Exploring the Potentials of Community-Based Natural Resource Management for Benefiting Local Communities: Policies and Practice in Four Communities in Andhra Pradesh, India

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1142-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moeko Saito-Jensen ◽  
Iben Nathan
2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
MOEKO SAITO-JENSEN ◽  
IBEN NATHAN ◽  
THORSTEN TREUE

SUMMARYCommunity-based natural resource management (CBNRM) projects and policies often aim to improve the livelihoods of rural people who depend on natural resources, and to promote democratic decision making and equitable benefit distribution at the local level. However, a growing number of critics argue that CBNRM is susceptible to elite capture. This paper contributes to the debate on elite capture under CBNRM by studying joint forest management (JFM) in Andhra Pradesh (India) and, in particular, the case of Mohammed Nagar village. The paper addresses the following four questions: (1) How has the Indian Government formally addressed the risk of elite capture? (2) What actually happened over time when formal structures of JFM interacted with the pre-existing social structure in Mohammed Nagar? (3) When JFM results in elite capture, is this owing to the formal structures and/or the pre-existing social structure? (4) How can CBNRM be designed to avoid or minimize elite capture? Based on a reading of official government documents, the Indian Government has addressed the risk of elite capture, by ensuring representation of different social groups in the decision making bodies, regular elections, collective action in rule making and implementation, and transparency in record keeping. Nevertheless, during Mohammed Nagar's 10 years of JFM history elite capture did occur. This confirms that elite capture is a possible outcome of CBNRM. Yet, the subsequent fall of elite capture in the village also indicates that this is not necessarily a permanent outcome, and that CBNRM may in fact promote democratic and equitable resource management in the long-term. In Mohammed Nagar elite capture was largely owing to pre-existing social structures and to weaknesses in the official rules that were meant to safeguard the interests of marginalized groups. Accordingly, in CBNRM project design and implementation, pre-existing social structures' potential promotion of elite capture need to be taken into account and formal measures that might alleviate the adverse effects and/or reduce this risk must be identified.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Kartika Sari Septanti ◽  
NFN Saptana

<p>Lowland conversion to non-agriculture use improves along with economic growth. Various attempts have been exerted by the government to reduce lowland conversion. Local wisdoms throughout the regions in the country are potential to control lowland conversion. This paper aims to explore the role of local wisdoms in Indonesia and other countries in controlling lowland conversion. Some local wisdoms in Indonesia potentials for lowland conversion control are : tunggu tubang, mundang biniak, oloran sawah, Suku Samin, Buyut Cili, tradisi Ngarot, Kasepuhan Sinar Resmi, Suku Baduy, Subak, Suku Dayak, and pangale hutan. Some measures to take for empowering those local wisdoms, are: (i) incorporating local wisdoms into school education curriculum; (ii) developing a community-based natural resource management system, namely increasing participation of local people in land resource management.</p><p> </p><p>Abstrak</p><p>Konversi lahan sawah ke nonsawah marak terjadi seiring pesatnya pertumbuhan ekonomi. Berbagai upaya telah dilakukan pemerintah untuk menekan laju konversi lahan sawah ke nonsawah, namun belum menunjukkan hasil yang optimal. Indonesia memiliki kekayaan kearifan lokal yang tersebar di seluruh nusantara yang berpotensi menghambat tingginya laju konversi lahan sawah ke nonsawah. Tulisan ini membahas kearifan lokal di Indonesia serta di beberapa negara yang telah dan akan dikembangkan untuk mempertahankan lahan sawah. Beberapa contoh kearifan lokal di Indonesia antara lain: tunggu tubang, mundang biniak, oloran sawah, Suku Samin, Buyut Cili, tradisi Ngarot, Kasepuhan Sinar Resmi, Suku Baduy, Subak, Suku Dayak, dan pangale hutan. Tantangan kearifan lokal pada masa depan semakin berat karena adanya pertumbuhan jumlah penduduk, pertumbuhan ekonomi, serta perubahan sosial masyarakat yang mendesak lunturnya nilai-nilai kearifan lokal. Beberapa strategi untuk mempertahankan kearifan lokal dapat dilakukan dengan cara: (1) memasukkan ke dalam kurikulum pendidikan;  (2) mengembangkan sistem pengelolaan sumber daya alam berbasis komunitas, yaitu peningkatan partisipasi masyarakat lokal dalam pengelolaan sumber daya lahan.</p>


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