Assessment combines monitoring, evaluation and diagnosis. It enables people to understand the objectives of sustainable development and in tracking progress towards achieving this. Earlier methodologies for assessing sustainable development were limited since environment was considered secondary to human well being. Indicators are used to assess sustainability, as normally done in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of programmes/projects. Each indicator can show what is happening to the issue it represents. However, unless indicators are organised and combined, a holistic view of the ‘sustainability’ of the system cannot be arrived at.

In 1992, the IUCN Strategies Programme set out to work on developing a methodology for assessing sustainability. Systems assessment is the assessment of the human and ecological systems and their interactions. Here (unlike in other methodologies), people are considered to be an integral part of the ecosystem, and sustainable development entails the improvement and maintenance of the well being of both. The ‘Systems Assessment Methodology’ can be used at any level (local, provincial, national or international).

Assessments review their subject matter through combinations of measurements (provide a core of systematic information), maps (effective way of recording, analysing and communicating spatial indicators) and narratives (describes the context and argues the choice of issues and indicators).

In this paper, a case study on ‘Assessing Sustainability’ at the gram panchayat (lowest level of governance in India), is presented.

Dasudi GP has a total area of 6,832 hectares and consists of three villages, namely, Dasudi (with 13 hamlets), Dabbagunte (2 hamlets) and Marenadu (6 hamlets). The total population of the gram panchayat is under 9,000 (1997-village records). The GP is situated in the northern part of Chikkanayakanahalli taluk, 100 Km from Tumkur, via Sira town and Hoysalakatte GP. Of the cultivated land, 37% is under rain-fed agriculture and 8 % is irrigated land, out of which 5% is under plantation (coconut and arecanut). The forests are mainly scrub jungles and most of them are degraded (8%). The existing grassland is under tremendous pressure from increasing livestock population.

The farmers depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture and productivity is low due to poor rainfall (400-450mm annually) and limited water resources. Tank and canal irrigation have virtually disappeared from the area. To irrigate, farmers must sink borewells and invest in electric pumps. As a result, access to irrigation water is much more inequitably distributed than in the past, when farmers could rely on gravity-fed irrigation from tanks. Unregulated proliferation of boreholes has resulted in the over pumping of water from aquifers. Subsidised electricity for running pumps contributes to unsustainable pumping. Uncertain weather conditions, lack of agricultural inputs and financial resources have led to large-scale indebtedness, seasonal cropping and migration of the people to nearby cities.

The people here belong to several caste groups like Lingayats, Gowdas, Vokkaligas, Holeyas (Scheduled castes) and Hakkipikkis (scheduled tribes). There is also a small population of Muslims. The upper castes like Lingayats and Gowdas, who are small in number, own large tracts of land; the lower castes usually won less than two to three acres of land. Eighty percent of farmers, are small and marginal farmers with land holdings of 2-3 acres.

Stakeholders, who will benefit from the systems assessment, are:

§ The community of Dasudi gram Panchayat

§ Government institutions

§ DA and other NGOs

The systems assessment benefits the community by creating awareness of the current human and ecosystem conditions. This helps in decision-making for improving and maintaining human and ecosystem well being for a sustainable future. Government institutions and NGOs benefit to a lesser extent.

Methodology

An assessment team was first formed consisting of representatives from the regional office and the field centre of DA. The format for the assessment was prepared in English and the vernacular language (Kannada) with inputs from the IUCN format. Primary data collection was done through random household survey.

The gram panchayat members were briefed about the importance of the assessment and were requested to initiate a meeting. Discussions were then held among the stakeholders (representatives from DA, community, and government institutions) during which the prepared format was presented in the vernacular language to guide the discussion. An introduction to sustainable development was given during the village meeting. The systems assessment methodology was explained. Each of the indicators was discussed in detail during these meetings. Feedback from these discussions was incorporated in the format and the data for each indicator was collected.

Information on the location of the villages and hamlets, major land marks (health centres, schools, water bodies, etc) were obtained on maps with community help. Four rounds of discussions were held and the final format for assessment and indicator values was prepared. A final presentation on the present situation of the Gram Panchayat was made to the stakeholders. Discussions were held on the role of the community, NGOs and government institutions in achieving the specific objectives for sustainable development of the gram panchayat. The follow-up included the preparation of proposals to address specific needs.

