People's Participation in Community Forestry (A Case Study of Jal Binayak Community Forest User Group of Chobhar, Kirtipur-14, Kathmandu District)

Abstract

This research entitled “People’s Participation in Community Forestry; A case study of Jal Binayak Community Forest User Group of Chobhar, Kirtipur-14 of Kathmandu District” was conducted in Jal Binayak, Mathilo Guth, Taalo Guth, Kamitar, Ikhatole of Chobhar area. This study has been conducted to find out People’s Participation in Community Forest Management viz: decision-making, Implementation, Benefit Sharing and Evaluation/Monitoring in the study area from socio-economic perspective. The study was based on a sample of 40 household as selected by using simple random sampling method. Both Primary and Secondary data were used for the research. The study has shown that Newar was the dominant caste in the study area. The age group 15-39 has domination in the study area. Education was very good. It was found that majority of respondents had agriculture as their main occupation. The average family size of sampled household was 5.05 and most of them continue joint family. Most of the respondent attendant the general and monthly meeting of this community forestry only for attendance, participation level decreases as the responsibilities of the task increases. At the level of decision making only a few members were participatory. People’s participation during implementation (Ban Godne) was very good. Participation of respondents during benefits sharing and evaluation/monitoring was very low. The FUG has been playing role for the development of local human resource and also enhance the rural livelihood. It has also empowered people towards team building, group dynamism as well as self- motivation in community development. The direct and indirect benefits from the community forestry have played the greater role in the social life of the people in the study area. Based on the fact of the present study, it can be said that Jal Binayak Community Forest User Group was one of the model users groups, which was utilizing its own local resources for betterment.