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Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh

Received: 13 July 2016     Accepted: 25 July 2016     Published: 10 August 2016
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Abstract

Participatory forestry (PF) plays a significant role to involve local communities and different actors in resources management and livelihood improvements. However, the power of important actors to misuse the PF for their self-interest has been stated as a key obstacle to success. Hence, this study seeks to identify the most powerful actors and the extent to which they affect PF decision- making and also to measure and evaluate the livelihood assets of participants. Empirical data were collected from Madhupur and Teknaf PF sites of Bangladesh during the different time intervals. The actors’ power analysis found out that the forest administration evidenced itself as the most powerful and influential actors in PF. In the case of livelihood analysis, the overall results indicated that the total value of PF members’ livelihood assets were 0.82 and 0.75 for Madhupur and Teknaf study sites. Livelihood asset conditions were significantly different between the PF members’ and non-members’ (0.65 and 0.62 for non-members’). However, the development of social and financial assets did not reveal a notable increase considering natural, physical and human assets. Therefore, it is very important to pay more attention to accelerate social and financial assets through intensive training, establishing conflicts resolution mechanism and adopting proper tree-crop technologies, and also provide alternative livelihood approaches to the forest dependent people. In addition, there is an immediate need to empower local PF members, by which the general members play the central role in decision making and governing all of their development activities.

Published in International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 1, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14
Page(s) 88-98
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Actor, Power, Participatory Forestry, Livelihood Assets, Bangladesh

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    K. K. Islam, Masakazu Tani, Kazuo Asahiro, M. Zulfikar Rahman, Kimihiko Hyakumura, et al. (2016). Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 1(3), 88-98. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14

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    ACS Style

    K. K. Islam; Masakazu Tani; Kazuo Asahiro; M. Zulfikar Rahman; Kimihiko Hyakumura, et al. Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2016, 1(3), 88-98. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14

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    AMA Style

    K. K. Islam, Masakazu Tani, Kazuo Asahiro, M. Zulfikar Rahman, Kimihiko Hyakumura, et al. Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2016;1(3):88-98. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14,
      author = {K. K. Islam and Masakazu Tani and Kazuo Asahiro and M. Zulfikar Rahman and Kimihiko Hyakumura and Takahiro Fujiwara and Noriko Sato},
      title = {Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh},
      journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
      volume = {1},
      number = {3},
      pages = {88-98},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20160103.14},
      abstract = {Participatory forestry (PF) plays a significant role to involve local communities and different actors in resources management and livelihood improvements. However, the power of important actors to misuse the PF for their self-interest has been stated as a key obstacle to success. Hence, this study seeks to identify the most powerful actors and the extent to which they affect PF decision- making and also to measure and evaluate the livelihood assets of participants. Empirical data were collected from Madhupur and Teknaf PF sites of Bangladesh during the different time intervals. The actors’ power analysis found out that the forest administration evidenced itself as the most powerful and influential actors in PF. In the case of livelihood analysis, the overall results indicated that the total value of PF members’ livelihood assets were 0.82 and 0.75 for Madhupur and Teknaf study sites. Livelihood asset conditions were significantly different between the PF members’ and non-members’ (0.65 and 0.62 for non-members’). However, the development of social and financial assets did not reveal a notable increase considering natural, physical and human assets. Therefore, it is very important to pay more attention to accelerate social and financial assets through intensive training, establishing conflicts resolution mechanism and adopting proper tree-crop technologies, and also provide alternative livelihood approaches to the forest dependent people. In addition, there is an immediate need to empower local PF members, by which the general members play the central role in decision making and governing all of their development activities.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Analysis of Power Dynamics and Livelihood Assets in Participatory Forest Management: Experience from Bangladesh
    AU  - K. K. Islam
    AU  - Masakazu Tani
    AU  - Kazuo Asahiro
    AU  - M. Zulfikar Rahman
    AU  - Kimihiko Hyakumura
    AU  - Takahiro Fujiwara
    AU  - Noriko Sato
    Y1  - 2016/08/10
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14
    T2  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JF  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JO  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    SP  - 88
    EP  - 98
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3061
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20160103.14
    AB  - Participatory forestry (PF) plays a significant role to involve local communities and different actors in resources management and livelihood improvements. However, the power of important actors to misuse the PF for their self-interest has been stated as a key obstacle to success. Hence, this study seeks to identify the most powerful actors and the extent to which they affect PF decision- making and also to measure and evaluate the livelihood assets of participants. Empirical data were collected from Madhupur and Teknaf PF sites of Bangladesh during the different time intervals. The actors’ power analysis found out that the forest administration evidenced itself as the most powerful and influential actors in PF. In the case of livelihood analysis, the overall results indicated that the total value of PF members’ livelihood assets were 0.82 and 0.75 for Madhupur and Teknaf study sites. Livelihood asset conditions were significantly different between the PF members’ and non-members’ (0.65 and 0.62 for non-members’). However, the development of social and financial assets did not reveal a notable increase considering natural, physical and human assets. Therefore, it is very important to pay more attention to accelerate social and financial assets through intensive training, establishing conflicts resolution mechanism and adopting proper tree-crop technologies, and also provide alternative livelihood approaches to the forest dependent people. In addition, there is an immediate need to empower local PF members, by which the general members play the central role in decision making and governing all of their development activities.
    VL  - 1
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh City, Bangladesh

  • Department of Environmental Design, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan

  • Department of Environmental Design, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan

  • Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh City, Bangladesh

  • Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan

  • Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan

  • Forest Policy laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan

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