Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)

Securing Forest Rights Through Technology and Community Action
Location
Funded By
Odisha, India                         
UK International Development from the UK government
Project Timeline
Project Area
2019–present
Land & Forest Rights in Tribal Areas

Project with Cadasta

Cadasta and PRADAN use GIS tools and a mobile-first FRA Toolkit to help tribal communities in Odisha map, claim, and secure individual and community forest rights.
Cadasta and PRADAN have partnered since 2019 to support forest-dwelling communities in Odisha, India, to secure land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Together, they co-developed a multilingual, offline-capable FRA Claim-Making Toolkit and real-time dashboard that simplifies and accelerates the claim process. The project supports tribal youth as community mappers, trains field teams in gender inclusion, and builds government trust through verified digital maps. As of 2025, the initiative has mapped over 68,000 hectares, submitted nearly 4,600 claims, and supported over 218,000 individuals—including more than 100,000 women—with legal land documentation.

Photos from the Field

Testimonials