Stages of the Systems Assessment

1. Defining system and goals

The system consists of the people and the ecosystem, of the area to be assessed. The system consists of different spatial levels - the planet to a particular habitat. The assessment needs to define a series of assessment levels and focus on one of them.

• Focal level : Gram Panchayat (Dasudi)

• Differentiation level : Revenue villages and hamlets (Dasudi, Dabbagunte, Marenadu)

• System goal : Human and ecosystem wellbeing improved and maintained (Simultaneous improvements in the condition of both people and the ecosystem essential for sustainable development)

Dimensions are widely applicable sets of issues (land, water, air, etc). Five dimensions for ecosystem and six for human system were identified. Issues are key subjects or concerns under each Dimension, that must be considered for getting an adequate sense of the society and ecosystem (land quality, water quantity, air quality, etc). If an issue is too broad to measure directly, it is split into sub-issues (eg: Issue: Land quality; Sub-issue: fertility). Objectives make the goal specific.

Given below are the identified dimensions along with their respective objectives.

Land - Land diversity and quality restored

Water - Adequate and good quality water for all people and all purposes

Air - Good air quality achieved

Species and population - Species and population diversity restored and maintained

Resource use - Resource use made sustainable

Health & population - Good health for all and population stabilised

Wealth - Basic needs fulfilled

Knowledge - Knowledge enhanced

Gender - Gender equity achieved

Equity - Economic and social equity achieved

Social harmony - Harmony in society achieved

• Indicators (eg: Sub-issue: fertility; Indicator: Average production of finger millet in Kg/acre) are measurable and representative aspects of an issue or sub-issue. Thirty-two indicators were selected under the issues and sub-issues. The information (data) for each indicator was collected through village and gram panchayat meetings, household survey, research documents and village records.

• Performance criteria are standards of achievement for each indicator. The performance criteria for the indicators under each issue were identified. These criteria are depicted in the Table (I) provided below.

Indicator results are recorded, given scores on the basis of performance criteria and the scores are then combined into indices (compound indicators). The score for the indicator (exact position of the result in the band) is calculated, depending on whether:

• Best performance is the maximum value and worst performance is the minimum value. For example, life expectancy at birth.

• Best performance is the minimum value and worst performance is the maximum value. For example, threatened animal species as a percentage of total animal species.

Indicator scores were combined into sub-issues or issue indices. Sub-Issues were combined into issue indices. Issues were combined into dimension indices. Ecosystem dimensions were combined into Ecosystem Wellbeing Index. Human dimensions were combined into Human Wellbeing Index. Human Wellbeing Index and Ecosystem Wellbeing Index were combined into indices of wellbeing and sustainability. At each stage of the combination, weightage was given to indicators, sub-issues, issues, and dimensions. Equal weightage was given to both the subsystems.

Indicators and indices were mapped to give a visual reading of results. The review provided the diagnosis for the design of projects.

7. The Barometer of Sustainability : is a tool for measuring human and ecosystem well being.

The scores place the indicator results on the Barometer of Sustainability. Scores for the subsystems were plotted on the barometer of sustainability for individual villages and the gram panchayat. The result of the assessment showed Dasudi gram panchayat in the ‘almost unsustainable’ band.

Weighted average: - Ecosystem: 42 and People: 39

§ Systems Assessment is a good way of tracking change over time on the basis of performance indicators, which give a much more realistic and holistic picture of the present situation.

§ Representatives from the Community, NGOs and Government institutions are part of this process. This helps in arriving at performance indicators in accordance with inputs from all the stakeholders.

§ Systems assessment also reflects on the outcome of projects and helps to take decisions on projects for sustainable development, considering the system as a whole.

§ It needs a certain amount of rigour, practice and perseverance to identify the right kind of performance indicator, assumptions and criteria that reflect on the sustainability of the system.

§ With sustained effort and time, communities can assess their situation without any external assistance.

§ Systems Assessment is only the first step and the outcome of this must lead to a collective effort from the stakeholders in the form of local level action to progress towards ‘Sustainable Development’. q