0124-C1

Decentralization, Local Institutions and Forest Management in Chitwan District of Nepal

Adhikari Mohan^[1], Nagata Shin and Adhikari Murali

Abstract

Forest resources are an invaluable part of human lives and natural ecosystems. The dynamic nature of forest resources makes it difficult to manage them in an efficient and sustainable way. In order to ensure the efficient management of forest resources, a centralized control policy was adopted before 1980 in Nepal. In recent years, Nepal has instituted a drastic change in forest policy from a central government control to a decentralized forest management system by promoting local institution development. The user group forestry, which follows the principles of decentralization, is the major policy initiative of Nepal. The decentralization process of forest management in Nepal comprises three major steps. The first step promotes the formation of local forest user groups. The second step incorporates idea of decentralization in the decision-making process. And the third step transfers the management responsibilities and benefit-sharing opportunities to local forest user groups.

In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze the impacts and roles of decentralization in forest management in Nepal by examining some of the selected user group forestry programs of Chitwan, Nepal. The study results show that the decentralized forest management system is successful in preserving the forest resources of Chitwan while fulfilling local demand for forest products. In spite of its success, conflicts between members of forest user groups and between local forest user groups and forest officials have recently emerged as serious challenges to the successful implementation of decentralization and grass roots institutional development. Furthermore, there are some legal issues that need to be addressed to ensure the goals of user group forestry in Nepal.

1. Introduction

Forest resources are an invaluable part of human lives and natural ecosystems. The dynamic nature of forest resources makes it difficult to manage it in an efficient and sustainable way. In order to ensure the efficient management of forest resources, a centralized control policy was adopted before mid 1980 in Nepal. In recent years, however, Nepal has instituted a drastic change in forest policy from a central government control to a decentralized forestry management system. The concept of decentralization is relatively new in its application to the area of forest management. It derives mostly from the philosophy that individuals, groups, and communities are capable of devising institutional arrangements.

In this study efforts have been made to analyze the effects of Nepal’s decentralized forest policies especially to protect local forest resources by promoting local institution, popularly known as "Forest User Group" (FUG). It also analyzes the impacts of decentralization on forest user groups under the user group-based forest management program. In order to address the issues, this paper seeks answers to the following major questions related to the decentralization process. 1) How does decentralization help in the formation of forest user groups; 2) How does decentralization handle the decision-making process in grassroot level; and 3) How does decentralization formalize the ownership of forests and forest products.

2. Theoretical Concepts of the Study

The decentralization process adopts several stages to promote the participation of local people to take the responsibility of local forest management. In their study, Gilmore and Fisher (1991) report lack of appropriate policy measures as one of the major reasons of low local participation and failure of forest management. Paudel (1995) also argue for appropriate policy measure to accelerate rural development, increase people’s participation, and empower local community. Idea of decentralization aims to bring a radical change in forest management system by spreading forest management and forest product utilization authorities to real forest users at grassroot level. The policy of decentralization transfers management authority and responsibility of accessible forestlands from government to local forest user, if the group is willing and capable of managing local forest resources (Gilmore and Fisher, 1991; Malla, 1997; Gilmore, 1990). Therefore an analysis is needed to examine the functions of decentralization policy of forest management. In order to present the idea of decentralization policy of forest management, this paper focuses on three major issues: a) the formation of forest user group 2) the decision making process and 3) the ownership of forests.

3. Backgrounds and Research Methodology

This study was carried out in Chitwan district of Nepal. Chitwan is located in the Narayani Zone of the Central Development Region. The research site covers eight User Group Forestry areas scattered into different Village Development Committees (VDC) of Chitwan. Systematically designed survey questionnaire, historical records, and formal and informal visits, and discussions were used to collect data and information necessary to achieve the goal of study. Technique of lottery was used to select 492 respondents.

4. Local Institution for Forest Management or Forest User Group

Decentralized policy of forest management by mobilizing forest user groups is an innovative concept of forest management in Nepal. Under the policy approach, management responsibilities of forest resources are transferred to the group of individuals, which is formally called as forest user group. Forest user group acts as an autonomous body to govern the activities of organizing local people in the participation process of forest management, and to articulate the needs and priorities of local people.

Westoby (1989) and Gilmore and Fisher (1991) suggest that there are many reasons that necessitate the involvement of local level institutions in forest management. Not surprisingly, most of the literature on forest user groups states that without a balanced individual, public, and group interests, the success of forest management system is impossible. After implementing the decentralized policy of forest management, the government of Nepal has developed a guideline for the institutional development of forest management. To formalize the institution or forest user group as an autonomous self-governing body, the decentralization policy and the Forest Act of 1993 outlined the following process.

