VIKSAT aims at strengthening peoples’ institutions with active participation of men and women from all sections of the community for equitable, gender sensitive, sustainable development and management of natural resources, through interaction with government and non-government organisations. [ view more ]

VIKSAT aims at strengthening peoples’ institutions with active participation of men and women from all sections of the community for equitable, gender sensitive, sustainable development and management of natural resources, through interaction with government and non-government organisations.

Present Activities:

VIKSAT having its H.O. in Ahmedabad has been working with the community through it’s 5 Field offices established in 4 different districts of Gujarat. Its major themes of intervention are:

1. Natural Resource Management (with special reference to Forestry, Land & Water resource management, Roof rain water harvesting and Biodiversity)
2. Sustainable agriculture
3. Sanitation
4. Strengthening community participation

These themes are addressed effectively through:

a) Enhancement of awareness among the People’s Institutions on good governance and participatory NRM;
b) Creating/building up the capacity of the People’s Institutions for self-reliance;
c) Extending support in marketing of products made the village groups;
d) Training for members / functionaries of PIs, NGOs, and government departments in participatory decision-making;
e) Promoting development of the region through implementation of suitable developmental programmes through People’s Institutions. This includes planning, designing, implementation of various engineering structures and monitoring their of;
f) Support extended to the village level institutions in marketing their products;
g) Research on critical areas in natural resource management and governance;
h) Preparation of innovative print and audio-visual material in natural resource management for dissemination;
i) Wider dissemination of best practices, innovative methods and areas of policy change emerging from cross-sectoral learning’s to PIs, NGOs and government institutions and promotion of successful case studies;
j) Networking of all stakeholders and associating with theme based networks (on drinking water, watershed); and
k) Action research/Policy advocacy.

[ view less ]

VIKSAT is an activity of the Nehru Foundation for Development-NFD, which is a registered public charitable trust. Nehru Foundation for Development was founded by the legendary visionary, Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai, in the year 1966. The first activity of the Foundation was the Community Science...
[ view more ]

VIKSAT is an activity of the Nehru Foundation for Development-NFD, which is a registered public charitable trust. Nehru Foundation for Development was founded by the legendary visionary, Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai, in the year 1966. The first activity of the Foundation was the Community Science Centre (VASCSC) established in 1972 for inspiring children and the communities towards Science and Mathematics Education. VIKSAT was set up in the year 1977 as the second activity of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) to carry out environmental improvement activities. VIKSAT felt that lack of horizontal communication is a major bottleneck in involving individuals and organisations in environment protection. Hence, VIKSAT articulates its mission as promoting and strengthening people's institutions through interactions, for an equitable, gender sensitive, sustainable development and management of natural resources.

In the initial years, VIKSAT worked on the promotion of an afforestation program with government and NGO participation. It is believed that all promotional messages need to be derived from sound field practice. Hence, we identified a field area in the tribal Bhiloda Taluka of Sabarkantha District in Gujarat for its learning’s from the field. Management of forest by people's organisations like co-operatives was an unbelievable concept during those days. VIKSAT promoted Tree Growers Cooperatives and involved them in the choice of saplings, nursery raising, plantation, in addition to protection and maintenance of the forests. The field experience has been very satisfying and encouraging. In order to replicate its experience, VIKSAT actively participated in the programs of National Wasteland Development Board (NWDB) and provided support for effective NGO participation. Hence, right from the beginning, VIKSAT made its identity both as a field organisation as well as as a support organisation. The direct field implementation provided grassroots insights and the support functions demanded building linkages, engagement in training and documentation, inter alia. In its first ten years, VIKSAT emerged as a professional support institution on community forest management. In the eighties, VIKSAT was known for its training programs on nursery raising and wasteland development. Both government and non-government agencies received training from VIKSAT.

The next shift in its focus came during the late eighties. VIKSAT was recognised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, as a nodal agency for National Environment Awareness Campaign. The popular educational material on drought and land degradation prepared for the campaign received high acclaim. As a part of its professional support, it worked with agencies in Orissa and Haryana, too. During this time, VIKSAT also entered into small research studies, conducting workshops, seminars and conferences on various themes of forestry programme. Simultaneously, VIKSAT also increased its field presence. During early nineties, it added another field area in Mahesana district. The TGCS developed in Kubda village became a model for the development practitioners. The Kubda TGCS development process has been used as case material in several training programmes. VIKSAT's involvement in Samrapur village in Mahesana district for natural regeneration also received the status of a model demonstration project.

The JFM Program of the government of India put pressure on VIKSAT to make another shift in the early nineties. In order to operationalise JFM in Gujarat, VIKSAT extended its professional support to the Gujarat Forest Department. Its prior experience in forest development in the field as well as support functions provided necessary experience and expertise to officially get into JFM. In this context, VIKSAT developed training programmes for NGOs and the Forest Department. Its prior experience of building people's institutions to promote people's participation gave it a cutting edge to operationalise and guide JFM into a true participatory programme. In this phase, Abhapur village became another true resource material for many training programmes. Simultaneously, VIKSAT went on to develop training modules on village institution development, capacity building of village institution in forest management, conflict resolution and women's participation. It is gratifying to note that many of the training modules and reports are used even today as resource material by many.

During 1994-95, VIKSAT articulated forestry and water management as the two key thrust areas. On the forestry programme, VIKSAT tried to consolidate its work through collaborative research and training activities. For people's organisations, it developed a special educational package called VASUNDHARA. A large number of training and process documentation reports have been produced during this period. It also published a quarterly newsletter in Gujarati on natural resource management. VASUNDHARA now renamed as NIYATI has over 6000 circulation. Through its forestry program, VIKSAT developed a strong network, as also credibility as a professional support organisation. During early nineties, VIKSAT entered into a new area: ground water management. The initial three studies namely: Participatory Mapping of Groundwater, Debate on Groundwater Law, and Groundwater Availability and Pollution put VIKSAT as a leading institution in this field. At the same time, VIKSAT took up action research project on groundwater use and management in its Mahesana field area. VIKSAT is pursuing these two thrust areas even today.

In late nineties, the shift in focus was demonstration and scaling up of effective local options for resource utilization and management along with the research, training and consultancy activities. The devastating earthquake of January 26th, 2001 VIKSAT has organized relief operations as an immediate step in Kachchh District. Subsequently VIKSAT initiated a comprehensive program to develop resilience within the communities in project areas. The increased field implementation activities have helped VIKSAT to be more effective in policy advocacy with better understanding of the development process. The present activities also helped in gaining experience and diversifying into newer fields activities such as agriculture, health camps, education, encouraging women to be entrepreneur through SHG.

Thus, during the past twenty nine years of its existence, VIKSAT has made five clear strategic shifts keeping in tune with the external dynamic development environment while giving continuity and strengthening its mission.

[ view less ]

Organisational Training.

Distance Learning Course on Natural Resources Management

Placements from National and Internation Students

The people’s institutions facilitated by VIKSAT work closely with the local self-government institutions at the...
[ view more ]

Organisational Training.

Distance Learning Course on Natural Resources Management

Placements from National and Internation Students

The people’s institutions facilitated by VIKSAT work closely with the local self-government institutions at the village as well as higher levels to access government resources for various natural resource management programmes. They also maintain close linkages with other institutions within and outside the village such as women SHGs, farmers’ groups, youth groups, environment protection movements, industry and schools for promotion of NRM activities.
[ view less ]