From Regulation to Facilitation? The Forest Department and Joint Forest Management in Tamilnadu, India

Abstract

"Deforestation, leading to the loss of India's valuable natural resources and consequent deprivation of livelihood of millions of people, has been a major national and international concern. While this drastic deterioration in recent years exposed the limitations of government management, participatory management strategies that foster partnerships between government agencies and local communities are now regarded as vital not only to arrest this degradation but also to promote forest regeneration. India's joint forest management (JFM) program provides a remarkable example of this kind of institutional innovation and represents a major effort over the last few years to make this policy work for both forests and people (Saxena 1999).

"...This paper presents some key issues and challenges facing the Forest Department bureaucracy in the implementation of JFM in Tamil Nadu, India. A detailed qualitative investigation conducted by a Forest Deparment insider provides the basis for preliminary conclusions about officials attitudes toward JFM and perceptions of its prospects."