The Contested Role of Management Plans in Improving Forest Conditions in Nepal's Community Forests

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Baral ◽  
H. Meilby ◽  
B.B. Khanal Chhetri
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Community Forest User Groups ◽  
Forest Legislation ◽  
Forest Conditions

Nepal's forest legislation requires community forest user groups to prepare inventory based management plans. Several studies have observed positive changes in forest cover after the establishment of community forestry; however, the role of management plans in bringing about such change is less examined. Based on a case study of nine community forests in the mid-hills of Nepal, this paper discusses the role of plans in changing the forest conditions. The study assessed changes in forest conditions, observed forest management activities, conducted household surveys, and interviewed forest bureaucrats. Image analysis showed improvement in forest conditions after the introduction of inventory based planning; however, improvements cannot be attributed to the plans, as the prescriptions in these were not used in practice. Instead, it emerged that a culture emphasizing forest conservation, changes in demography and increased remittance incomes together with increasing bureaucratic requirements contributed to the improved forest conditions. The role of the plan remains contested since it largely serves as a basis for controlling communities and, hence, preparation of such plans appears as an empty ritual with little connection with actual forest management.

Bureaucratic recentralisation of Nepal's community forestry sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Basnyat ◽  
T. Treue ◽  
R.K. Pokharel
Keyword(s):  
Community Forestry ◽  
Community Forest Management ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Forest Policies ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Forest User Groups ◽  
Community Forest User Groups ◽  
Forest User

This paper explores the forest bureaucracy's practices of implementing community forest policies in Nepal and how this shapes the realities of community forestry for forest user groups. To this end, we conducted a content analysis of community forest management plans; surveyed 74 community forest user groups; conducted intensive field observation in six community forests and interacted with executive committee members and forest bureaucrats from two western hill districts. Our results show that forest user groups were hardly aware of their formal rights, including the obligations of forest bureaucrats to deliver free-of-charge services and technical support. Nobody holds forest bureaucrats accountable for failing to fulfil this part of their official duties. Rather, the forest bureaucrats have established different legal and extralegal processes and mechanisms through which they regain and maintain control over community forest resources. We call this 'bureaucratic recentralisation', and it allows forest bureaucrats to reap personal benefits, including unofficial revenues for delivering statutorily no-cost services.

scholarly journals Pro-poor Institutions: Creating Exclusive Rights to the Poor Groups in Community Forest Management

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushma Bhattarai ◽  
Prakash Kumar Jha ◽  
Niraj Chapagain
Keyword(s):  
Community Forestry ◽  
Community Forest Management ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Degraded Land ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
The Poor ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Community Forest User Groups ◽  
Forest User

In spite of the widely accepted success of Community Forestry in reviving degraded land, it is still seen as being unable to provide tangible benefits to the poor. This paper illustrates that through continuous sharing, deliberation and negotiation among the poor and non?poor members of Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), management of community forests can be made far more equitable than the usual scenario. Drawing from the experience on the processes and outcomes of Livelihoods and Forestry Programme (LFP), this paper brings empirical evidence of how facilitation support has enabled the poor to have more equitable access to community forests. Three key pro?poor institutional arrangements resulting from the facilitation process include: a) establishing special use rights arrangements within CFUGs for the poor, b) pro?poor silvicultural practices, and c) equitable forest product and benefit distribution mechanisms. The paper suggests some changes in policy and practice to institutionalise these outcomes. Full text is available at the ForestAction websiteDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v8i2.2304 Journal of Forest and Livelihood 8(2) February 2009 pp.1-15

Making operational plans relevant to forest user groups in the Mid-Hills of Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-196
Author(s):  
L. Puri ◽  
I. Nuberg ◽  
B. Ostendorf ◽  
E. Cedamon
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Forest User Groups ◽  
Forest User

Operational plans are a key element in community forestry in Nepal. However, the relevance of these plans to forest user groups (FUGs) is under scrutiny. This study investigates the usefulness of operational plans against the backdrop of knowledge, capacity and management practices of FUGs. Data were collected from 13 operational plans, 16 group discussions involving forestry professionals, and 218 household interviews in two villages of Lamjung district in Nepal. Whereas operational plans should specifically reflect site specific objectives and activities of forest management, the survey revealed identical objectives across the community forests. Current operational plans are technically complex, poorly linked to the place-based context of livelihood needs and less useful to the FUGs to inform and enhance forest management. This study proposes to differentiate community forests according to their production potentials, and revise the operational plans by shortening the elements that have little or no relevance to the FUGs.

