamil Nadu: process, experiences and prospects. Part 2. Participatory rural appraisal in mangrove-user villages

This report documents experiences of the Joint Mangrove Management (JMM) project that was introduced 1997 in mangrove wetlands of Pichavaram and Muthupet (Tamil Nadu). The main aim of this programme is to enhance the capacity of the local community, Forest Department and other interested parties to restore, conserve and sustain mangrove wetlands through participatory analysis and action. The program was implemented in eight hamlets until May 2003, covering traditional and non-traditional fishers and farming communities. The experiences are covered in a series of seven parts. Part 2 (the present document) provides details of the PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) exercises conducted in three project hamlets: MGR Nagar in Pichavaram where a non-traditional fishing community are dominant; Vadakku Pichavaram where the farming community dominates; and Veerankoil village in the Muthupet region, a traditional fishing community. In each case study, the aims processes and methods followed in each PRA exercise, and results thereof, are explained in detail. Major concerns of the people in the villages, revealed by the PRA, are also described. These concerns form the basis of recommendations for future micro-planning. Some of the research methods used are resource mapping, matrix ranking, wealth ranking and daily activity schedules. The other parts of the series focus on Situation Analysis of Pichavaram and Muthupet Mangrove Wetlands (1); Village Mangrove Councils (3); Mangrove Management Units (4); Micro-planning and Implementation (5); Gender and Mangrove Conservation and Management (6); Results, Achievements and Prospects (7).