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HESCO (Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization)
Hesco in its essence is truly rural as it derives inspiration from the villages and devises solutions for their problems. It helps them to focus on their economic and development needs and encourages them to tap local resources that open up new avenues to self- reliance.
For the last 28 years, Dr. Anil Joshi and his team members of HESCO have been applying knowledge of the environmental sciences and simple technologies to bring consistent development to the rural villages of the Himalayas. Their innovative and ecologically-sound solutions so far, have yielded outstanding results in their target regions, and have brought them national recognition, and recently international attention for their contributions to rural mountain development considering the pioneering work and philosophy of Dr. Anil P. Joshi and his HESCO team, armed with advanced knowledge of the environmental sciences and low-cost technologies.
They live and do field research in the rural villages of the Himalayas. They live the spartan lives of the villagers they serve, and tap the human resources of these same villagers to determine the real practical interventions necessary for their economic development.To grasp the aim and impact of HESCO's work, one must understand the pervasive poverty that exists in the day-to-day life of the people in India's rural mountain villages and border areas.
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Rural India - HESCO's mindset on rural India
Since India achieved its independence more than fifty years ago, the fruits of economic development are pervading many regions of the country, and are making positive global news everyday! Nevertheless, it is a hard fact that the people living in the remote villages of the Himalayas and the border areas have remained neglected for the most part. Statistics show that about 70% of India's population live in rural areas, but these rural areas are not developed sufficiently to provide gainful employment opportunities for its families. India has always had agriculture based economy but the economical status of the farmers is the pitiable.. In India, as in many other countries, poverty is closely linked with unemployment and under-employment.
According to a recent Government Report, the unemployment rate in India's rural sector rose from 14.33% in 1993 up to 19.47% by 2000. Now in India, nearly 74% of all unemployed are in the rural sectors, as compared to the population of urban areas. The villages of the Himalayan Mountains are cut off from the basic facilities of adequate pure water, electricity, sanitation, good roads, and many forms of communications. These villages seriously lack the infrastructure to develop agricultural diversity and other employment opportunities to sustain their families in their own environments as a result rural India turns to urban centers to meet all their needs from livelihood to education to the most shocking is that of food supply.
These people grow the crops but they are dependent on urban centers for their processing hence becoming the biggest market for urban products.This results into the outflow of money and they remain poor and underprivileged.
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Why So?
 Under-utilization and underdevelopment of local resources and wisdom.
Increasing trend of abandoning the traditional ecological farming.
Lack proper knowledge about post harvest technologies like value addition of different agri-based products.
Lack of marketing opportunities
Poor knowledge transfer
Replacement of local products by urban products
Replacement of local artisans and craftsmen
Poor infrastructure for dissemination of knowledge
Lack of timely technology improvisation adds to the already stilted economy of the region
Many government and non-government schemes have been proposed and implemented to address the serious problems of rural development in India. But what percentage of citizens taxes rupees is actually reaching the rural areas to address the real, practical needs of the villagers? Are "traditional" social service agencies cost-effective and efficient avenues to address the problems of the rural poor? Are development agencies approaching India's rural communities with long-term, self-sustaining solutions? And at the same time, are they fiscally transparent and responsible to their contributors? Perhaps India's successful business corporations, social-aid agencies, their well-intended philanthropists, and private citizens should carefully consider these questions, as they continue to sponsor and support their chosen cause.
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HESCO: An Answer to mountain development
Now, as a part of their continuing efforts to find and adapt new technologies for their rural villages, HESCO wants to expand their search, and build a fraternal network between the mountain communities of more technologically advanced regions and countries, and the rural villages of India's Himalayas. HESCO is trying to develop models for promotion of social and economic development of the rural-poor communities of India
A very important aspect of mountain economy is that it is increasingly becoming what we call "money order economy". A high percentage of the male wage-earners migrate to the over-crowded urban areas for work, or are absented in large numbers through enlistment in the military, or are relegated to below-the-poverty line 2500 Rs.($57 U.S. dollars per month) wages as general laborers and field-hands on land they do not own. In most cases, the women and children work long hours to sustain a hand-to-mouth existence in sub-standard housing (with no indoor heat in the cold and rainy months).
It is within such a regional context and parameters, that HESCO first experimented with the concept of matching low-cost technologies with natural resources to encourage decentralized, rural development. The following are just a few examples of the types of programs that this group has carried out which portray the philosophical approach underlying their work.
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Dr. Joshi's Team: A Hope for millions . .
Dr. Anil Joshi founded HESCO, and has been directing its activities for 28 years. Now their staff includes twenty-two fulltime personnel, as well as hundreds of volunteers from several districts around Dehradun, Uttarakhand and from the mountain villages where they work. Fifteen of the primary staff have relevant and advanced degrees in the environmental sciences, and they do both research and fieldwork. The key personnel are as follows:
Dr. Anil P. Joshi, M.Sc. Botany, Ph.D., Environmental Scientist
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, M.Sc Botany, Ph.D., Scientist
Dr. Kiran Negi, M.Sc. Botany, Ph.D., Scientist
Dr. Sudha Sharma, M.Sc. Anthropology, Ph.D., B.Ed., Scientist
Mr. Manoj Joshi, B.E., Enginieer
Mr. Vinod Khati, M.Sc. Geology, Scientist
Ms. Richa Chandola, M.Sc. Chemistry, Scientist
Ms. Himani Purohit, M.Sc., Environmental Science, Scientist
Ms. Deepika Bisht, M.Sc., Environmental Science, Scientist
Mr. Sher Singh, M.A. History, Computer Program, Field Worker
Mr. Dwarika Shaily, B.Sc. , Horticulture and Field Worker
Mr. Birbal Singh Negi, B.Sc., Horticulture and Field Worker
Ms. Nisha Rathore, M.A. Economics and Field Worker
Ms. Poonam Rawat, B.A. Geography and Accountant
Mr. Manmohan Negi, Dipl.of Instit.Tech/Industry & Field Work
Mr. Prem Kandwal, B.A. Economics and Field Worker
Ms. Mina Joshi, B.A., Trainee
Ms. Mina Kukreti, B.A., Trainee
Ms. Netra Nainwal, B.A., Field Worker
Ms. Sonia Rawat, M.C.A., Computers
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Rural India - A Scenario