Tenure and forest conditions: community forestry in the Nepal Terai

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harini Nagendra
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
National Forests ◽  
Initial Condition ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Forest Conditions

There is a current trend towards decentralization of forest management, particularly among developing nations. Nepal has taken a lead in initiating innovative policies of community forestry. Although these initiatives have been largely deemed successful in the mountains, within the Terai lowlands, there is considerable debate about their outcomes. This research evaluates forest condition within recently declared community forests, national forests and protected areas in the Nepal Terai, using plot mensuration techniques and interviews with local users. The initial condition of forests that were handed over to local communities for use was significantly poorer than those retained as national forests. Protected areas had the highest levels of plant abundance, biomass and biodiversity, which is not surprising, given the level of funds and manpower input to managing these limited areas. In the context of current controversy about the outcome of community forestry in the Nepal Terai, the poor initial condition of forests handed over to local communities is highly significant, and needs to be factored into evaluations of community forest management. This research underscores the need for benchmark studies for evaluating the future outcomes of forest policies in the Terai, provides a valuable addition to the limited information on forest conditions under different management regimes in Nepal, and indicates some of the difficulties that local communities face while dealing with community forestry in practice.

scholarly journals Attempts of Recentralization of Nepal’s Community Forestry

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 97-115
Author(s):  
Srijana Baral
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Bureaucratic Power ◽  
Community Forest User Groups ◽  
Forest Users

Nepal’s community forestry is regarded as a milestone in decentralized forest management, several researchers agree on the livelihoods and environmental outcomes from the community forest, however, the outcomes in governance perspective is rarely questioned. Through the review of the literature, policy documents and decrees, and questionnaire survey in nine community forest user groups in western hills of Nepal; we demonstrate how recentralization is taking place in community forestry in lieu of decentralized policies and discuss their implications on limiting the role of local forest users in forest management. Recentralization through the lens of inventory requirements has been observed in community forestry through (i) the formulation of strategies and policies favorable to increase the role of forest bureaucrats in community forestry (ii) changing the use of technical knowledge patterns and requirements and (iii) increased bureaucratic power. The increased technical knowledge in the form of inventory based forest management planning is found to be the major step in curtailing the devolved rights and increasing the bureaucratic power. Formulation of strategies, guidelines, circulars and policy intervention create a favorable environment for the bureaucrats to exercise more power compared to the autonomy provided by Forest Act 1993. The highly influential upward accountability in community forestry thus questions the modality of decentralized forest management in Nepalese community forestry.

scholarly journals Silvicultural madness: a case from the “Scientific Forestry” initiative in the community forests of Nepal

2018 ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Basnyat ◽  
T. Treue ◽  
R. K. Pokharel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Scientific Principles

Following a case study approach, this paper explains how scientific forest management plans were developed and implemented in community forests of a mid-hill district in Nepal. Field observations were carried over a period of two years (December 2014 to December 2016) in two community forests. User group members, forest officials, forest technicians and executive committee members were consulted. The plans were prepared simply by compiling the administrative requirements where management prescriptions were defined either based on forest technicians’ knowledge or taken directly from the guidelines with little reference to the actual site quality, management objectives, and forest stand conditions. Apart from harvesting of trees, users hardly implemented the plans’ silvicultural prescriptions and forest restoration activities. Moreover, forest officials administratively reduced the number of trees that users could harvest to around half of what the plans allow. Accordingly, forest user groups face a paradoxical forest administration that promotes timber harvesting according to so-called scientific principles, which it then brushes aside to satisfy bureaucratic demands. The study concludes that the concept of scientific forestry is merely used as a “brand” or a seemingly sound “narrative” in community forestry, while it is of little practical relevance because administrative decisions are more powerful in guiding forest management decisions. Hence, the study suggests a replacement of the current schizophrenic mix of so-called “scientific forest management” and sweeping administrative orders with adaptive management practices in community forests. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page : 54-64

scholarly journals Generating Income from Nepal’s Community Forestry: Does Timber Matter?

