Community Forestry in Nepal(A Case Study ofGaagan Khola Community Forest ofHatpate VDC, SindhuliDistrict)

Abstract

Before some years, there were6.4 million hectares of forest, but the currenttime forest area is only 4.27 million hectares (29%) of total area in the country. Theforest deforestation rate was 1.7% per year. So forest depletion has brought muchenvironmental impact as soil erosion, land slide, floods, soil degradation and out-migration of people. Forest conservation resource is fundamental protection of theother resources as water, soil, flora and fauna human activities like agricultureanimal husbandry, and others largely dependon it. In 2005, the government handedover a total of 12,19,272 hectares and 14,337 CFUGs for conservation, managementand sustainable use of the forest and 16,47,717 HHs is directly benefited.This study has been carried out in theCentral Development Region; in Sindhuhlidistrict, and covered area 118hectares.The study focused the people’s participationin the community forestry. The study objectives were:1. to analyze the socio-economiccharacteristics of the users group members; 2. to examine the role of communityforest on community development; 3. to understand people’s participation incommunity forest management system. The research was qualitative and quantitative in nature and used primary andsecondary source of data, where primary data were collected by the field visitthroughinterview, questionnaire, and secondary data were collected from various books,journal, official report and publications. Data were analyzed by tabulation pie, chart,Bar diagram and percentage. Mainly the study was focused on the specific area inGaagan KholaCFUGswith limited time frame. In the study area there is different types of cast/ethnic groups in the usersgroup. Education status of women is comparatively low than man. All the womenwere engaged in household work and agricultural production. In CF women'srepresentation on executive committee is minimal, but participation, group meeting,benefit sharing and forest utilization pattern seems satisfactory. Most of therespondents were not familiar with committee members. The lower cast people, whosemajority was highest were not active different activities like forest protection, bio-diversity maintenances, pruning, thinning, nursery, fire line construction andassembly. The alternative income generation activities and improved technologiesmust be forward for this community. These are the recommended for the betterbalance of the forest resources in the community forest.