Resilience and the Village Forest Commons in the Context of Economic and Urban Growth, Manali, H.P., India

Abstract

"The village forest commons in the Kullu District of the Western Himalayas forms an integral part of the local system of land use and land management. Recent development and expansion of the tourism industry and commercial horticulture has resulted in increased pressure on the forests in the area and therefore also on the larger social-ecological system. This analysis focuses on the institutions in the area that contribute to the management of the forest and specifically on the institutional responses to changes to the forest resulting from recent pressures. The state Forest Department, the mahila mandal (village women's organization), joint forest management committees, and village level rules-in-use are institutions considered that operate at various levels and contribute to the management of the forests in the Kullu District. Institutional responses such as the establishment of fuelwood depots and forest watches are assessed as to whether their actions promoting the resilience of the social- ecological system. This paper is a collaborative effort, primarily based on field research carried out in the area surrounding the town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh, India in the summer and fall of 1999. Three villages in the area were selected as case studies and the paper draws on the comments of local people recorded during semi- structured interviews."