Managing Forests As Common Property

The purpose of this study is to bring together available information about the role of common property as a system of governance and its present relevance to forest management and use, to review the historical record of common property systems that have disappeared or survived, to examine the experience of selected contemporary collective management programmes in different countries, and to identify the main factors that appear to determine success or failure at the present time.

This study brings together available information about the role of common property as a system of governance and its current relevance to forest management and use. It reviews the historical record of common property systems that have disappeared or survived, and it examines the experience of selected contemporary collective management programmes in different countries. The paper identifies the main factors that appear to determine success or failure at present. Contents Chapter 1: Background; Introduction, Defining common property concepts and terms, Common property or open access? Institutional factors, Circumstances favouring common property, Forest resources and outputs as common property; Chapter 2: Learning From Systems With Historical And Indigenous Origins; Southeast Asia, South Asia, Forest belt, Hill areas, Low rainfall plains, Sub-saharan Africa, South America, Lessons learned, The decline in management of forests as common property, Common property regimes that have endured or emerged; Chapter 3: Case Studies of Contemporary Collective And Co-Management Systems; Management of natural resources on communal lands, Ejido forests-Mexico, Campfire-Zimbabwe, Joint or collective management of areas of state forest, Hill community forestry-Nepal, Van panchayats-Uttar Pradesh, India, Joint forest management-India, Management of forestry and agriculture on forest land, Communal forest stewardship agreements-The Philippines, Forest villages-Thailand, Management of collective forestation on village lands, Social forestry village woodlots-India, Village forestry-Republic of Korea; Chapter 4: Assessing the Implications of Past And Ongoing Experience; A framework for analysis, Identifying local circumstances favourable to common property management, Characteristics of the group of users, Attributes of institutional arrangements, Economic pressure and opportunities, The legal and tenurial context, Conflict resolution, The presence of the state, Decentralization and devolution, Transition issues within forest departments, NGOs as intermediaries and providers of support services; Chapter 5: Conclusions; Broader factors affecting choice of forest management regimes, Supporting local collective management of forests, Local factors affecting capacity to organize and manage.

From a number of perspectives on the current debate around managing common property resources, this volume discusses a variety of topics, including forest rights, sacred groves, deforestation at high altitudes, e-governance issues, concerns over industrialization, and agro forestry produce as well as a host of other issues that underline forestry and its implication to economic growth in India. Arguing that the challenge lies in enabling new institutions and strengthening traditional ones that have worked well, this book offers a better understanding of the concepts governing property rights and demonstrates how they are central to the manner in which markets develop in today’s universe of inclusive growth.

Papers presented at theNational Seminar on Natural Resources and Tribal Communities in Northeast India, held at Pasighat during 7-8 February 2006.

Issues concerning forest genetic diversity; Cases studies from IPGRI's research project; Lessons learned and applicability of reserch outcomes.