Book

Who has rights to forests and forest resources? In recent years governments in the South have transferred at least 200 million hectares of forests to communities living in and around them. This book assesses the experience of what appears to be a new international trend that has substantially increased the share of the world's forests under community administration.

This guidebook is intended to support community forest user groups (CFUGs) in making their governance and management processes, practices and outcomes more successful and equitable. As such it is part of the growing response to the challenges of equity and livelihoods, which have gained wide recognition over the past several years. The ideas in the guidebook have emerged from a 6-year research partnership that focused on creating governance and management practice innovations to strengthen equity and increase livelihood security in community forestry in Nepal.

Concern on deforestation and forest degradation has been raising exponentially for centuries, and a huge researches, initiatives and measures have been executing to lessen its environmental effect. Yet, little attention has given to the socioeconomic facet of deforestation and forest degradation. Therefore, this book, comprehend a new paradigm commence on socioeconomic perspective of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal. Integration of GIS, RS and socioeconomic aspects are the key features in this book.

Humanity has made enormous progress in the past 50 years toward eliminating hunger and malnutrition. Some five billion people—more than 80 percent of the world’s population—have enough food to live healthy, productive lives. Agricultural development has contributed significantly to these gains, while also fostering economic growth and poverty reduction in some of the world’s poorest countries.

This research was carried out aiming at evaluating the root and foliage system of four grasses – Napier, Molasses, Stylo and Amliso. Stylo and Molasses are most effective in armouring slope against surface erosion from both runoff and rain splash due to their dense surface cover, low canopy and small leaves. Amliso and Napier are most effective in reinforcing soil by providing a network of strong roots that increases the soil’s resistance to shear. Amliso can moderately support the soil mass by its strong and long fibrous roots.

The authors of this book propose a new interpretation of the diversity and transformation of Himalayan landscapes through a study of the relationship between Nepalese and Ladakhi societies and their environment. Natural data on the range, demography, perceptions and representations of environments, their history, current examples of resource management are the subject of often unprecedented investigations.