Participation of Dalits in Community Forestry (A Case Study of Kalika Community Forest User Group in Latikoili-1 VDC, Surkhet District)

Abstract

This study entitled "Participation of Dalits in Community Forestry” (A Case Study ofKalika Community Forest User Group in Latikoili-1 VDC, Surkhet District”wasbased onprimary data collected in January, 2008. The main objective of the study was to assessparticipation of Dalits in forest management, decision making, monitoring and evaluationand benefit sharing in the community forest. The other specific objectives included analyzingthe socio-economic characteristics of Dalits households population and Dalit members of thecommunity forest user groups, the obstacles for effective participation in community forest,pattern of participation in the community forest and recommending the ways to makecommunity forest management more inclusive for Dalits. For the purpose of the study, the researcher had applied both exploratory and descriptiveresearch design. The sources of data were both primary and secondary and the nature of datawas both qualitative and quantitative. There are a total of 53 Dalit households in thecommunity forest. Out of them, 30 households were selected on simple random basis for thestudy purpose. A total of 165 population were enumerated in 30 Dalit households. ThirtyDalit respondents of the community forest user group members (one from each household)and ten key informants were the respondents of the study. The sex ratio of Dalit householdspopulation is 108.08 and overall age dependency ratio 30.95. Most of them are unmarried.The literacy figure of the Dalits households population and Dalit community forest usergroup members are also very low. Farming is the major occupation of both Dalit HHpopulation and Dalit community forest user group members of the community forest. Almost90 percent of them are living in subsistence and waged labour is a primary source of incomeof the respondents. Participation of Dalits in decision making process in the CFUG is not satisfactory because ofilliteracy, low level of awareness, lack of leadership development and discriminatorypractices of social elites. Most of illiterate Dalits are participating irregularly knowingly orunknowingly and have only passive or supportive role in decision making process. However, almost all Dalits are participating regularly in monitoring and evaluation process.They have felt a sense of responsibility to protect and manage their forest. On an average, theeffectiveness of Dalits participation in monitoring and evaluation is satisfactory. But, their participation in benefit sharing process is partly satisfactory. Most of the Dalitshave access to forest products of daily needs but are unable to grab opportunities to sharebenefits from community forest fund. Moreover, they have also no access to incomegenerating activities and training programs which are basically considered to be fundamentalto uplift their socio-economic status.