book setup 2069 nijamati.indd

was formally introduced into the acts and regulations and forests were legally
handed over to local communities. Looking at the history of CF in Nepal,
communities have been ‘acting as local development agencies’ for the country
when government systems have failed to function at local level. Studies have
shown that communities are better at managing forest and generating financial
resources in addition to controlling deforestation and forest degradation.
The forestry sector in Nepal is strengthened by robust local institutions like the
Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal (FECOFUN), which is probably
the largest civil society in Nepal. FECOFUN has been practicing community
federalism since its establishment and has made remarkable achievements not
only in forest conservation but also in improving the capacities and livelihoods
of local communities. Civil societies like FECOFUN have bridged the gap
between the public and the government to promote diverse forms of community
institutions in forest and natural resource management and encourage community
forest user groups to influence policy debates at national level.
In future it is essential to expand the space for community in forest governance.
Initiatives such as carbon-trade have potential for improvement of livelihoods
and biodiversity conservation only if they ensure community rights over
forest resources. It is important to incorporate the lessons of CF into the wider
democratization, peace building and constitution-making process in Nepal.
Community should always be at the centre of development and policy-making
since states and markets alone have failed to bring about the desired changes.
Ecological well-being
Social well-being
Community forestry
Economic well-being
Figure 1: Conceptual framework of sustainable community forest management
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