ODISHA FORESTRY SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT was implemented with the loan assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for 13,937 Million JPY in 10 districts of Odisha. Initially this project was for a period of seven years from 2006-07 to 2012-13, and thereafter extended up to 2014-15. The project has twin objectives of restoration of degraded forests and livelihood improvement of forest dependent community and covered 2426 Joint Forest Management Committees viz., VSSs/ EDCs for interventions. The project has achieved substantial progress in Sustainable Forest Management through strengthening of community based institutions for Joint Forest Management. The OFSDP model of project implementation provided an example of beginning of socio-economic returns and benefits to the communities from forest ecosystem through Micro-planning & execution by VSS members in deeply poverty stricken forest fringe villages. Hence there was a felt need for replication of OFSDP model of Sustainable forest management through capacity building of stakeholders with wider coverage in Odisha. Accordingly a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared and submitted by the Odisha Forest and Environment Department to JICA through the Government of India. The following documents submitted in this regard may be referred to.
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) while assisting Governments for environmental improvements from forestry sector services as well as for livelihood improvements of impacting forestry communities currently also identifies biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation as emerging focal areas.
JICA has dispatched a survey team to undertake Supplemental Survey for OFSDP-II to gather additional information/ data required for validating the project needs, and further to concretise the project plan proposed in DPR. The survey has been scheduled between August and December 2016. JICA also despatched two Fact Finding Missions (first visit from 07.11.2016 to 18.11.2016 and the second visit from 08.12.2016 to 19.12.2016) which had extensive discussions with Project Director OFSDP and other officials concerned at Bhubaneswar. After detailed deliberations with the supplementary survey team and the first fact finding mission, the DPR for OFSDP Phase-II was rationalised with respect to the Project Scope, Project Cost and the Forest Divisions and Ranges for implementation. The Rationalised DPR at a total cost of Rs.998.25 Crore was submitted by the Odisha State Government to the MoEF&CC vide letter dated 28.11.2016. This Rationalised DPR was technically appraised by MoEF&CC, New Delhi and forwarded to the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi for them to issue official request to JICA for the appraisal of the proposed Project.