Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
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<strong>Two</strong> <strong>decades</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>: <strong>What</strong> <strong>have</strong> <strong>we</strong> <strong>learned</strong>?<br />
employment. To date, the quantitative progress that NSCFP has made <strong>in</strong> three<br />
districts is signifi cant which is tabulated below.<br />
Achievements Number* Percentage<br />
CFUGs formed with Constitution and Operational Plan 1111<br />
Forest area handed over <strong>in</strong> hectare 100397 58<br />
Households members <strong>of</strong> CFUGs** 109239 97<br />
Women <strong>in</strong> CFUG committee leadership positions 3895 35<br />
CFUGs with special provisions for the discrim<strong>in</strong>ated poor 840 76<br />
CFUGs practic<strong>in</strong>g regular silvicultural operation 889 80<br />
CFUGs with forest based enterprises 60<br />
Person days <strong>of</strong> employment generated by CFUGs*** 16080<br />
Balance <strong>of</strong> fund <strong>of</strong> CFUGs generated by themselves <strong>in</strong> million NRs**** 29<br />
Key issues for the future<br />
• The time taken to establish the system <strong>of</strong> CFFs, CCs, and lead CFUGs <strong>in</strong><br />
the last phase <strong>of</strong> NSCFP meant that the period was <strong>in</strong>suffi cient to test the<br />
assumption and demonstrate the result. It would be worth cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
carefully monitor<strong>in</strong>g the system for a further period <strong>of</strong> at least two years. The<br />
monitor<strong>in</strong>g would need to cover not only the performance <strong>of</strong> the lead CFUGs<br />
themselves, but also the effect <strong>of</strong> this mechanism on the CFUGs served by<br />
each lead CFUG.<br />
• One option that could be <strong>in</strong>vestigated is the rotation <strong>of</strong> Lead CFUG status,<br />
giv<strong>in</strong>g a greater number <strong>of</strong> CFUGs the opportunity <strong>of</strong> this experience.<br />
Ho<strong>we</strong>ver, this would <strong>have</strong> to be balanced aga<strong>in</strong>st the risk <strong>of</strong> reduced long-term<br />
responsibility and a “pr<strong>of</strong>i t whilst <strong>we</strong> can” mentality.<br />
• Once local elections fi nally take place, and Village Development Committees<br />
are function<strong>in</strong>g accord<strong>in</strong>g to an elected mandate, transferr<strong>in</strong>g funds to the<br />
groups with a multi-stakeholder forest sector sub committee, a coord<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
body for the <strong>forestry</strong> sector would seem an obvious way forward. Ways to<br />
test such a mechanism could be <strong>in</strong>vestigated – and care taken to <strong>in</strong>corporate<br />
lessons <strong>learned</strong> from the lead CFUG experience.<br />
• The concept <strong>of</strong> one social mobiliser per VDC and one lead CFUGs<br />
responsible for one VDC is also be<strong>in</strong>g tested <strong>in</strong> the new district <strong>of</strong> NSCFP<br />
operations, Khotang, and is worth cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g for comparative purposes.<br />
• There are many <strong>we</strong>althy CFUGs which can contribute funds to the VDC to<br />
extend support to <strong>we</strong>aker (or less resource-endo<strong>we</strong>d) CFUGs <strong>in</strong> the same<br />
VDC. Lead CFUGs could also play a l<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g role, work<strong>in</strong>g with the VDC to<br />
address <strong>in</strong>ter-group <strong>in</strong>equities.<br />
*Percentage <strong>of</strong> achievements vary <strong>in</strong> cluster and non cluster CFUGs<br />
**About 25% member households are deducted as overlapped households. This may vary from district to district<br />
***With a m<strong>in</strong>imum <strong>of</strong> 90 days <strong>of</strong> work <strong>in</strong> a year<br />
**** Annual <strong>in</strong>come <strong>of</strong> 919 CFUGs is found to be 41.2 million NRs and the annual expenditure 12.4 million NRs.<br />
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