STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION COURSE
CASE STUDY E: A COORDINATION PLATFORM FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT IN NEPAL
The Need for Open Communication in face of Conflicting Interests
KEY ISSUES
The Terai forest can provide livelihood to the local people but was not being properly
managed. With a multitude of stakeholders and a diversity of interests in stake, different
attempts to create management models for the Terai forest have failed to halt deforestation.
Following a long period that encouraged conversion of forest land for farming, a 20 year
master plan for forestry sector was published with a focus on decentralization and
participation of local people in decision making.
Discussions recognised opportunities for synergy between ecological, economic and equity
agendas, as well as the need of support from essential stakeholders. An open and democratic
debate for forestry sector planning and credible monitoring, through a communication
platform, was essential to build support and trust needed to start forestry sector development.
The claim of vast numbers of people on forest resources showed that forestry planning should
involve people’s representatives rather than individual households.
CONTEXT
Forest management in the Terai could provide livelihood to tens of thousands of households
of Terai dwellers and provide substantial income for Nepal. Harvesting and processing of nontimber forest products, the prevention of losses by mitigating natural disasters, biodiversity
and ecotourism represent a wealth of potential livelihood opportunities and revenue
generation in the Terai forestry sector. Yet, these opportunities are presently being utilised in
a hap-hazard and opportunistic fashion.
Prior to 1950, forests of Nepal were regarded as an unlimited source of revenue for the state,
and the rules encouraged the farmers to convert forests into agricultural land to increase the
tax base. The practice of converting forestlands into farmlands continued even after the
democracy of 1951, with large areas of forested land distributed to families for farming and an
equal amount of forestlands being encroached. Active migration from hills to the Terai added
to the existing Terai population.
A 20 years master plan for forestry sector published in 1989 focused on decentralisation,
participation of local people in decision making, meeting basic needs, sustainable utilisation,
equity and social peace. The democratic process was initiated and people's rights were
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recognised. This resulted in the development of a variety of interest groups around Terai
forests.
RATIONALE FOR PARTICIPATION
So far, all proposed solutions suffered from the lack of support of one or the other essential
stakeholder. Solutions take into account the technical reality, some proposals include some
social considerations; but none gets sufficient support in the socio-political spectrum that
started developing in the 1990’s.
A resource such as the Terai forests naturally draws the interests of a wide range of
stakeholders. In the Terai, generally, the forests stretch out in the northern Terai up to the
Churia hills range. Typically around half a million people live in the south towards the Indian
border. A sizeable part of the district population traditionally has forest use rights, though not
necessarily over remaining forest. In the Community Forestry model, individual houses are
associated with particular patches of forest. In the Terai such associations are impossible (or
at least impractical) to define, not only because of the large numbers of households involved,
but also because there are conflicting claims over access rights. This suggests that in the
Terai a different organisation model of users’ participation in forest management is needed.
Considering the various agendas, it is essential to know the major stakeholders in the forestry
sector.
It is essential to understand that there are many more win-win coalitions possible than
presently operational. For example, downstream agriculture productivity would be
safeguarded with protection of Terai forests; so if Community Forestry can safeguard the
range forest coverage, downstream people are likely to support handing over forests to
northern settler’s Forest User Groups. As example, planned productive management is both
in ecological and economical terms much better than the present open-resource
management. And, if forest management activities provide employment to people who
otherwise have little other options than illegally cutting or even encroaching forests, they will
take pressure from forests. The District Forest Office (DFO) has a much easier task in
protecting forests if it is in the people’s (and the local government’s) interest that forest
coverage is maintained. Co-operation of various interest groups would hold vast potential for
enhancing the ecological integrity while increasing the productivity and creating livelihood
opportunities for large groups of people.
STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION PROCESS
Firstly the donor was approached to support Terai forestry and the formation of a joint
programme formulation team. The team then approached Terai DFOs who suggested that
local bodies were needed to make the programme successful.
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Secondly a regional meeting took place where District Development Committee (DDC) chairs
and DFOs decided to organise multi-stakeholder meetings per district where stakeholders
expressed their concern over ongoing degradation of forests and poor availability of forest
products to the local population. They also requested to form a local committee to develop the
programme and the formation of District Forestry Co-ordination Committee (DFCCs) with a
formal say over donor money flowing into the district forestry sector.
The district stakeholder consultations left a couple of general notions. First and foremost, all
stakeholders were very worried about the state of the local forests. Even stakeholders who
may have relations to illegal activities supported the development of a more transparent and
stable forest management system, and criticised the present system for its apparent
inadequateness to share benefits in an equitable way and halt deforestation. Secondly,
district stakeholders wanted to combine protection and management work with a serious reconsideration of forest product distribution. And thirdly, in most districts, the workshop
proposed to form a multi-stakeholder platform to formulate and guide the programme.
After extensive stakeholder consultation in eight central Terai districts, the Biodiversity Sector
Programme for the Siwaliks and Terai was formulated, while, simultaneously, the Terai
component of the Livelihood and Forestry Programme was started in three Western region
Terai districts.
LESSONS LEARNED
In numerous occasions, stakeholders will be faced with a resource of national interest where
the state will be a major stakeholder. This is the case of the Terai forests, and to prevent a
unique decision from the government where “minor” stakeholders’ interests are neglected,
there needs to be a carefully designed and well lobbied for management model where all
stakeholders are included.
The claim of vast numbers of people on forest resources shows that forestry planning is to be
developed with people’s representatives rather than individual households. When dealing with
a number of different groups of people in the same area, occasional conflicting claims will
most certainly occur, calling for a platform for discourse and negotiation, and eventual
planning of programmes based on terms agreed. The opportunity for win-win developments
for all major stakeholders shows that there is a need for systematic communication and joint
arrangements between stakeholders in the forestry sector.
Eventually the implementation of forest development activities by the DFCC will increase
overall productivity of the sector and a self sustaining forestry sector will be functioning in
each district, where the central government will no longer need to invest but will rather be
earning more from it. In other words, government, stakeholders and the forest would have all
benefited from a management model that has been created by them.
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Source: F. van Schoubroeck and A.L. Karna, 2003. “Initiating co-ordination platforms for
Forest Management in the Terai.” Banko Jankari, Vol. 13 No. 1. Available online (April 2008)
at
http://portals.wi.wur.nl/files/docs/msp/MultistakeholderplatoformsinNepalTeraiforestry030630.
doc.
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