Blog

Paramananda Nag

People in economically poor countries often depend on extracting resources from nearby forests for their livelihoods, whether for consumption or fuelwood, or as a source of income. In India, similar to many other countries, access to forest resources is changing, in part due to forest degradation and, more recently, due to the introduction of participatory forest management (PFM)—which changes the extent to which villagers are permitted to collect non-timber forest products (NTFPs) from village and government reserve forests. Forest degradation has influenced where villagers collect specific NTFPs, how long they spend both searching and collecting, the total amount that they consume, and their dependence on markets. The present study attempts to contribute the knowledge base by exploring the local people’s knowledge concerning natural resource utilization and management in terms of spatial differences. The study attempts to uncover traditional cultural practices of the studied communities which encourage the use and management of local resources. The study can contribute to the strengthening of decision makers and development workers’ understanding of the issues which concern the rural community of Jharkhand, to be adopted in their greater conservation goal.  More importantly, it is hoped that this research can contribute in part, to a greater level of participation in conservation and that the state government and relevant agencies can begin to appreciate the role of rural community in resource management and promote community based conservation in the Jharkhand. In a broader context, this research contributes to a better understanding of the importance of maintaining cultural diversity amongst rural communities in order to promote sustainable management of natural resources.

Key Words: Forest Resource, Forest Village, Road-side Village, Utilization and Management, Angara block, Jharkhand