Forest management

4 Section Forest management modalities and institutional issues 10 chapter 10 Small Wood-based Enterprises in Community Forestry: Contributing to Poverty Reduction in Nepal Krishna Acharya Department of Forest Research and Survey Nepal Sushanta Acharya Livelihoods and Forestry Program Nepal ,QWURGXFWLRQ T he main forest management strategy of Nepal, based on forest dependent SHRSOHV·SDUWLFLSDWLRQLVNQRZQDVFRPPXQLW\IRUHVWU\&) 7KLV DSSURDFKZDVIRUPDOO\LQWURGXFHGLQWKHODWHVWRHQFRXUDJHDFWLYH participation of local people in forest management as a means to improve livelihoods Since then, a strong legal and policy framework has been adopted WRVHFXUHORFDOSHRSOH·VULJKWVDQGDFFHVVWRIRUHVWV%\FRPPXQLW\ forestry had grown to involve one third of all households in the country Under the community forestry program, local people decide on forest resource  Acharya and Acharya PDQDJHPHQWDQGXWLOL]DWLRQDQGGLVWULEXWLRQRIEHQHÀWVWRFRPPXQLW\PHPEHUV/RFDO SHRSOHDUHRUJDQL]HGLQWR&RPPXQLW\)RUHVW8VHU*URXSV&)8*V 7KH&RPPXQLW\)RUHVWU\ Program in Nepal is one of the most recognized success stories for community-based forest management The primary motive for promoting community forestry initially was its potential to provide EDVLFIRUHVWSURGXFWVVXFKDVÀUHZRRGDQGIRUDJHWRUXUDOSHRSOHWRLPSURYHWKHLUOLYHOLKRRGV DQGWRSUHVHUYHWKHKLOOVRI1HSDOIURPIXUWKHUGHJUDGDWLRQ$FKDU\D0DOOD 7KH SURPRWLRQDQGLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRI&)LQ1HSDOVLJQLÀFDQWO\DIIHFWHGWKHOLYHVRIPDQ\SHRSOH in the rural areas of Nepal The CFUGs that have been established in many communities are concerned with sustainably producing a wide variety of forest products based on local GHPDQGV%UDQQH\ %\DERXW&)8*VZHUHLQYROYHGLQIRUHVWPDQDJHPHQW silvicultural operations, utilization of resources and the marketing of various forest products With its advancement, community forestry has been recognized increasingly as a viable means IRUSRYHUW\UHGXFWLRQLQ1HSDO DQHO*HQWOH 7KHWHQWKJRYHUQPHQWSHULRGLFSODQ VSHFLÀFDOO\PHQWLRQV&)DVDQDSSURDFKWRDGGUHVVUXUDOSRYHUW\LQ1HSDO'XULQJWKHIRXUWK National Workshop on Community Forestry, there was extensive debate on how community forestry can contribute to poverty reduction Secure access to resources, and the recognized decision-making authority of the poor in the management and utilization of community IRUHVWU\IRUHTXLWDEOHEHQHÀWVVKDULQJZHUHWKHPDMRUFKDOOHQJHVLGHQWLÀHG DQHO  &RPPXQLW\)RUHVWU\DQGIRUHVWEDVHGHQWHUSULVHV T he community forestry policy of Nepal is regarded as a progressive method for HVWDEOLVKLQJWKHULJKWVRIORFDOSHRSOHRYHUIRUHVWUHVRXUFHVKRZHYHUWKHSURPRWLRQRI forest-based enterprises has been limited Recently, more CFUGs are initiating poverty alleviation activities, helping to establish community forestry as a recognized pro-poor program The main areas of intervention include the promotion of income-generating activities and establishment of concessions for forest products distribution The income-generating DFWLYLWLHVLQFOXGHGRPHVWLFDWLRQRIQRQWLPEHUIRUHVWSURGXFWV17)3V