Project Background

The overall development problem the research will address is the sustainability of the livelihood systems which are found in the middle hills of Nepal; livelihood systems which are based on access to and the management of both common and private property resources. These livelihood systems have been experiencing increased stresses in recent decades and there have been concerted efforts to address them through, in particular, community forestry policies and programmes. There are several manifestations of these stresses:

1. Access to common property resources, and in particular forest resources, has been jeopardised by declining resource quality and alienation of rural communities from their resource base.

2. Increased stresses on farm-based production caused by factors such as changes in nutrient flows from forests to farms, declining soil fertility, and livestock levels.

The understanding of interactions between forests and agricultural lands and development of management options are key development challenges at the forest/agriculture interface.

Project Objectives

Improved understanding of common property issues and tenure rights developed and incorporated into land use management and planning strategies.

Intended Outputs

• A literature review comparing different national policies and donor approaches to community forestry, common property issues and tenure rights in Nepal and India.
• An analysis of the impact of community forestry on livelihood systems, tenure rights and common property issues in the Koshi Hill region of Nepal.
• Key indicators associated with successful CF management.
• An analysis of the implications of the research findings and enhancement of capacities for the implementation of community forestry policies and land use management and planning strategies in Nepal and internationally.