1. Identification of real forest users;
2. Identification of national and local people needs and priorities;
3. Preparation of forest user group constitution and forest operational plan;
4. Selection of Forest User Executive Committee; and
5. Authorization of forest user group.

5. Decentralization of Forest User Group in Forest Management

Decentralization of forest management authority by incorporating forest user groups has emerged as the top priority of forest management policy in Nepal. The initiative has largely emerged due to the failure of centralized forest management system to manage forest resources as per the needs of nation and local people. Under the new initiative of decentralized forest management policy, the forest user group is recognized as a grassroot level institutional body, which manages local forest resources.

5.1 Formation of Forest User Group

Under the centralized system, the central governing body or government manages forest resources. But in decentralized system, involving local people and facilitating them are considered as the major policy approach of management of local forest resources. Under the decentralized forest management policy, government and outside agencies facilitate the formation of grassroot forest user groups. In order to form a formal forest user group, forest management authority is transferred to the forest user group. Findings indicate that the implicit aim of forming forest user group is to develop a stable local grassroot level forest management institution. There exist four phases of forming a formal forest user group. First phase begins with a baseline information assessment of real forest users. It starts with an introductory mass meeting of local forest users especially to discuss the objectives and processes of user group-based forest management. The activities of first phase also consist of an identification of potential users, boundaries of the forest in question, and the national and local people needs and priorities.

Second phase of activities starts by stating the roles and responsibilities of the forest user group. During this phase, the officer from district forest officer (DFO) facilitates community members to involve in user group-based forest management activities by proving information about the importance of user group-forest management system. The third phase involves the formation of "Tadarsa Samittee" or "Interim committee" for initiating the basic process of formation of forest user group. This interim committee holds the authority of carrying out elections to form a formal user group executive committee (EC). In addition, the interim committee is responsible for preparing an operational plan and developing group constitution based on the needs and priorities of local forest users. The fourth phase involves the election of a formal executive committee from the local community. The formal executive committee submits an application to the district forest office and receives formal certification as a forest user group.

5.2 Decision Making Process

Providing decision-making authority to forest user group is another aspect of decentralized forest management policy in Nepal. It plays a critical role to craft the solutions of problems based on the needs and priorities of local people (Malla, 1997). Decentralization in decision-making process improves communication, coordination, and cooperation among local communities, government, and other stakeholders. Findings indicate that the decision-making covers the rules of daily forest management. These include membership rules, harvesting rules, entry and exist rules, grazing rules, inputs rules and award and penalty rules. The constitutional rules define roles and responsibilities of members of forest user group. The study also reveals that it is mandatory to all household heads to participate in the discussion of local forest management activities. Regarding the collective decision-making process, the majority of respondents were in the favor of giving authority of decision-making to the forest user groups. In this study, seventy percent of the respondents stated that decision-making process should be developed from local people’s needs and priorities. However, twenty percent of respondents report unfair decision-making process under user group forestry because of domination of higher-class people.

5.3 Forest Ownerships

The principle objective of decentralized user group-based forest management program is to grant the authority of local forest management to local people. Finding reveals that after the initiation of decentralized forest management policy in Nepal, the government has promoted a wide range of forest policy reforms to promote user group-based forestry program. Under new policy reform, government gives an authority or certification to the forest user group to manage local forest resources. This authorization, however, does not mean that the forest user group receives all right to the forest and its products. The present forest act allows limited ownership of forest to local people, which include harvesting dead trees, fuel wood, dead branches, dry twigs, grasses, and wild fruits.

The idea of sanctioning limited authority to forest user seems very innovative. It encourages local forest user to participate in forest management activities. But issue of forest ownership seems very confusing and contradictory in Nepal. The finding reveals that one of the critical issues that affect decentralization forest management is the overlapping of management authority. The Forest Act of 1993 gives the authority of managing the local forest resources to forest user groups. At the same time, the Local Government Act (1991, 1993) provides the same authority to manage local forests to the local village development committee. This creates confusion over the final rights of ownership of a community forest. These conflicting and overlapping rules of different authorities made the final authority of user group-based forest management program extremely ambiguous. Table 2 provides detail of the contradiction between the Local Government Act and the Community Forest Act.

6. Effect of decentralization on Institution

An analysis of decentralized policy of user group-based forest management shows that greater proportion of respondents favors the idea of user group-based forest management program. Out of the 492 households interviewed, 470 (95.5%) of them state decentralization of management authority as one of best alternatives of forest management and utilization especially when local people depend on forest for subsistence. Only two percent non-members argue that the decentralized policy has failed to meet the need of poor segments of society. Despite various views, user group forestry program seems extremely popular in the study areas with an involvement of majority of local people. (Table 1).

