Impact of Joint Forest Management on Rural Livelihoods in the Kalam and Siran Forest Divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
Forest management policies in Pakistan have been generally following conventional approaches without considering the role of local community’s participation. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, Joint Forest Management (JFM) was introduced in 1996 with the active involvement of local communities for both sustainable forest management and community livelihoods. This study analyzes the impacts of JFM on rural livelihoods in Pakistan using a sample from 10 villages of Siran and Kalam Forest Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data were collected through interview schedule and focus group discussions from the local community members & forest department personnel. Results of the study revealed that the JFM played a key role in livelihoods improvement and forest development. Also, JFM improved relationship between local communities and forest department. This study recommends for introduction of policies that help in building trust and friendly relationships between forest department and local communities for sustainable forest management.