VXSSRUWWROLYHVWRFN SURGXFWLRQDQGHVWDEOLVKPHQWRI)RUHVW%DVHG6PDOO6FDOH(QWHUSULVHV)%66(V LQWKHIRUPRIDQRQLQWHUHVWORDQDQGDGGLWLRQDOUDZZRRG VXSSOLHVHTXLYDOHQWWR15V86 WRVWDUWWKHHQWHUSULVH7KHUHPDLQLQJ15V 86 RIWKHWRWDOLQYHVWPHQWZDVVXSSOLHGE\WKHHQWUHSUHQHXUKRXVHKROGV Products and production mechanism The enterprise mainly uses round logs, saplings and poles as input materials There are four types of products from the enterprise: two main products and two by-products The main SURGXFWVDUHKRXVHFRQVWUXFWLRQPDWHULDOVDQGIXUQLWXUHZKLOHÀUHZRRGDQGVDZGXVWDUH WKHE\SURGXFWVJHQHUDWHGGXULQJSURFHVVLQJL WKHFXVWRPHUEULQJVUDZPDWHULDOWRWKH HQWHUSULVHZKLFKWKHQSURGXFHVWKHUHTXHVWHGSURGXFWVDQGFKDUJHVIRUWKHVHUYLFHLL WKH furniture enterprise provides its services by visiting the customer’s house and produces the UHTXHVWHGSURGXFWVRQVLWHDQGLLL WKHFXVWRPHUSODFHVDQRUGHUIRUWKHSURGXFWVDQGWKH enterprise produces and delivers In all three instances, the enterprise sets the price for the products or the rate of the services provided The average annual maintenance cost of the enterprise for the past two years, including the DQQXDOOHDVHIRUODQGHOHFWULFLW\FKDUJHVDQGZRUNVKRSPDLQWHQDQFHLVDERXW15V 86 7KHUDZPDWHULDOFRQVXPSWLRQLV²IWSHUGD\YDU\LQJIURPDPLQLPXPRI WRDPD[LPXPRIIWSHUGD\P 7KHSDVWWZR\HDUVRIGDWDVKRZWKDWDVLJQLÀFDQW proportion of species processed are from outside the Bharkhore community forest, either originating from adjoining community forests or from private lands The primary species used GXULQJWKHSDVWWZR\HDUVZDVDVIROORZVVDOShorea robusta)VDOORPinus roxburghii  ²XWLVAlnus nepalensis DQGRWKHUVchilaune- Schima wallichii, katus - Castonopsis spp, and sisso - Dalbergia sissoo ,WVKRXOGEHQRWHGsallo is not available within the CFUG area and is being imported from other parts of the country  Acharya and Acharya Employment and income The enterprise has generated year-round employment for four individuals and one additional skilled employee outside the community Since the establishment was supported by grant from the donor, income was realized immediately and has since risen sharply The monthly average LQFRPHIRUWKHSDVWPRQWKVZDV15V86 SHUKRXVHKROGIRUIRXUKRXVHKROGV DIWHUGHGXFWLQJWKHPRQWKO\SD\PHQWRI15V86 WRWKHRXWVLGHHPSOR\HHRQH KRXVHKROGRIWKHRULJLQDOÀYHGURSSHGRXWRIWKHHQWHUSULVH 7KHWRWDOLQFRPHIURPWKH IXUQLWXUHHQWHUSULVHGXULQJWKHSDVWWZR\HDUVLV15V86 ... Enterprises in Community Forestry: Contributing to Poverty Reduction in Nepal Krishna Acharya Department of Forest Research and Survey Nepal Sushanta Acharya Livelihoods and Forestry Program Nepal... Sushanta Acharya Livelihoods and Forestry Program Nepal ,QWURGXFWLRQ T he main forest management strategy of Nepal, based on forest dependent SHRSOHV·SDUWLFLSDWLRQLVNQRZQDVFRPPXQLWIRUHVWU&)7KLV... WRVHFXUHORFDOSHRSOH·VULJKWVDQGDFFHVVWRIRUHVWV%FRPPXQLW forestry had grown to involve one third of all households in the country Under the community forestry program, local people decide on forest resource  Acharya and