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Journal
of Forest and Livelihood Vol. 4 (1)
July 2004
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This
edition of the Journal of Forest and Livelihood
seeks to document and disseminate emerging
insights, lessons and innovations taking
place in various dimensions of forestry
and rural livelihood in Nepal. In this issue,
there are eight articles, analysing policy
and governance aspects of forest management
and the livelihoods of local communities
who depend upon forest areas. In the on-going
discourse, such concerns are commonly referred
as 'second-generation issues', relating
to the process of governance, equity and
social justice, biodiversity conservation
and sustainable forest management. The articles
in this issue add to the growing literature
that is critical about the much-acclaimed
Community Forestry model practiced in Nepal
and in other countries around the globe.
While empirical evidences of the last few
years show that second generation problems
threaten the durability of collective action
surrounding CF, policy shapers and makers
have yet to acknowledge the need to rethink
the model. The articles in this issue seek
to address some of these challenges, presenting
state-of-the-art situational, political
and methodological innovations. |
| Contents and Abstracts |
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Action
and Learning: An Approach for Facilitating
a Change in Knowledge and Power Relationship
in Community Forestry
-Netra
P. Timsina, Harisharan Luintel, Kamal
Bhandari and Arjun Thapaliya |
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Abstract:
Though
forestry issues have been associated
with wider socio-economic, environmental
and political concerns, the knowledge
and power dynamics embedded in the
process of its management has largely
been ignored. The knowledge, tools
and techniques that we had been applying
in the past have not been useful to
the extent of favoring the poor and
marginalized section of community.
There seemed a lack of effort for
systematic learning to reflect and
change the unequal relationships among
stakeholders of resource management.
This paper describes the action learning
approach, which was implemented in
a Community Forest User Group (CFUG)
of Terai region of Nepal. Drawing
lessons from the empirical evidences,
it concludes that action learning
can be an approach to change the status
quo and the knowledge dynamics in
CFUG by developing leadership and
raising the critical awareness among
the users, particularly the poor and
marginalized.
Key words: Action
and learning, knowledge, power, social
justice, facilitation
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Dynamics of
Resource Governance, Resource Scarcity
and Conflict in Nepal
-Bishnu R.
Upreti |
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Abstract:
This
paper discusses the relationships
between governance practices in natural
resources and conflict in Nepal. Within
the governance framework, the paper
examines the roles of laws, policies,
and practices in creating or minimizing
scarcity and conflict and their impacts
on society and resource management.
The paper argues that resource conflicts
produce both positive and negative
consequences and alter existing social
relations. This paper concludes that
the existing approaches, strategies
and discourses have not been able
to address new challenges and, therefore,
need a fresh paradigm.
Key words: Conflict,
forest management, governance, land,
resource |
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Forests
and People's Livelihood: Benefiting
the Poor from Community Forestry
-Bharat
K. Pokharel and Mike Nurse
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Abstract:
This
paper provides a brief overview of
the main achievements and challenges
of the community forestry approach
to improve people's livelihood and
forest condition. The paper demonstrates
that Forest User Groups have been
able to manage thousands of hectares
of community forests, and as a result
have contributed to the improvement
of forest condition and people's livelihoods
in a number of ways such as capital
formation; governance reform, community
empowerment and social change. Yet,
the livelihoods of the poor and disadvantaged,
have not improved as expected. The
poorest suffer the most since they
cannot afford to participate, are
unable to speak out, and are rarely
heard when they do. Nevertheless,
the community forestry approach is
a source of inspiration for the establishment
of good forest governance, sustainable
forest management and is one of the
means to improve people's livelihoods.
To make community forestry pro-poor,
further innovation, reflection and
improvements are required. The paper
suggests a number of pro-poor strategies
in order to address the livelihood
needs of poor people.
Key words: Community
forestry, livelihood, pro-poor strategies,
capital formation, forest user groups |
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Transaction Costs and Common
Property Forest Management: Empirical
Evidence from Nepal
-Bhim
Adhikari |
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Abstract:
Transaction
costs are an important determinant
in the success or failure of community-based
resource management. In particular,
they can affect participation in management
activities, with the poor bearing
a proportionally larger share of the
costs. Analysis of 309 households
from the Middle-Hills of Nepal reveals
that transaction costs for communal
forest management as a percentage
of total costs are higher for poorer
households (14%) than those for middle-wealth
(12%) or rich households (9%). Whilst
transfer of forest management responsibility
to the community may lower transaction
costs incurred by the state, these
costs may be unequally distributed
among stakeholders. This paper argues
that an adequate theory of forest
use should incorporate the role of
institutional structures associated
with different forest regimes and
their associated transaction costs.
