Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
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Chapter 3: <strong>Adaptive</strong>ness and Collaboration <strong>in</strong> Community Forestry <strong>in</strong> Nepal • 75<br />
members <strong>in</strong> some areas. Additionally, while resource and bureaucratic<br />
constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> the Community Forestry Programme cont<strong>in</strong>ued, the ACM<br />
approach dovetailed with some other support<strong>in</strong>g forces, such as <strong>in</strong>novative<br />
district <strong>in</strong>stitutions or <strong>in</strong>dividuals service providers who supported social<br />
empowerment and capacity build<strong>in</strong>g. Thus there was synergy between<br />
the CFUGs’ grow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> collaborat<strong>in</strong>g with such forces and the<br />
engagement <strong>of</strong> these <strong>in</strong>stitutions and actors <strong>in</strong> the district-level participatory<br />
action research 19 .<br />
Institutional capital: goals, meet<strong>in</strong>gs, transparency and activeness<br />
The teams observed four ma<strong>in</strong> trends <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional direction and capital.<br />
First, CFUG goals <strong>in</strong> all sites reflected an <strong>in</strong>creased <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> equity, <strong>in</strong>come<br />
generation and susta<strong>in</strong>able forest <strong>management</strong> (elaborated below). Second,<br />
the regularity <strong>of</strong> general and committee meet<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>creased <strong>in</strong> all sites,<br />
generat<strong>in</strong>g—and <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g—an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> momentum and follow-through<br />
by the CFUG, both <strong>of</strong> which are likely necessary foundations for change.<br />
Third, there were significant <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> transparency and accountability<br />
<strong>of</strong> the CFUG committees, especially regard<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>management</strong>,<br />
and an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation flow between users and committees. And<br />
fourth, the number <strong>of</strong> action plans made and implemented <strong>in</strong>creased, both<br />
<strong>of</strong> which are necessary build<strong>in</strong>g blocks for meet<strong>in</strong>g livelihood goals. Prior<br />
to the ACM project, for example, Deurali Bagedanda CFUG did not have<br />
any specific action plans for enhanc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>come or forest condition. Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the ACM project, the group developed six plans for forest enhancement<br />
or <strong>in</strong>come generation—a broomgrass trial plantation, nontimber forest<br />
product <strong>management</strong> activities, bamboo craft tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, a sawmill feasibility<br />
study, silvicultural trial plots and a c<strong>of</strong>fee plantation—the first four <strong>of</strong><br />
which were successfully implemented.<br />
In terms <strong>of</strong> ‘transaction costs’ or potential negative effects, probably the<br />
most significant change <strong>in</strong> the transition towards an ACM approach<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved demands on CFUG members’ time, reflect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> the<br />
activeness <strong>of</strong> the group, the number <strong>of</strong> activities undertaken and the levels<br />
<strong>of</strong> participation. More time was demanded <strong>of</strong> people who had previously<br />
participated very little (and typically benefited relatively little); the<br />
committee members saw a relative decrease <strong>in</strong> responsibilities as power<br />
was devolved to action groups. Time as a transaction cost is a significant<br />
issue because typically the poor and women have the least available time<br />
and thus bear relatively higher costs. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the project’s f<strong>in</strong>al assessment,