The dynamics of traditional systems of forest management in Nepal: Implications for the community forestry development and training project

The Nepal Community Forestry Development and Training Project, which is now in its first year of implementation, aims to increase supplies of fuelwood, fodder, grass, and timber by allocating greater responsibility for forest management and protection to local communities. As such it depends largely for its success upon generation of local motivation, cooperation, and involvement. This report investigates the dynamics of the traditional systems of forest management in a number of communities in Nepal to assess the potential for local participation, the existing constraints on the active involvement of local farmers in forest plantation, rehabilitation, and preservation, and the type of changes in strategy needed to ensure better project implementation. There is no single formula for local participation in preservation or maintenance of existing forest resources; rather, the individual adaptation of a panchayat/community management system to local conditions and needs is the main criteria for success. Some of the key factors contributing to success of a traditional system are:

• presence of a strong local leader,
• people's access to needed forest products,
• relative economic inequality,
• provision of sufficient incentives and benefits,
• effectiveness of group sanctions against overgrazing and unregulated fuel and fodder collection,
• incorporation of women in the management system,
• extent of private tree ownership and cultivation, and
• cooperation and establishment of a good working relationship between forestry personnel and the community.