Leasehold Forestry: An Endeavour to Reduce Poverty

Journal of Poverty Investment and Development, 2015

The official data as of 2010/11 affirms around 25 percent Nepali live under absolute poverty line. The poverty line is derived at annual per capita earning of $225 as of 2013 December. There are debates whether the poverty line really defines basic necessities of survival. On contrary, the Human Poverty Index shows 44 percent of Nepali are deprived of basic education, health and access to resources. Achieving sustainable human development is highly regarded and committed development goal in Nepal as elsewhere. However, the existing poverty indicators are putting a serve challenge how really these goals can be achieved by a defined target of 2020. Distribution of poverty across the country varies with high severity in rural mountain and low in urban areas. Despite illustrating development efforts, there is still a sharp divide in development inputs, process and outcomes. The development policies of Nepal have less room to criticise. However, the implementation status and results explain different but gloomy phenomenon. Being poor means having multiple characteristics which denies recognition, share in resources and opportunities, participation in decision making and influencing the processes that affect themselves which as a result challenges their survival freedom. Empowering poor, disadvantaged and marginalized and developing their wealth asset including education, health and employment must be the central agenda of the development planning in Nepal in order to achieve sustainable human development.

Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 2009

This paper deals with the priority problems and their underlying causes of the forest and tree dependent poor -resource-poor farmers, landless, small artisan and urban/peri-urban poor -in Nepal, from their own and support agencies' perspectives. The paper is based on a survey conducted in seven districts of Nepal wherein 79 poor people and 65 staff members of support institutions were interviewed. The authors have identified the priority of the identified problems according to the frequency of their reference by the poor. These issues are discussed in seven categories, ranging from daily food insecurity to entrepreneurship development. The results demonstrate that the forestdependent poor have diverse and complex livelihood related problems, which are frequently, but may not directly and exclusively, linked to forestry, per se. As such there is a need for a more continuous holistic and political approach encompassing not only economic but also cultural and social aspects for poverty reduction, in contrast with the existing technical, sectoral and linear approaches.

Global South Development Magazine, 2013

This short essay discusses the issue of poverty in Nepal. Despite a number of poverty-reduction programs run by a myriad of actors, poverty in Nepal is still rampant, and the country remains one of the poorest countries in the world. In this essay, I argue that many poverty alleviation programs in Nepal failed because they isolated poverty as an economic and growth problem, whereas, poverty should have been identified and tackled as a political and a human rights issue. I begin the essay by briefly sharing my own experience of poverty while growing up in rural Nepal. I, then, explore the overall poverty scenario in Nepal and analyze a few major causes and consequences of poverty in the country. After offering an overview of poverty reduction approaches in Nepal, I conclude the essay with a few recommendations intended for organizations and policymakers formulating poverty-alleviation strategies in Nepal.

2012

This paper descriptively analyzes the poverty scenario in Nepal and particularly focuses on poverty and the macroeconomic condition, trends and dimensions of poverty, periodic development plans and their effect on poverty and finally the situation of the Millennium Development Goals in Nepal. The practice for the implementation of the organized fiscal budget has already been more than six decades, however, Nepal still suffers from poverty coupled with low economic growth, unemployment, inequality and political instability. Achieving the target of poverty reduction seems to be a very daunting task albeit many development plans keep poverty reduction as a top priority.

2020

Poverty is not only the severe economic condition of people but it is also the cultural, ethical, social, political, psychological and economic imperative of mankind. It is one of the distressing circumstancesof people in developing countries have to contend with in their daily lives. It is common among the low and middle income class in these countries like Nepal.This research is based on the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) such as those related to education, health, material wellbeing, energy, water and sanitation, structure of house, and access to other services, varies considerably in seven provinces of Nepal. It illustrates the importance of location-specific data in the development of effective poverty reduction strategies of federal and provincial governments.The MPI shows that, the 28.6% of the people of Nepal are still multi-dimensionally poor meaning that their lives are battered by several deprivations simultaneously. This paper also discusses about the trends and me...

Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 2009

This paper examines the evolution of the policy and legislation in Nepal's forestry sector. The analysis reveals that there is a congenial environment for participatory forestry to contribute to the goal of poverty reduction in the country. While forestry in Nepal has mostly benefited the state authorities and the elite and did not give much consideration to the needs of the poor in the past, the policy and legislation in the country from the 1970s has evolved from being restrictive for public use, alienating the local people from the resources, to being open for improved utilization, increased participation of people and stakeholders, ensuring benefits to the local users, and regarding forestry as a potential vehicle for poverty reduction. The paper concludes that participatory forestry also stands out as a good example of Nepal's commitment towards decentralization and democratic principles.

2006

This research studies the effects on income and em ployment when externally imposed policies constrain use of common forest resources. Using a mixed-integer linear programming model, the study examines the impacts of cons ervation-oriented community forest policies in Nepal on three household income groups. The results show that current community forest policies, which direct forest use towards environment conservation and timber production, cause large reductions in employment and income of the poorest households and largely explain the recent increase in rural poverty.

The European Journal of Comparative Economics, 2004

This paper makes an assessment of Nepalese poverty situation during 1977-1997 using a comparative static approach. Income and human poverty indices have been estimated using World Bank and UNDP methods, respectively. Moreover, it also makes exploratory analysis to study the causes and nature of Nepalese poverty. It concludes that Nepalese income poverty was drastically reduced during the period 1976/77-1984/85, but increased afterwards. However, human poverty has reduced in sustenance during the whole period. Poverty in Nepal is more pervasive, deep and uneven as compared to the rest of the South Asia. Comparing the income and human poverty indices, we conclude that income poverty is volatile as compared to the human poverty. Poverty in Nepal has some economic, demographic, and political origins; and more remote and occupational caste people are poorer as compared to the rest.

Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 2009

This paper examines the impact of armed conflict on the lives of the forest-dependent poor in Nepal. Based on a survey study carried out in four districts among forest-dependent poor and their service providers, the findings show that the armed conflict is severely affecting the lives and living conditions of the poor. The lack of food, drinking water, education, health care and employment opportunities has made them more vulnerable. The conflict has contributed on the disruption of social security, communal bonds, friendship and brotherhoods, trust and local hospitalities and it has planted frustration in these populations. Optimism of the poor is waning. However, they still want to see peace restored.Priority Problems of Forest Dependent Poor People in conflict situation in Nepal Keywords: forest-dependent poor, poverty, insurgency, poor doi: 10.3126/jfl.v5i1.1975 Journal of Forest and Livelihood 5(1) February, 2006 pp.14-21