Preface
Itisestimatedthat theworl
ds
forestsarevitalfor thedailysurvivalofmore
than 300million indigenousandpeasant people who dependonforest
ecosystems(WorldBankForestPolicy 1990).These communities have
devised sophisticated normsformanaging watersheds,catchmentareasand
fragileforest ecosystems,andpossess awealth of knowledgeabout rational
land use andenvironmentalprotection. Many such rural communities are
importantforest stakeholders.
Ye
t the expertiseand interests of these local
people are rarelyrecognised bynational forest policies and management
systems.They areoftenaccusedofbeingthemain agents of forest des
truction, and their position isfurther marginalised. Instead, government
institutionstendto be viewedastheprincipal actors in forest conservation
and restoration.In many countriescentralgovernmentclaims control over forest
resources, largelyignoringthe customary rights of forest communities and
thus eroding traditions, responsibilitiesanddecision-making structures at
the local level. Western'scientific'forestry, introducedworld-wide in the
course of thetwentieth century, hasbeenveryinfluentialin this respect.
This brandof forestryusuallyneglects andoftenundermines localforestry
systems.Forcedresettlement,forexample,isperceivedasaprerequisite for
watershed and parkprotection.Concessions for commercial logging are
providedwithoutproperconsultation.Treeplantations thatfulfilnational
reforestation goals replace farmlandandsometimeseven naturalforest,
threateninglocalbiologicaldiversit
y.
Muchoftheinternationaldiscussionofforests-tropicalforests,inpar
ticular-hasfocused onthe biologicaldiversity crisis.
Ye
t the spectreof
massive global deforestation also r
epr
esents a grave threattohuman com
munities.Many forest-dependent communities-whetherforest-dwelling
ethnic minorities or farmers who rely onapatch ofsecondary forest for
subsistence-lackbothland securityand politicalr
epr
esentation.These
xvi
PREFACE
xvii
Ieare,sotospeak,atthefrontline.Theyfacepressure fromoutsiders
peop h h d..id.who seek land,timberoroter resources;t ey are expose to mnrruanon,
violence andcultureshock; and they confront internal problems about
balancing forestexploitation andconservation. They.are often torn
between maintaining aforest areaasa watershed for their fields and market
pressure tocuttimberforprofit. Consequently, forest communities are
blamed fordeforestation andecological degradation of forestareas,andare
regularlyaccusedofbeingincapableofmanagingtheirown forestlands.
lo
calnon-governmental andgrassroots organisations can rarelydevote
time and resources to analysingand documentingtheir experiencesand
pointofview for larger audiences.Existing studies oncommunityforest
management seldom lead to policyconclusions,or benefitlocal stake
holders andtheircauses.Consciousof theserealities,Both ENDS and
Gram Vardhiniembarkedona collaborative surveyprojectin 1992.The
objectivewasto enable forest communities to bringtopublic attention
theirownperceptions andexperiences. They would describe in their own
wordshowthey arestriving tobalance culturalandeconomicsurvivalwith
sustenanceoftheecosystemsonwhich theydepend,under pressurefroma
growing population,increasingdemandsfor cash, andarange of outside
forces.Theinitiatorsof thesurveyhadbeen concernedabout thetendency
to
locatethe problemsof deforestationand biologicaldiversitydepletion
exclusively inSoutherncountries,even though forest-dependent commu
nitiesin theindustrialisedworld arealso at risk. It was thereforeimportant
thatorganisationsfrom thetemperateand boreal regions joinedthe survey.
Thisbook isthusacollectionofcasestudiesundertakeninmanycornersof
theworld,underavarietyofecologicaland socio-economiccircumstances.
The case studies show how community control and involvement can
allow for moredetailed assessments of forest resources
and
managementneedsthan centralisedforest management.Local communitiesoftenhave a
verylonghistory of using forest produce and regulating access
to
forestresources.There stillexistsat thelocallevel an enormous varietyofstruc
turedownershiparrangements,incentivesand sanctionsthatwork
to
ensure
~ o m p l ia n c
e
.
Given theimpasseininternational forestnegotiations andthe
inertiaof most governments,itis important toconsider the alternatives.
Betterunderstandingwillprovidegreatersupport forlocalcitizens'initia
uvestosustain forestresources.
Throughthecompilationof do
cum
ented evidence, the studiesreveal
t h a ~
at timeslocal forestmanagementhasbenefitedfrommoral,technical,
pohllcaland
llnanctal
support fromoutsiders -NGOs scientists,consul
~ n
'
.'
ts,Journalists andgovernmentor donor agencies.Often,however,local
groupsworkinisolation.Thecasestudiesdescribeconcretesituations that
embodywhatthe authorsand their constituenciesobserve,believeand
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