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-20
Author(s):  
Ridish K Pokharel
Keyword(s):  
Community Forestry ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Valuable Product ◽  
Community Forest User Groups ◽  
Timber Sale ◽  
Forest User

This paper argues that timber is the most valuable product of community forests and forms the largest share of the income for community forest user groups (CFUGs). This paper assesses the sources of CFUGs’ income in general and income through timber sale, in particular. Drawing information from one hundred CFUGs in three mid-hill districts of Nepal, shows that the contribution from timber is significantly higher compared to other sources such as non- timber forest products, membership fee, penalty, and renting meeting hall. Moreover, the CFUGs with timber sale collect a lesser amount of membership fee, which is one of the major incentives for the members. The research findings emphasize the need to put timber in CFUGs’ key forest management priority.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v9i1.8588 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.9(1) 2010 16-20

scholarly journals Analisis Peran Koperasi dalam Pengelolaan Hutan Rakyat di Kebumen

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-336
Author(s):  
Elok Budiningsih ◽  
Harjanto Harjanto ◽  
Yulius Hero
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Community Forest Management ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Processing Subsystem

Community forests are a viable alternative for timber suppliers. Community forestry institutions are required to ensure its sustainability. Cooperatives become one of the appropriate alternatives in accordance with the institution at the site level in community forest development. One of the peasant organizations that manages the human resources in the form of cooperatives is a Taman Wijaya Rasa Cooperative (Kostajasa) located in Kebumen. This study aims to analyze the role of Kostajasa in community forest management. The descriptive analysis used in describing the role of Kostajasa in community forest management supporting three community forest subsystems, namely production, processing  and marketing subsystem. Kostajasa has played a good role in all three subsystems. In the production subsystem, there are still less roles in the determination of timber products to be managed, and setting the felling regulation. In the processing subsystem Kostajasa have already play a good role to connect several industries to receive raw materials from farmers’ timber and maintain the demand continuity for raw materials so that farmers’ timber is absorbed. In the marketing subsystem, Kostajasa also play a good role among others, shorten the marketing chain of wood products from community forest and offering a better price outside Kostajasa.

scholarly journals Participatory assessment of biodiversity conservation in community forestry in Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.P. Acharya ◽  
K.R. Goutam ◽  
B.K. Acharya ◽  
G. Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Community Forest Management ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Participatory Assessment ◽  
Community Forest User Groups

The Community Forestry has been the most effective means of managing common forest resources in Nepal. Besides rehabilitating degraded hills, improving environment and contributing to the rural livelihoods, community forestry is claimed to be a major means of biodiversity conservation. It is also argued that the prevalent approach of community forest management threats to the conservation of biodiversity. This paper is based on the findings from two community forest user groups from Central Nepal and argues that the users’ innovative practices of active forest management favor biodiversity conservation. The study has documented users’ innovations to conserve biodiversity in community managed forests. Key words: Nepal, community forestry, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods Banko Janakari Vol.16(1) 2006 pp46-56

scholarly journals Effects of forest certification towards sustainable community forestry in Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pem N Kandel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Sustainable Community ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Forest Users

In early 2005, 10,045 ha Community Forests (CFs) were certified in Bajhang and Dolakha districts of Nepal by using the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme. After two years of forest certification, subsequent questions are being asked such as: What benefits have certification brought for the Forest Users Groups (FUGs)? What tangible differences are there in forest management system because of forest certification? and What lessons have been learnt from the certified forests? In an attempt to answer these questions, a study was carried out in April 2007 in Dolakha district where 11 (2,182 ha) community managed forests were certified in 2005. On the basis of field study from two certified forests (Vitteripakha and Suspa) of the district, this paper analyzes the effects of forest certification and its implications for enhancing Sustainable Community Forestry (SCF) in Nepal. Key words: Sustainable forest management, forest certification, community forestry Banko Janakari: A journal of forestry information for Nepal Vol.17(1) 2007 pp.11-16

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