IUCN, Working Group on Community Involvement in Forest Management

The first in a regional series, this report examines forest management experiences of Canada and the United States, which have interrelated histories, economies and similar ecological and social systems.

Fourth in the series, this profile explores the diverse and changing nature of Community Involvement in Forest Management (CIFM) in Western Europe. It provides some comparative European-level data on important social institutions which shape patterns of community involvement in forestry, and it briefly examines different national contexts.

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.

Esta publicación nos introduce en la relación ancestral entre comunidades y bosques en Mesoamérica. Nos explica cómo esa relación se ha visto afectada por procesos de desarrollo incongruentes con la gestión ambiental y la equidad social. Nos informa también sobre la capacidad organizativa que, a pesar de ello, están logrando consolidar muchas comunidades y grupos indígenas y campesinos. Nos ilustra acerca de las posibilidades y las políticas que son necesarias para fortalecer la participación comunitaria en la gestión ambiental.

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.