Abstract
Community based forest management in Nepal has been widely acclaimed as the most successful approach for participatory forest management and its governance. So far, about 2,831,707 hectares of forests of Nepal have been managed under the regime of community-based forest management. During four decades of its implementation, the program has undergone a considerable shift from state dominated top-down approach to community-based participatory approach to forest management through organizational and policy reform in Nepal. The success of community-based forest management approach is described in terms of improving the supply of forest products, generating green employment, improving rural livelihood, empowering women, poor and disadvantage groups, rehabilitating degraded land and habitat and also increasing biodiversity. Yet, community-based forest management approach continues to face some organizational and policy challenges during its implementation, and this cannot be overlooked. Social exclusion, inequitable benefit sharing, elite dominance in decision making are the major challenges that are to be resolved in the years to come. Furthermore, this paper intends to illustrate the lessons learnt and the current challenges in making the decentralized forest governance more successful in the changing context.
Highlights
About 15.5% of global forest areas are under the control of more than one billion people, and the area under community management is increasing (RRI, 2014)
Past experiences show that the sustainable management of forest resources cannot be achieved solely by omitting the active participation of local people
Over the past four decades, the program has undergone a tremendous shift from statecentric top-down to community based participatory approach to forest management in Nepal
Summary
About 15.5% of global forest areas are under the control of more than one billion people, and the area under community management is increasing (RRI, 2014). In 1978 the Government of Nepal (GoN) formally adopted CBFM approach with the objectives of fulfilling the needs of local livelihoods, poverty reduction, promotion of public cooperation, and reducing environmental degradation through sustainable forest management (Adhikari, 2005; Gautam et al, 2004). Provision of leasehold forestry was made in the rules under which limited degraded forest was given to individuals, communities or agencies for reforestation and production of forest products (Wallace, 1981) These amendments in Forest Act represent a major shift in Nepal’s forest policy; peoples were not fully satisfied by the Panchayat system because of the limited access of traditional user rights, lack of inclusion of local people in decision making, and an absence of mechanism that guarantees the anticipated benefits to local people from the conservation and management of forest resources (Pokhrel, 1997).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
