Community-held land in Odisha generates benefits worth ₹36,890 crore annually: Study

Study reveals Odisha's land commons provide ₹36,890 crore annual benefits, urging protection and sustainable management for economic and ecological well-being.

“Community-held land in Odisha generates annual economic benefits and socio-cultural value amounting to ₹36,890 crore,” says a study conducted by organisations drawn from various sectors.

The study ‘Odisha State Brief on Economic Valuation of Land Commons’ carried out by Foundation for Ecological Security, Common Ground, Federation University and International Food Policy Research Institute says Odisha has approximately five million hectares of land commons, including forests, permanent pastures, culturable wastelands, and barren lands.

As the commons are essential for providing various ecosystem services that contribute to the State’s economic and ecological well-being, the researchers have called for framing of laws and procedures that recognise and protect the economic and social importance of commons, ensuring their sustainable use and management, and incorporating their valuation into policy and decision-making processes.

The study says land commons face numerous threats including overuse, degradation, encroachment, and inadequate governance. “These threats lead to the loss of valuable ecosystem services, impacting the livelihoods of millions who depend on these resources. Degradation of land commons also results in reduced biodiversity, increased soil erosion and diminished water quality, exacerbating environmental challenges,” it says.

Valuation matrix developed by various academic bodies provides formula for calculation of ecosystem services. There are four types of ecosystem services – provisioning, support, regulating and cultural. There is also stock service of land commons. The gene pool on existing on land commons have to be managed in wake of climate change threats.

Provisioning services include tangible products obtained from ecosystems such as food, water and raw materials. In Odisha, these include non-timber forest products (NTFPs), fuel-wood, fodder, and water. The services are valued at ₹65,411 per hectare annually.

Similarly, the study says, regulating services are benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, such as climate regulation, soil fertility and water purification which gives a value worth ₹60,698 per hectare annually.