Key words: Transaction
cost, common property forest management,
stakeholders, decision-making, equity |
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Extraction of NTFPs from the
Community Forest: Analysis of Benefit
Distribution Pattern in Household Level
-Arun
K.C. |
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Abstract:
Benefit
distribution pattern in community-
based resource management have become
major issues since few years. Only
highlighting successful institutional
attributes to manage forest resource
may be detrimental in long run. This
study explores the value of Non-Timber
Forest Products (NTFPs) extracted
from the community forestry and their
distributional pattern based on wealth
categories of households. Findings
show that value of NTFPs is higher
than other forest products like timber
and the gross value of extracted NTFPs
is higher in weather household than
poor. Households with large land and
livestock size gaining more benefit
from the community forestry. Some
of new rules and regulations in community
based resource management tried to
exclude poor societies rather than
secure them. The recommendation of
this study to improve community forest
management in Nepal is reformulation
of users’ rights to support
rural livelihood particularly poor
and marginal households.
Key words: NTFPs,
common property resources, community
forestry, forest user group sustainability |
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Does Community Forests Management
Supports Biodiversity Conservation?
Evidences from Two Community Forests
from the Mid Hills of Nepal
-Krishna
P. Acharya |
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Abstract:
The
Community Forests Management approach
in Nepal is one of the most cited
success stories for managing common
property resources. It has been argued
that the approach is successful in
improving the supply of forest products,
improving the environmental situation
in the hills, rehabilitating degraded
hills and also increasing biodiversity.
It is claimed that the approach offers
an attainable means to conserve the
biodiversity of Nepal. However, the
prevalent management approach in community
forestry indicates increasing threats
to the conservation of biodiversity.
This paper is based on the findings
from two community forest users groups
from the middle hills of Nepal and
argues that the prevalent forest management
approach in community forestry recognizes
biodiversity conservation as secondary
issue and there is evidence that biodiversity
has either declined or has been altered
in community managed forest.
Key words: Nepal,
community forestry, biodiversity conservation,
and livelihoods
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Community Forestry in Nepal:
Achievements and Challenges
-Keshav
R. Kanel and Bala Ram Kandel |
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Abstract:
Community
forestry program in Nepal officially
started in late 1970s. Since then
concerning movement has been evolving
to involve local communities in the
management and utilization of forests.
The policy of the government was originally
intended to meet the basic forest
products required by the communities
through active participation in forest
development and management. Later,
it was expanded to include the mobilization
and empowerment of the members of
community forest user groups in the
development of their local communities.
It is observed that the trend of forest
degradation has decreased since the
handing over of national forests to
local communities, but a number of
unintended social anomalies have also
cropped up. Such anomalies essentially
constitute of the inequity and unfairness
in the local and national level and
in terms of long-term sustainability
of forest resources. This paper provides
an overview of various issues of community
forestry, especially focusing on the
major achievements made in community
forestry. It calls for rethinking
community forestry program in order
to face the present day challenges
of linking community forestry with
livelihood promotion, good governance,
and sustainable forest management.
It also lays out strategy for reforms
in community forestry.
Key words: Governance,
forest policy, community forestry,
forest user groups, Nepal
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Sustainability of Local Hand-made
Paper (Nepali Kagat) Enterprises: A
Case Study of Dolakha District
-Arun
Sharma Poudyal |
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Abstract:
Increasing
demand of bark of Lokta (Daphne bholua
and D. papyracea) and Argeli (Edgeworthia
gardneri) for subsistence as well
as commercial use demands more careful
assessment of resource base and application
of sustainable harvesting techniques
to ensure the sustainability of local
hand made paper enterprises. A systematic
inventory of Lokta and Argeli would
determine the resource availability
and annual harvestable yields. Based
on the case study of central hills
of Nepal, this paper demonstrates
the need for incorporating ecological
integrity, economical viability, and
social acceptability to define the
sustainable management of Lokta, which
can in turn ensure the sustainability
of hand made paper enterprises.
Key words: Sustainability, enterprises,
Lokta, Argeli, inventory, resource
assessment, community forests, local
hand made paper, Nepalikagat
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