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 />
<strong>in</strong>troduce the concept <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> forest user groups. This decision put<br />
<strong>community</strong> forest management <strong>in</strong> the hands <strong>of</strong> all the households us<strong>in</strong>g a particular<br />
forest, rather than <strong>in</strong> the hands <strong>of</strong> an <strong>in</strong>stitution that was at the time dom<strong>in</strong>ated by elites,<br />
with territorial boundaries very different from forest boundaries. Establish<strong>in</strong>g CFUGs<br />
required time and effort to identify and record all the households <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> a<br />
socially <strong>in</strong>clusive manner. Thus NSCFP <strong>in</strong>itially <strong>in</strong>vested considerably <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the capacities, understand<strong>in</strong>g and commitment <strong>of</strong> fi rst Forest Department staff,<br />
and then NGO service providers, <strong>in</strong> this task. When CFUG formation is done<br />
thoroughly, it sets the base for all forest users to <strong>have</strong> an equal say <strong>in</strong> forest<br />
management – but when done quickly and <strong>in</strong> a non-<strong>in</strong>clusive manner, good<br />
governance is underm<strong>in</strong>ed from the start.<br />
Transparency<br />
Transparency is<br />
understood as relat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to who is <strong>in</strong>volved<br />
<strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g which<br />
decisions, and how<br />
such <strong>in</strong>formation is<br />
communicated. Thus<br />
from the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
CFUG establishment,<br />
NSCFP sought to<br />
facilitate a process by<br />
which all households<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g the forest <strong>we</strong>re<br />
not only <strong>of</strong>fi cially<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the group,<br />
but <strong>we</strong>re also <strong>in</strong>formed <strong>of</strong> what this meant, <strong>of</strong> their rights and responsibilities, and<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>ed the habit <strong>of</strong> attend<strong>in</strong>g meet<strong>in</strong>gs, jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> discussions and participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
decisions. CFUGs are expected to announce the agenda <strong>of</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> advance,<br />
keep written records <strong>of</strong> who attends, the topics discussed, and the decisions made<br />
– as <strong>we</strong>ll as <strong>of</strong> their fi nancial deal<strong>in</strong>gs. Self-monitor<strong>in</strong>g data shows that from a<br />
situation early <strong>in</strong> the project life when very few CFUG members knew what<br />
was written <strong>in</strong> their operational plan or what decisions had been made by their<br />
committee, most members now at least <strong>have</strong> a broad knowledge <strong>of</strong> these matters,<br />
and many can cite detailed provisions.<br />
Annual meet<strong>in</strong>g and public hear<strong>in</strong>g are <strong>in</strong>stutionalised <strong>in</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong><br />
A particular tool by which the project has sought to encourage transparency<br />
and other pr<strong>in</strong>ciples <strong>of</strong> good governance with<strong>in</strong> CFUGs is through governance<br />
coach<strong>in</strong>g, as expla<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> text box 6.<br />
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