Kodagu Model Forest Trust (KMFT) in partnership with Forest First

Location: 
​Second Monnangeri Village, Galibeedu Panchayat, Madikeri Taluk, Kodagu District, Karnataka, India (Western Ghats).

Project Summary:
This comprehensive ecological restoration project aims to restore and stabilize 150 acres of community and private land affected by the devastating 2018 landslides in Second Monnangeri Village. The project employs scientific soil bio-engineering techniques, vetiver grass technology, and native species plantation to prevent future landslides while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the local community. The initiative serves as a model for post-disaster ecological restoration that can be replicated across the landslide-prone Western Ghats region.

Issues Addressed:

• Massive landslide damage: 27 houses destroyed, 15 large landslides dividing the 15-kilometer village belt
• Infrastructure destruction: Village roads, electricity systems, and water sources were severely damaged
• Ongoing landslide vulnerability: Continued threat to the remaining 100 families and their agricultural land
• Deforestation impact: 40.29% decline in evergreen forests from 1973 to 2018, affecting watershed capacity
• Community displacement: 50 families relocated to government resettlement villages
• Loss of livelihood: Agricultural land and access routes were destroyed, affecting farming activities
• Water scarcity: Springs and streams are displaced due to ravine formation
• Psychosocial impact: Male suicide cases and depression due to land loss and livelihood destruction
• Climate change vulnerability: Increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the Western Ghats

Approach Taken:

• Scientific methodology: Collaborating with geological and geo-engineering experts from IIT Jammu and the Geological Survey of India
• Community-centered approach: Leveraging 90% of the budget toward local community employment and capacity building
• Multi-technique restoration: Combining soil bio-engineering, vetiver grass technology, permaculture principles, and native species diversity
• Participatory planning: Village-level microplanning with community representatives and expert team involvement
• Capacity building focus: Developing grassroots "landslide-technicians" and establishing local nurseries
• Model development: Creating a replicable pilot for simple slope stabilization across the district
• Partnership approach: Consortium involving KMFT, Forest First, and Environment and Health Foundation

Solutions:

• Slope stabilization program: Treating 150 acres using vetiver grass (200,000 slips), bamboo, and native grasses
• Infrastructure restoration: Stabilizing 5 kilometers of village roads and community access points
• Riparian restoration: Reclaiming 5 acres of floodplain and streambanks with economically useful plants
• Soil bio-engineering techniques: Implementing wattle fences, live bank protection, brush layers, and pole drains
• Native species plantation: Utilizing over 150 native tree species, including rare, endangered, and threatened varieties
• Community skill development: Training local workers as landslide technicians and nursery managers
• Emergency preparedness: Establishing early warning systems and evacuation protocols
• Livelihood integration: Creating income opportunities through plant material production and restoration work

Impact:

• Previous restoration experience: Over 100 acres under conservation across Kodagu, Wayanad, and Anekkatti
• Species conservation: Successfully conserving 150+ native tree species of the Western Ghats
• Community mobilization success: The Village conducted 480 person-days of voluntary labor (Shramadan) in 2020
• 150 acres protected from future landslide vulnerability through slope stabilization
• 5 kilometers of roads stabilized, ensuring safe community access and evacuation routes
• 5 acres of damaged land reclaimed for ecological and economic benefit
• 200,000 vetiver plants established, providing long-term soil stabilization
• Community employment: 90% of the budget is directed toward local livelihood generation
• Capacity building: Training network of grassroots landslide-technicians for district-wide replication
• Model creation: Developing a replicable pilot for slope stabilization across the Western Ghats region
• Ecosystem restoration: Re-establishing native biodiversity and watershed functions
• Climate resilience: Enhanced community preparedness for extreme weather events
• Psychosocial recovery: Constructive employment of affected men in land restoration activities
• Regional water security: Protecting Kodagu's role as the primary catchment for the Cauvery River system

What is the impact of $1500 on this project?
It would allow for the conservation of 10 acres of forest land.