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Impact of Participatory Forestry on Community Livelihoods: a Case Study in the Degraded Sal (shorea Robusta) Forest Areas of Tangail and Mymensingh Forest Division

*A.S. Mollick
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.

M.S. Azad
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.

M.A. Kyser
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was conducted in the degraded Sal (Shorea robusta) forest areas of Tangail and Mymensingh Forest Division in 2005. The main objective of the study was to explore the impact of participatory forestry on the community livelihoods of the study areas. Livelihood indicators and yearly family expenditure show that there has been a significant difference in the daily livelihoods between the participants and non-participants. The income of the participants has increased substantially after joining the participatory forest management program. The Poverty Impact Ratio (MR) of the participatory forest management was found to be 0.91, which is greater than the prevailing poverty line (0.52) of the locality that indicates a positive poverty reduction impact on the community livelihoods. The study also reveals that participatory forestry has been proved as the most efficient sustainable option for rehabilitating degraded or encroached forestlands and as well as an effective strategy to improve the livelihoods of the poor people who are used to being treated as illegal occupants of the forests.

Keywords: Sal, Participatory Forestry, Community, Livelihood

Location: Dhaka, Mymensingh, Tangail, Comilla, Rangpur and Dinajpur Forest Division.

Start Date: 00-00-2005

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Forestry, Livelihood

Objectives:

In order to face the situation of forest resource depletion, Bangladesh Forest Department undertook a program to protect the Sal forest by involving the encroachers and rural poor living in and around it. It was expected by the Forest Department that the participatory management would increase the total benefits of the degraded land along with uplifting the socio-economic status of the participants so they can conserve forest resources. Participatory agroforestry was the main technical aspect of the program. The participating farmers were integrated into the program through crop-sharing mechanisms in return for establishing, maintaining, and protecting the forests. The sharing mechanism ensured the supply of all inputs by the Forest Department, including material for agricultural crops in the first year of establishment. In return, participating farmers were given 50% of the final harvest of the tree products. The participants were given a total of 1.21 ha of land out of which 1 ha was for plantation and the rest for their homestead. The lands were provided to them based on the need assessment of the homestead and participants' socioeconomic status.

Methodology:

The study areas were selected purposively as it covers most part of the sal forests. Sal forests are mainly distributed in the central, northern and northeastern regions of Bangladesh, which covers Dhaka, Mymensingh, Tangail, Comilla, Rangpur and Dinajpur Forest Division. The present study areas were confined to Tangail and Mymensingh Forest Division. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire, personal interview, focused group discussion and interviewing the Forest Department personnel.

Two types of respondents were chosen (participant and non-participant) to collect information. Non-participant respondents were chosen to compare the impact of participatory forestry with the beneficiaries. Both types of respondents were interviewed individually with a semi-structured questionnaire. The numbers of randomly selected respondents were 80 (participant 40 and non-participant 40). The survey data included the profile of the household heads (ethnicity, age, religion, length of residence occupation), the profile of the family (numbers of family members, age structure, living standards, use of modern amenities of life, income and family landholdings).

Independent sample t-tests were used to determine the change between 'with' and 'without' situations. The socio-economic characteristics of the respondents such as age, occupation, literacy, and ownership pattern were tested in order to examine the different effects of each of these factors. The analysis was conducted to examine the profile of the respondents of both participants and non-participants.

Poverty Impact Ratio (PIR) is an effective tool to study the poverty impact reduction of the economic system. This Poverty Impact Ratio was measured by estimating the distribution of net economic benefits among the entities; namely participants (rural poor), government and consumers involved in the rehabilitation activities. By carrying out financial, economic and distribution analysis (gains and losses) the PIR had been calculated for the social forestry program together.

Source of Information: South Asian J. Agrice, 2006, 1(2): 24-27 ISSN: 1991-0037

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The Poverty Impact Ratio (MR) of the participatory forest management was found to be 0.91, which is greater than the prevailing poverty line (0.52) of the locality that indicates a positive poverty reduction impact on the community livelihoods. The study also reveals that participatory forestry has been proved as the most efficient sustainable option for rehabilitating degraded or encroached forestlands and as well as an effective strategy to improve the livelihoods of the poor people who are used to being treated as illegal occupants of the forests.

Knowledge Management: Journal