Table 1: No of households and area of community forests in the Chitwan

Source: Community Forest Office (Kankali, Ajingare, Surdevi, Parewaswari, Baghmara, Kumroj, Jankauli, and Amritdharapani) Note: CFUG: Community Forest User Group; HH= Household

The study further reveals that ownership and decentralization have a significant impact on the success of a user group-based forest management program. Issues of the ownership of forest resources will always remain a controversial issue (Table 2). Despite ambiguity in ownership issue, forest user groups are receiving the authority to develop operational plans and fix the price of forest products. This encourages people in participating process of forest management. Ostrom (1999) states that proving decision-making authority to resource user fosters long-term sustainability of resource. In addition, this policy process also empowers people to engage in various conflicting issues of forest management.

Table 2: Contradiction of decentralization act of forest ownership

Source: Decentralization Act of Nepal 1993

7. Conclusion

The successful implementation of concept of user group forestry by decentralization of forest management system in Chitwan can be taken as a successful model for the entire Terai region of Nepal. The members of the forest user groups of the study area have demonstrated a strong willingness to accept the responsibilities of community forest management for the better protection, management, and sustained utilization of local forests and forestlands. The user group-based forest management program has promoted physical, social, and political changes in Chitwan by strengthening the local level institute. These changes are clearly reflected in the growing people’s participation in user group-based forest program, increasing coverage of community forests in different villages, the dwindling level of conflict between local residents and government officials, and the rising understanding among the stakeholders in Chitwan.

The essence of the decentralization of the user group-based forest management program is to empower the local forest user groups so that they will efficiently manage local forest resources. The user group-based forest management program reduces the cost of national forest management, increases coordination among different stakeholders, and brings changes in the political ecology of forests. In spite of its success, unclear government policies especially over the ultimate ownership of forest resources have created suspicion among forest user groups.

The findings further indicate that recent government programs have ensured resources management and promoted the participation of diverse type of people in the user group formation process. Increased people’s participation in the user group-based forest management program reflects the failure Nepal’s centrally controlled forest management program. Success of user group forestry also shows the importance of indigenous knowledge for forest management and need of local involvement in the development program. Similarly, findings indicate that the local level decision-making process offers a solution to the communities where social coordination and cooperation are very weak.

The analysis of the appropriate right of utilization of forest products indicates a need of clearly defined ownership rights on forests and forest products. The issue of unclear ownership rights has also greatly reduced the incentive for local forest users to actively participate in the community forest program of Nepal. This study reveals that success of user group forestry lies on its ability to offer incentives to local people. Generally positive incentive, and ensures active members participation.

Literature Cited

Adhikari, M. (2002) People’s motivation in participation process of forest management. A case of Chitwan district of Nepal. Ph. D dissertation, The University of Tokyo

Arnold, J.M.E. (1992) Community forestry: ten years review. User group-based forest management program Note. 32pp FAO Publication. Rome.

Baral, C. J. (1994) Palpa looks for a simplified approach for operational plan preparation in user group community forestry. Nepal Journal of Forestry 2:1-9.

Central Bureau Statistical Book (2001) Statistical yearbook of Nepal.450pp. Nepal printer and tread Ltd. Kathmandu

District Forest Office Chitwan (1999) Ban Ko Parichaya. (Nepali publication)

Gilmore, D.A and Fisher, R.J. (1989) Villagers, forest and forester: The philosophy process and practice of community forestry in Nepal.212pp Shahayogi Press. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Joshi, N.N. et al. (1996) Organizational structure, performance and participation: forest user groups in the Nepal hills. In People and Participation in Sustainable Development: Understanding the Dynamics of Natural Resources System. IAAS. Rampur Chitwan, Nepal.pp 55-63

Malla, Y.B (1999) Impact of community forestry on rural livelihoods and food security in Nepal. FAO. Unasylva 202: 37-45

Master Plan of Forest Sector (1986) Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation. 87 pp His Majesty’s Government of Nepal.

Ostrom, E. (1999) Self-governing and forest resources, Occasional Paper no 20, Center For International Forestry Research, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia

Paudel, D.P. (1994) Strategies for local level planed development in Nepal: an evaluation of Decentralization Act 1982 from local perspective. 240pp Prabesh and Praric Publication. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sharma, U.R. (1992) Park-People Interactions in Royal Chitwan National Park. Ph.D Dissertation. The University of Arizona.

Wallacae, M.B. (1988) Forest degradation in Nepal: institutional context and policy alternatives. Research Report #6 HMG-USAID-GTZ-IDRC-Winrock Project Kathmandu, Nepal.

Westoby, J.C. (1989) Introduction to World Forestry. Basil Blackwell Press. Oxford, London.