HIMALI JADIBUTI SAROKAR SAMUHA
- Bhishma P. Subedi and Hari Dhungana*
With a step forward to conventional community forestry practices, second generation community forestry entails reorientation in processes, approaches and allocation of resources towards ensuring decent livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. There are examples to indicate forest user groups (FUGs) or local enterprises or other institutions experiencing some form of transformation in the learning process of community forestry. This change is premised upon the fact that the greater the sustained economic incentives, the higher motivation for conservation of resource base particularly Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). Increasing recognition of role of NTFPs in livelihoods generation of communities also marks the shift in conventional community forest management practices.
NTFP subsector includes five components: a) NTFP and associated forest resources; b) stakeholders of NTFP; c) market; d) technology; and e) policy and regulatory environment. Most of outcomes of initiatives on any or all these subsector components are affected by the interplay among and within these components. Many attempts are underway that focus on specific subsector components and tend to be severely constrained to success by their incompleteness in coverage. We cannot expect for example to rule out other subsector components while conserving or otherwise promoting NTFP and associated forest resources. With the experience of over 7 years in the NTFP subsector, ANSAB is making efforts to consolidate whole the NTFP sub-sector of Nepal in its entirety.
Even if all NTFP subsector components are dynamic, the fifth component of NTFP policy and regulatory environment experiences higher level of uncertainty, contradictions and inconsistencies. This reality is realized at various levels, yet attempts to avoid or minimize these anomalies and aberrations are still an unfulfilled experience. Despite vast wealth of NTFP resources in Nepal Himalaya there have been certain procedural, structural and other gaps in regulatory and policy environment to enable communities sufficiently benefit out of the use and management of these resources. Deliberations at various forums across broad array of stakeholders indicate that areas such as the following require revisits in the policy component of the NTFP sub-sector:
Democratizing evolution and stipulation of policies and promulgation of regulations;
Adapting actions and interventions with changes in subsector components;
Imparting broad-based appreciation and acceptance of policy or regulatory packages.
Initiatives of ANSAB in enterprise based biodiversity conservation, particularly in the process of establishing sustained positive linkages across conserving NTFP resources and generating livelihoods, have included components that aim to address the ever-evolving set of challenges and issues. Global Conservation Program (GCP) funded Enterprise Based Biodiversity Conservation Project, for instance, is based on devolutionary planning process and attempts are underway to constructively link and integrate concerns evidenced in project implementation with those of policy formulation processes.
This paper briefly discusses an innovative partnership mechanism co-created and being consolidated to generate policy debates to lead to an enabling policy and regulatory environment in NTFP sub-sector.
A workshop was organized in August 2000 to review progress of Enterprise Based Biodiversity Conservation Project and to plan a set of activities for the second year of the project. The workshop brought together representatives and officials from District Development Committees (DDC), Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN), Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC) andDepartment of Forests (DoF), ANSAB and some other non-governmental organizations (NGO). District officials and local body representatives were represented from Karnali zone and Bajhang district where ANSAB is implementing this project.
While discussing project-relevant issues on conservation, development and management of jadibuti resources of the region, the participants from both government and non-governmental sector raised the need for consolidation of efforts of Himali jadibuti stake
holders in developing more pragmatic policies and regulations that ensure both livelihood concerns of local people, while positively contributing to the national priorities. It was understood and appreciated that government authorities tend to maintain status quo in their traditional processes of policy formulation. The current practice in many instances happens to be indifferent to ground needs and changing environments. As local governments and civil societies are more closely associated with the people and therefore are better cognizant of their needs and priorities, the workshop participants realized that a forum of such group of people would be instrumental to raise concerns of grassroots people to ensure their effective say in the use and management of NTFP resources, and sharing of benefits arising out of it.
Himali Jadibuti Sarokar Samuha was conceived during this workshop to contribute to developing pragmatic policies in NTFP sector. Himali Jadibuti Sarokar Samuha (HJSS) was then formed to include non-governmental stakeholders associated to all districts of Karnali zone and bajhang district in Seti zone. It was considered that government stakeholders at district levels would be constrained to participate in policy advocacy for reforms in the NTFP sub-sector.
