| Author | Ahmad, Shah Masood |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. HS-88-10 |
| Subject(s) | Forests and forestry--Social aspects--India--Kashmir Valley
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. HS-88-10 |
| Abstract | Rural ecosystems cannot be enriched merely by injecting
resources from outside. Village development has to be autonomous
or self- reliant, i.e., it ought to be achieved by the people. The
focus of this research was on exploring the potential for local
participation in implementing forestation on a decentralized and
self- help basis. Compatible sets of data were collected from a
control group of population that had been party to an earlier
social forestry program, thereby facilitating project evaluation
among the experimental or target group of a current project. The
findings revealed that the initial identification of eligible
locations had not been done systematically by the social forestry
program. The vast majority of the rural masses who lacked the
requisite subsistence resource base, i.e., fuelwood, fodder and
timber, were not enticed to involve themselves in project
implementation under the social forestry program which had
adopted a "top- down" planning and i mpl eme nta ti on approach. The
study further revealed that villagers' attitudes were conducive
to and supportive of forestation, their perceptions of and
limitations were sound, and their expectations of socio- economic
changes as a consequence of rural development programs were
realistic. The results underline the necessity of a major thrust
on local participation in implementing forestation.
Recommendations for implementing social forestry include planning
towards better farming systems, strengthening the social emphasis
of the forestry program on the part of the concerned line agency
personnel, and exploring the viability of transferring
institutional patterns evident among farmer managed resource
utilization, notably in traditional irrigation. |
| Year | 1988 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. HS-88-10 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Weber, Karl E.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Demaine, Harvey ;Suvit Yodmani ;Gonzales, Jr. R. L. ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The Royal Netherlands Government ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1988 |