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Abstract

The Livelihoods and Forestry programme focuses on reducing vulnerability and enhancing livelihood opportunities of rural poor people through active and sustainable management of forest resources. LFP supports over 4,500 Forest User Groups (FUGs) covering 527,000 households, which is about 70% of the population of the 15 districts in which it works.

LFP-supported community groups manage over 370,000 hectares of forest, resulting in improved forest
condition, biodiversity and ability to capture and store carbon (an estimated 700,000 tonnes of carbon sequestered annually.) LFP is building FUG capacity to cope with and adapt to effects of climate change, and working to ensure that the groups benefit financially from the environmental services their forests provide.

FUGs in LFP areas generated about NRs 120 million (£1mil) during 2007, of which 54% was from forest products, 25% from members, 6% from LFP and 16% from external resources. Annually the FUGs spend about NRs 23 mil (£192,000) on sustainable forest management activities. The groups generated 1.5 million days of paid employment in 2007 of which 85% was for the poorest households. 38,000 households are directly involved in income generating activities, and 96% of them are poor, (26% are Dalits and 44% are disadvantaged groups). FUGs have established 154 forest based micro-enterprises that specifically benefit more than 4,000 poor households. In addition 582 ha of barren public land has come under community management for income and enterprise development, benefiting more than 16,500 households, 57% of whom are poor and landless. In hill districts the average income of FUG households increased by 63% (poor families by 93%) between 2003-8 and preliminary findings estimate that 25,000 families came out of economic poverty.

Sixty-one thousand households from more than 1500 FUGs have been involved in small-scale infrastructure development activities. Of a total of NRs 80mil (£667,000) expenditure in 2007/8, FUGs spent 18% specifically on pro-poor revolving funds and 34% on community development projects. FUGs successfully leveraged about NRs 20mil (167,000) during 2007/8 from external sources for wider community development.

Provisions for poor and excluded households are legally ensured within all 2,200 newly updated FUG constitutions and operational plans. Increased access has been given to poor and excluded households to forest products and to a range of resources such as finance, land and skills development. Representation of women and poor people on FUG committees has increased from almost none to 36% and 52% respectively. Key position holders have increased to 40% for poor people, 6% for Dalits, 32% for women. 6,000 groups and networks of poor and excluded people have been established as forums for advocating rights and practicing having voice and influence. 110,000 households benefit from direct services from LFP through FUGs – covering 40% of identified poor households.

Over the 7 years 1770 local people were trained and mentored to provide social and technical support to FUGs as Community Facilitators and 44,000 FUG members have been trained in basic forest management. Core staff from 45 NGO partners are now competently running programmes for forest and community development and 4100 district Forest Office and Soil Conservation Office staff have been trained locally. About 20% of FUGs now support and mentor other less-capable FUGs in preparing forest inventories, operation plans and constitutions.