The goal and objectives of HJSS was first discussed in August 2000, and reviewed and finalized in 2001. The main goal of the HJSS is to contribute to the development of appropriate policies in the NTFP and biodiversity sector in the context of Himalaya of Nepal. To achieve this goal HJSS will work on the following four key objectives:
· Periodically review and synthesize field realities
relating to the NTFP resource utilization, conservation
and marketing in the western Nepal Himalaya
· Identify concrete policy issues, conclusions and
lessons
· Disseminate the identified issues and the options
through the media
· Apprise the relevant authorities of the policy issues
and provide them options for policy development and
improved implementation
HJSS was agreed to be an informal, non-political and independent group of organizations having similar visions in the NTFP management sector. Since there is no formal line of command and organizational structure within the group, self-commitment, mutual understanding and willingness to work collaboratively are the key forces that sustain the group.
At present the group has a focus of western Himalaya,
and if similar stakeholder from other Himalayan regions of the country show their interests to work together for the same cause, the HJSS may welcome similar representations from across the country. As HJSS was conceived in the year 2000, it did not take its organizational shape over one year. ANSAB in consultation with HJSS members considered the need to expedite its organizational process. The first meeting of HJSS, held in August 2001, was also instrumental to define its structure and relations across three different entities (i.e. General Members, Executive Committee, and Steering Committee).
The current composition of the HJSS is as follows:
Members of Parliament (MPs) of Karnali Zone and Bajhang district; DDC Chairpersons of Karnali Zone and Bajhang; District FECOFUN chairpersons of Karnali Zone and Bajhang ANSAB Coordinator
The first meeting of HJSS also recognized the establishment of its district chapters though it is not prerequisite to the organization. These chapters may be constituted based on district-specific needs and also on commitment of stakeholders not included in other entities.
HJSS has been conceived to play unique roles in dealing with matters of regulatory and policy processes associated to Himalayan NTFP development in Nepal. Amid a growing number of organizations and networks, the HJSS has many advantages with respect to its unique nature, structure, themes and processes. To serve the goal and objectives, HJSS would require three broad categories of activities.
a. Implementation of projects/programs
The HJSS members have unique opportunities and strengths to associate in variety of ways with activities, programs, projects or other relevant affairs relating to conservation, management, use, trade or other sort of enterprise on NTFPs. DDC for instance through local governance and other decentralization regulations is associated to regulate trade or transit of NTFPs out of the district. Similarly ANSAB is vibrantly expanding its activities across whole of NTFP subsector and deserves the potential to influence in virtually all of the subsector components in synergistic patterns. The implementation of diverse programs or projects from organizations representing HJSS members provides insights to further explore potential of NTFPs in the rural livelihoods and thereby adapt advocacy and lobby initiatives in a direction that will secures the interests of forest-dependent communities.
b. Analysis of policy issues
HJSS provides a forum and mechanism for analyzing policy
and regulatory issues across both horizontal and vertical continuum involved in Nepal's policy development and implementation process. The first meeting of HJSS has developed a mechanism to pass issues through a rigorous process whereby all relevant stakeholders participate in deliberations, and provisions are in place to ensure that the concerns of the grassroots people and organizations are duly accounted. On the other side the concern and interests of policy or regulatory organizations are shared at various levels so as to scrutinize their logical linkages with the interests of other stakeholders.
c. Advocacy for Enabling policy and
regulations
A number of advocacy approaches are already in place as has been adopted in different fields. HJSS is set to adopt unique advocacy initiatives towards developing enabling policy and regulations on NTFP sub-sector with special focus on Himalayan region.
Collaborative Efforts : HJSS initiates advocacy debates based on shared needs and realization of issues of interest. Advocacy activities will proceed in a collaborative manner, each category of stakeholder being recognized for their unique roles.
Rigorous Process : Issues of the NTFP subsector are complex and deserve a well thought out process to analyze them to make meaningful recommendations. Two way horizontal as well as vertical communication across HJSS members provides way for broader sharing of issues and consequently higher level of appreciation and commitments.
Diversity in Approach : Diverse advocacy approaches are required to deal with diverse issues. At times, HJSS is required to deal with district level government stakeholders, while in other instances with the Parliament, Ministries, National Planning Commission or DoF as cases may require.
Himali Jadibuti Sarokar Samuha (HJSS) entails an evolving mechanism to contribute to development of pragmatic policies and regulations governing the NTFP sub-sector in Nepal. Through diverse representation in the organization and appreciation of stakes of grassroots people and other stakeholders, it strives to promote constructive debates to democratize policy formulation processes. HJSS would require and deserve further commitment of its members on one hand and support of other organizations and professionals on the other to serve its cause.
* The authors are respectively Dierector and Forestry Officer at ANSAB