Joint Forest Management in Himachal Pradesh, India: Gender contributions, learning and action outcomes
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Date
2016
Authors
Birch, Allison Louise
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Abstract
In the early 90’s the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) initiated Joint Forest Management (JFM) in order to share responsibilities for managing, protecting and making decisions about government owned forests with local users. The purpose of this study was to consider how the JFM approach is currently being practiced, particularly the role of women in decision-making and the learning outcomes for all participants as a result of their involvement. The research used a qualitative, case study approach involving two mountain communities, Solang and Khakhnal.
Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and transect walks. The study revealed that a number of factors, including ownership rights, sharing management responsibilities and underrepresentation of women within village forest committees, greatly influence collaboration among the forest-dependent communities, NGO’s and the forest department. Further, the data indicate that individual and social learning did occur through participation in JFM activities.
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Keywords
Joint Forest Management, Social learning, Forest Governance, Himachal Pradesh, Mahila Mandal