Conflict Resolution in Natural Resource Management: A Case Study of Forest of Panchkhal VDC in Kavre District

Abstract

Nepal is rich in bio diversity including flora and fauna. Natural resources (NR) are the major component for the visualisation of its beauty even by the developed countries. Nepal's position on biodiversity is 25th and 11th among countries in the world and Asian continent, respectively. In such a condition, NRs are the major assets and ornaments of the country. Therefore, its management process should be strong. Among the NRs, forest resources are special. The majority of the Nepalese people are surviving with the help of forest resources. Forest is an important renewable NRs, which contributes is highly to the economic development of the country by providing a variety of goods and services. People use forests for many purposes such as fuel wood, fodder, timber, green grass, litter and minor forest products such as fruits, nuts, medicine, and others. The forest resources have undoubtedly been utilized to satisfy the subsistence need of local people for a along time. Sustainable utilization of NR will be an effective way to reduce poverty. Although different schemes were adopted in the country for the sustainable forest management (FM) they could not achieve fruitful outcome and thus the people are facing various conflicts in NR used. Conflict over NR is developed not by one single factor but rather it caused by many others. Conflict usually brings positive results if it is properly handled .In Nepal forest management (FM) system is facing an increasing number of disputes and conflicts infected by the use of forest products, their distribution and management process. This research tries to analyse the causes of conflict, ways to conflicts, resolve and the sound management strategy for NRs around Panchkhal in Kavre district. The aim of this research is to give a short description of sustainable forest management (SFM) scheme. For this purpose Panchkhal of Kavre district was selected purposively. Descriptive and exploratory methods of data analysis are used in this research. Mainly primarily and secondary data are used focusing on qualitative as well as quantitative aspects. Stratified sampling method was used to determine the sample for the study. For the data analysis simple statistical method like tabulation, percentages diagram, pi-cart were used where necessary. The study area was very heterogeneous in terms of caste/ethnic composition. About 48 percent of the sampled population is economically active. All HHs used fuel wood as the source of energy for cooking. The contribution of forest resources to the local respondents was in the form of firewood, green grass, fodder, timber, litter and row materials for small-scale cottage industries. There may be different causes of conflict in NRs. In the study area the causes of conflict were: lack of basic needs, boundary encroachment, racial discrimination, poor people's participation, poor decision-making process, lack of adoption of the rules and regulation by forest user groups (FUGs) and forest user group committee (FUGC), poverty dominant role of local elites and others. In case of forest resources user group are the main actors arousing the conflict themselves and also are candidates to solve those problems. The effective ways of resolving conflict in NRs are found to be: demarcation of boundary, reasonable use of fund, general policy implications negotiation, mediation, conciliation facilitation, consensus, information, optimum allocation of resources and benefit, poverty reduction and fulfil the basic needs.