Community forestry in the hills of Nepal: Determinants of user participation in forest management

• Examined the determinants of participation in forest protection, utilization & decision making.
• Investigated households belonging to 5 community forest user groups of different sizes.
• Larger households in the group with less land were more likely to participate in forest protection.
• The gender and the distance to forests & markets affect the degree of forest resource utilization.
• Women & individuals from lower castes were less likely to be involved in decision-making.

Community forestry in Nepal is one of the most cited examples of participatory management of natural resources. However, such programs have not yet been able to fully ensure equitable, gender-sensitive, and poverty-focused outcomes. This study examines factors influencing participation of households in forest protection, resource utilization, and collective resource management decision-making activities. The study was conducted among five selected forest user groups in the Kaski District. The analysis is based on a household survey that included a random sample of 176 respondents (69 males and 107 females). Three ordered logit regression models were developed to examine determinants of household participation in forest protection, resource utilization, and decision-making activities. Analysis showed that larger sized households belonging to forest user groups that owned less land were more likely to participate in forest protection activities. Women from larger households located closer to forests and markets were more likely to participate in forest resource utilization activities. Households with more livestock belonging to forest user groups that managed forests in good condition were also more inclined to participate in resource utilization activities. Women and individuals from lower castes demonstrated lower levels of participation in decision-making processes. Low participation was associated with education level and traditional customs, which may result in low representation of some social groups in forest user group committees.