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Abstract:
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"In Orissa, a State on eastern coast of India, many villages have undertaken active protection and preservation of forest patches in their vicinity in response to forest degradation and scarcity of forest produces. Some villages started protecting forests way back in 1940s- 50s and have been effectively managing the forest patches since then. Over time, faced with increasing forest scarcity, more and more rural communities have taken up forest protection in the State. These efforts became widespread in mid 1970s and 1980s. According to a conservative estimate around 3000 villages are protecting over 200,000 hectares forest area in Orissa.
"This paper attempts to look at the institutional arrangements : rule system, decisions making mechanism, benefit sharing system and conflict resolving mechanism evolved and adopted by communities which enable them to protect and manage forest patches as CPR. The institutional arrangements evolved by communities have also been analyzed using Ostrom framework.
"Community Forest protection involves protection of a forest area (clearly defined with clear boundaries) by a well-defined user group by framing rules which restrict the access and exploitation of the forest and govern its management These rules are modified from time to time in an attempt to fine tune the system to make it effective and responsive to the needs of the user/appropriators. Also a system of monitoring adherence to these rules and penalties for non-adherence is evolved. The stability of these community forest management systems depends on the resilience of these systems, ability to cope up with changes in the internal and external environment, participation of all sections of the community i.e. user group in management decisions (equity), and ability of the community to resolve conflicts. Another important factor is the ability of the institution at community level and the CPR system to cope up withstand external pressure such as market forces and how the community institution interacts with other external institutions : other villages, State (Government & Forest Department) etc."
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