Community Involvement in Forest Management: A Social Analysis of Joint Forest Management in Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT With the formulation of Joint Forest Management Programme in India, the involvement of communities in forest management has been recognised as a sustainable way of forest resource management. Nevertheless, research conducted on the experiences of Joint Forest Management reveals that there are lots of inherent factors that determine the success or failure of such forestry programmes. The present article is the outcome of a research project conducted in the Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra state among some Joint Forest Management Committees. Using primary and secondary sources of information, the study investigates the characteristics of the resources, the characteristic of community, the characteristics of rules, the context of the socio-economic environment and the extent of participation of JFMC members in forest management activities and hereby tries to find out the reasons for success and failure of forest management programmes.