Co-managed forestry as a function of stakeholders perceptions and demographic profile in eastern Attappady, Kerala

Abstract

A study titled “Co-managed forestry as a function of stakeholders’ perceptions and demographic profile in Eastern Attappady” was carried out during 2013-2014. The main objectives were to analyse the performance of the co- managed forestry activities from the perspectives of the various stakeholders, and to explore the link between socio-economic variables and variations in members’ perceptions about the success of these initiatives. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-demographic characteristics of the stakeholders’, performance and impacts of co-managed activities on forest and livelihood status. A total of 183 respondents from three Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and four Vana Samrakshana Samithies (VSS) drawn from seven locations, namely Sambarcode, Paloor, Kalkandy, Puthur, Bhomiampady, Sholayur, and Gonjiyur in Eastern Attappady, were surveyed. Additionally constraints of JFMC and VSS institutions were also studied using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools such as Venn-diagram, Problem-causes linkages and SWOC analysis. The study found that the JFMC and VSS activities positively influenced the ecology of the area. However, there was a significant contrast between the perceptions of the JFMC and the VSS members with regards to its influence on the livelihood of the local people. The JFMC members’ reported that the co-managed activities, increased the household income and encouraged women participation, which reduced many social evils. Whereas, the VSS members opined that the performance of VSS activities was not upto the JFMC activities in improving the socio-economic status of its members. The JFMC was observed to be a better performer than VSS from the perspectives of stakeholders on the ecological and social aspects. Further, the study observed that the success of co-managed programs depended on education, age, income, occupation and social participation. All these significantly contributed to higher levels of women participation and livelihood opportunities. Social participation also influenced the attitude of people towards the forest and co-managed activities. The major constraints of JFMC, were lack of integration with other departments, unnecessary political interference and lack of group feeling among members. The major constraints for VSS were lack of income generating opportunities, lower level of people participation and constant transfer of VSS secretary.