Iben Nathan

Constraints and Options in Local Forest Management in Cambodia: Is Decentralization a Solution?

In Cambodia there is an urgent need to ensure the livelihood of the forest-dependent rural poor while at the same time sustaining valuable forest resources. As past centralized forest management regimes have failed, international scholars and development practitioners increasingly recommend the decentralization of power in favor of granting authority over forest management to commune councils. Drawing on experience from community forestry and commune councils, this article argues that in Cambodia democratic decentralization, understood as a transfer of significant domains of discretionary power and authority to downwards accountable local institutions, is unlikely to work unless: (a) the communities get access to substantial benefits from the forests, and (b) they are enabled to deal with strong external and internal actors and conflicting interests. This requires support from the state, but the national government in Cambodia is weak and represents a major constraint in itself. Hence, this article calls for increased focus on the role of the state in theory about decentralized forest management.

Exploring the Potentials of Community-Based Natural Resource Management for Benefiting Local Communities: Policies and Practice in Four Communities in Andhra Pradesh, India

This article contributes to the debate about the potentials of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) for benefiting local communities. It is based on a case study of the implementation of joint forest management (JFM) policies in four communities in Andhra Pradesh, India. The case study results show varying outcomes across communities, both intended and unintended. The article argues that attributes of communities and relationships of power play significant roles in producing differing policy outcomes in the communities. Furthermore, the article identifies educational levels of and internal power relations in the communities as important factors that influence the actual results of JFM policies. The article concludes that an analytical focus on the dynamic interaction between policies and local contexts and increased “reflexibility” in the design and implementation of CBNRM are required for such initiatives to realize their potentials.

Under What Conditions Can Local Government Nurture Indigenous People’s Democratic Practice? A Case Study of Two Ho Village Assemblies in Jharkhand

Abstract This paper asks whether and under what conditions participatory local government can best nurture indigenous peoples’ democratic practice. Based on fieldwork in two similar Ho communities in the Indian state Jharkhand, we show that their village assemblies function differently with regard to meetings, wood access regulation, development projects, and participation. Neither prevents exclusion and co- option. This supports the argument that while local governments can hardly challenge existing power structures, they can under certain conditions nurture democratic practice and democratisation. Our study indicates that high literacy, social cohesion, active state support, and proactive leadership are conditions under which this best happens.