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Active Forest Management as a Means for Promoting Economic Development and Poverty Reduction in Community Forest User Groups, Nepal
Abstract
This paper demonstrates that active management of community forests enhances the economic development of forest user groups. The present situation of passive management is associated with several underlying technical and social issues including underutilization of forest, protection oriented forest management, overstocked forest (dense) with little regeneration, shortage of forest products, poorly designed silvicultural practices due to conservative provisions in forest management guidelines, and limited practical knowledge of forest management. A process of active forest management is possible by adopting joint learning among local forest user groups, forest officials and local non-government service providers. Drawing on evidence from the Livelihoods and Forestry Programme (LFP) the transition from passive to active management is demonstrated through an assessment of Forest Operational Plan and their implementation by Community Forest User Group (CFUGs) with the support of forest technicians. The key interventions required are site specific forest management treatments for both timber and non-timber forest product production and support for CFUG governance that promotes income generation and mobilization of funds for wider community development and poverty reduction. The requirement is planned forest operation with respect to forest age for sustained supply of desirable products is also explored. This paper also explain that how such active forest management interventions can affect the positive economic development of CFUGs and can be a means for poverty alleviation.
... This leads to a scarcity of forest products, poorly planned silviculture, and inadequate knowledge of practical forest management. More active forest management would be possible if CFUGs worked with local forest user groups, forest officials, and non-government service providers [29]. ...
Nepal’s Community Forestry Program is a
sustainable forest management and livelihood enhancement
program reformed from earlier programs of the previous
century. The government’s initial policy was to
provide the basic forest resources to local communities
through their active participation in forest improvement
and management. Nepal’s policy and development program
was based on sustainability concepts. Community
forestry can be sustainable and produce socially, economically,
and ecologically beneficial results. A number of
both qualitative and quantitative options have been applied
to measure the sustainable use of forests and other natural
resources in community forests, but classifying the results
is challenging. Policy-makers, experts, and the communities
should be involved in developing and improving criteria
and indicators for community forest management,
reflecting the diversity of perspectives that must be
accounted for and the increasing worldwide demand for
sustainability and governance. The main findings were that
sustainability can be measured with numerous tools, but
there are several challenges. A literature review revealed
that nationally and internationally defined criteria and
indicators have not been extensively applied in Nepal due
to lack of technical and other expertise.
Although teak logs harvested from native forests, principally in India and Myanmar, are major contributors to the global timber trade as well as to domestic markets, the supply of forest logs from these countries is becoming progressively restricted. In Thailand, harvesting of teak, along with other native forest species, has been prohibited since 1989, while in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, supplies have been severely constrained pending a reassessment of harvest potentials. Thus in long-established and substantial markets for teak products, such as Thailand, Singapore and China, there is major concern regarding the future supply of teak. Plantations are an important potential source of timber to narrow the growing gap between supply and demand for teak. This article looks at the potential of teak as a plantation species, focusing on management strategies, ecological requirements, growth performance, wood quality and availability of planting materials, with examples drawn particularly from the Malaysian experience. Finally, it enumerates some topics of current research likely to contribute to teak plantation development.
Characterization of juvenile wood in tropical hard wood teak. Paper presented at the conference on Forest Products for Sustainable Forestry
Audit Report (2009), Baunnakoti Community Forest User Group, Rupandehi,
Nepal
Baunnakoti Community Forest Operational Plan (2008), prepared by FUG
and approved by District Forest Officer, Rupandehi. Nepal
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teak. Paper presented at the conference on Forest Products for
Sustainable Forestry, Pullman, Washington, USA, 7-12 July.
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University of Leeds, School of Geography, U.K.