Forest conversion by the indigenous Kalasha of Pakistan: A household level analysis of socioeconomic drivers

Abstract

Indigenous groups in many parts of the world are often forest dependent societies, and thereby may also play a disproportionate role in protecting and managing threatened forest resources. Taking the Kalasha indigenous group of Pakistan as a test case, this study contributes a socio-economic analysis at the household level aimed at understanding factors that influence forest clearing decisions. The findings of the study may help to develop general policies that facilitate sustainable resource for indigenous and other marginalized forest-dependent communities. The analysis was based on a contrast of 74 households at the forest margin that cleared nearby forested land versus 49 households that did not clear. Survey results indicated that the prime motivation for conversion of forests was expansion for cropland (77%), livestock grazing (18%), and orchards (5%). We found that families with more members and fewer physical assets were more likely to clear forested land for agricultural expansion. Families with more members employed off-farm, and members of Joint Forest Management Committees were less likely to be involved in forest clearing. For poor households, fuel wood constituted the largest part of their total income and for households with off-farm income the smallest. Social factors, such as education, ethnicity, and forest ownership were not significantly associated with clearing of forests. We conclude that programs focusing on off-farm income generation opportunities targeted towards the poorest households would be the most effective policy intervention for lowering deforestation and forest conversion.