The Integrated Land and Eco System Management to Combat Land Degradation and Deforestation is being launched in Madhya Pradesh from August 10. On this occasion, a workshop will be organised at the Academy of Administration, Bhopal. Forest Minister Shri Sartaj Singh will be the chief guest at the workshop, which will begin at 9.30 am. It will be presided over by Minister of State for forest and Revenue Shri Jaisingh Marawi. About one hundred forest officers will take part in the workshop.

The cost of the scheme to be implemented with the cooperation of UNDP is around 5.76 million US dollars (About Rs 26 crore) which will be made available as grant through Global Environment Facility (GEF). A provision of Rs 2.34 crore has been made in the first year.

This five-year scheme will be implemented in Betul, Chhindwara, Umaria, Sidhi and Singrauli districts. During the five-year period, 3,000 to 4,000 hectares of degraded forests will be upgraded with the help of villagers. Every poor family in villages will be entrusted the task to work in 20 hectare of degraded forest during the period and will be paid Rs 2,500 per month for this.

Five hectare area in every village of the selected districts will be developed as Energy Forest and another 5 hectare area as Meadow Forest. Fast-growing species of tress will be grown in the Energy Forests for getting firewood. After completion of the scheme, firewood and fodder will be available to the villagers decreasing pressure on forests. One hundred committees in each district will undertake plantation of medicinal plants as well in the villagers' Badis. Works for soil and water conservation for preventing forestland degradation will also be undertaken. This project will benefit about 32 villages of the selected districts. Twenty members of 25 committees of each project district will be made master trainers in forest management and joint forest management. They will later impart training to others. Small and medium scale industries based on forest/agriculture produce will be set up under the scheme.

In 6 to 8 villages of every project district, works related to agriculture promotion and animal husbandry development will be undertaken. The United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP) has sanctioned a sum of Rs 2 crore 34 lakh for these works, which will be utilised during the year 2010. The UNDP's financial management is done from January to December.