In India, over 350 million rural poor rely on community forests, pastures, and water bodies—collectively called the commons—for their livelihoods. However, they lack formal rights to these resources, limiting their control and stewardship. Despite efforts from various actors to address issues around rural livelihoods, climate action, forest conservation, water security, and farmer distress, the lack of coordination among initiatives often undermines lasting impact. For instance, the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 aims to secure Community Forest Rights (CFR) over an estimated 100 million acres, potentially benefiting millions of forest dwellers. However, due to fragmented efforts and weak coordination, only about 5 percent of the target area has been brought under CFR.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the resilience provided by commons and there was an increasing realisation for the need of a unified action, especially in Odisha. Odisha, with 33.5 percent forest cover, is home to 32,562 forest-fringe villages and a large tribal population, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Recognizing the importance of forest commons, various stakeholders, including government representatives, civil society organizations, academics, and media, started the initiative “Odisha Commons Exchange” to collaboratively address tenure rights over forest land. Together, they identified key barriers, such as the lack of secure tenure, insufficient convergence in planning, and limited implementation capacities among local institutions.
This collaboration resulted in a shared vision to secure CFR titles for all eligible forest-protecting communities in Odisha. The efforts led to launching of “Mo Jungle Jami Yojna” scheme on August 9, 2023 by the government of Odisha aimed at making Odisha a FRA-compliant state by processing all potential CFR claims within two years. MJJY promises land ownership, improved livelihoods, and enhanced food security for tribal and forest-dwelling communities, paving the way for sustainable forest management and strengthened community rights.
