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Communities and forest management in South Asia: a regional profile of the Working Group on Community Involvement in Forest Management

Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2000
AuthorsPoffenberger, M,
Journal TitleCommunities and forest management in South Asia: a regional profile of the Working Group on Community Involvement in Forest Management
Paginationxv + 161
Key Wordscase studies; community forestry; community involvement; forest; management; forest policy; forests; history; innovation adoption; participation; socioeconomics; sustainability
AbstractThis regional profile focuses on five South Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The report is based on a wide variety of sources, including interviews with villagers, foresters, NGOs, development specialists, researchers and national planners, as well as one various published sources. It attempts to highlight some important trends occurring in the forestry sector in this region, both at the national policy level as well as on the ground. Some of the most vital and innovative community-based forestry initiatives in the world are located in South Asia, and this publication seeks to explain why and how some of the poorest people have been able to establish effective management systems over millions of hectares of nationalized forestlands, thus facilitating their rapid regeneration. The report is arranged in 6 sections: I. Introduction-a broad introduction to the region's forest management context; II. A brief history of human-forest relations; III. Forest bio-regions in South Asia; IV. Forest policies and social contexts-national reviews from many individuals, covering Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; V. Case studies of community involvement in forest management; and VI. Community forestry management in the twenty- first century- case studies from Madhupur Garh in Bangladesh, Mayurbanj in Orissa and Kota District in Rajasthan, India, Kavre in Nepal, Gilgit in northern Pakistan, and Ritigala in Sri Lanka.