Background

Forest is a complex renewable natural resources and it is a second largest natural resources after water in Nepal.the forest in Nepal refers to all land having move that 10% crown cover. In term of area coverage,the forest with 44.5% of country’s total area is largest natural resources.

We can get many advantages from the forest. We can preserve wild animals in the forest. We get firewood, timber, herbs, grass, etc from the forest. It help us to purify the atmosphere and the gravity of air pollution. Underground water resources can be saved in the forest. It also help us to balance eco system. The problem of drought, weather extremes, landslides, etc can be alleviated for stopped by the help of the forest. Similarly, the forest of our country attracts many tourist from all over the world. We can earn foreign currency from them. The natural beauty cannot be presented without the preservation of the forest.

Kalika municipality is a developing village where we can find lots of resources. Water, forest, land, minerals, wild life, environmental assets, etc are some. As we wanted to know about the forest of this area, we choose Chaturmukhi Community Forest which lies in kalika municipality ward no. 01 Jutpani Chitwan district.Chaturkhi community forest was established in 2053 B.S.It is located in 10 km north east from Bharatpur, Chitwan.

objectives of field visit

The main objectives of this study are to know the role of community forestry in local development process. However, some other specific objectives are:

To find out the available resource and its management system

To identify the plan and process of resource conservation

To know the problems and issues related to community forest and the measures taken for the solution

Methodology 

During our field visit to find out the facilities provided by Chaturmukhi community forest we use following methodology.

Observation

Interview

Questionnaire

FIELD VISIT QUESTIONNAIRE

Community Forest’s Name:  

Name of Interviewee–

Age–

Gender/Sex–

Occupation–     

Religion–

Qualification/Education–

Language–

Address–          

Marital Status–

V.D.C/Municipality– Ward No.–

Family Backgroung/Detail–

When did you join this Community Forest?

How much time do you visit this forest in a month?

For what purpose do you go to community forest?

What kinds of plants and animals can be found here?

How do you conserve this forest? 

How is this forest helpful for Earning Livelihood?

How do you utilize the funds received form this program?

How much savings do you do in a year and where do you  put on the savings?

What are the problems of Community Forest?

What are the solutions for those problems?

How much land do you own?

What do you grow there, is that enough for a year, if not how do you manage?

Are you involved in Animal Husbandry? Why do you keep them?

What are the advantages of Community Forest?

Have you taken any training related to Forest Conservation?

Since when are you residing here? Do you know where are your ancestors from?

What are the reasons for forest being destroyed?

At what distance is water resource from your house ?

What is the area of this Community Forest?

How important is your daily life?

What can be done for the decent utilization of resources?

What is your mothertongue? What number use this language in your society?

What is the main occupation of your community people?

What are your Conventional Folk Culture and how is their present situation? What could be done for their preservation and conservation?

What are the issues related to forest and how do you settle them?

What is the condition of migration here? Why do people migrate and where you they migrate?

Selection of observation

Among many other community forest we can choose Chaturmukhi community because of following reasons.

Improve the economics condition and life style of local people

Help in agricultural facilities such as irrigation facilities, grazing facilities

Data collection

These study goals to explore the main role of the community forestry on the process of local development, impact of community on user groups income generating and infrastructure development of area people. Thus, the primary data was collected from the user group’s households. Similarly, the secondary data were used for the deep study which was collected from published or unpublished written documents from individuals, experts and organization related to forest.

Geographical location

Chaturmukhi Community forest is located in Kalika municipality-1, Jutpani, Gaduwa

Chitwan.

Population of area

Resource Management System

Nowadays, people are being more conscious about the resources, its utilization and management. The community people has joined community forest and worked for its management. People here are utilizing solar energy, biogas etc. Forest here is managed by the people of community forest. They have made certain rules that every local people must obey/follow like:

They are not allowed to enter inside the forest for firewood and grazing purpose randomly without permission.

People are only allowed to collect the firewood when the related personnel announce that the forest is open for firewood.

People are not allowed to cut the trees randomly but are permitted to collect the dry woods according to the forest rule.

Socio-economic status of area

Socio-economic status of indigenous peoples in Jutpani, Gaduwa. It explicitly analyzes each indigenous group’s quality of life, poverty level and the extent to which each gropup in benefiting from the country’s existing development schemes services and resources. Chaturmukhi community is in the path of development. Different NGO’s has done agreement to work in favour of local people. The programme named ‘Hariyo Ban’ is running by Care Nepal. I provides training to local people to uplift their livelihood and improve economic status.

Role of Chaturmukhi Community Forest

The role of Chaturmukhi community forest in socio-economic development of the community are given below:

Unity in local people

Income generation

Sense of we feeling and ours

Tourism development

Help in day to day life

Positive and Negative impact

Positive Impacts:

The contribution of Chaturmukhi community forest to make available of forest product to the community

Employment generation

Poverty reduction

Community infrastructure development

Negative Impacts:

No proper rules and regulations regarding the forest

Government has no any rights to control community forest

Findings

Throughout the field visit we came with the finding that Chaturmukhi community is one of the active community forest among many other community forest of Chitwan. There is a very active participation of local people in every programme organized by community forest. Chaturmukhi community forest has helped local people to uplift their economic status in many way and helped them to increase their living standard by providing them different skill-based training and income generating activities and helped in developmental activities like distribution of drinking water pipeline, templates, graveling the road and many more. On the other hand local people are also aware about the conservation of wildlife.

Recommendation 

Above situations and findings from the study area make the following recommendations which could be suggested for the betterment of community forestry to get desired positive impact in local development:

Close co-ordination between the District Forest officer, Village Leader and Forest user group is necessary.

The co-ordination between local government and local political body must be increased.

Local people must be made aware about the importance of forest in ecological balance.

There should be the provision of training, seminar, workshop, tour, visual programme, etc that is concentrated in the production, management and conservation of forest resources.