Joint Forest Management
(JFM) seeks to develop healthy partnerships between local community institutions
and State Forest departments.
The National Forest Policy
of 1988 and the subsequent Circular on the subject by Government of India
led to the formation of Joint Forest Management in the country. As on 10.9.2003,
17.32 million ha of forests in 27 States are managed by 84601 JFM Committees.
JFM is popularly known
in Kerala as Participatory Forest Management (PFM). Kerala Forest Department
started PFM in selected villages along the forest fringes and within the reserves
in 1998 with World Bank aid.
Kerala Forest Department
is implementing PFM through Vana Samrakshana Samithies (VSS). The present
study on Participatory approach to Forest Management is confined to the selected
three Vana Samrakshana Samithies in the southern Circle of Kerala Forest Department
viz. Vanchiyode, Palaruvi and Kurumbamoozhy. The ecological, social, gender
related, economic and institutional issues are considered for assessing the
performance of VSS.
The activities of the
selected VSS are at its infant stage and it is too early to assess their achievements.
The level of participation of communities in the activities of VSS is well
established in Vana Samrakshana Samithy, Kurumbamoozhi. In Palaruvi the level
of participation of the communities is moderate and in Vanchiyode it is very
low.
The factors identified
for the success of Vana Samrakshana Samithies are effective communal leadership,
change in the attitude of Forest Department Officials, sensitisation of the
communities, fire protection and the role of Non Government Individuals. The
factors that retard the progress are diverse interests of communal and political
groups.