Asia Forest Network

Second in the series, this Regional Profile focuses on five South Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This Profile seeks to explain why and how some of the earth’s poorest people have been able to establish effective management systems over millions of hectares of nationalized forestlands, facilitating their rapid regeneration. While daunting challenges confront the forest-dependent communities of South Asia, in many parts of the region grassroots environmental movements are gaining momentum and political support.

The degree to which community involvement in forest management (CIFM) is recognised by governments and is integrated into state management goals varies widely. The goal of this regional profile series is to communicate CIFM experiences between regions, targeting diverse audiences including international policy-makers and national planners who are responsible for shaping forest management policies and strategies, as well as the forestry practitioners and development specialists who implement them.