Development of community infrastructure through community forestry funds: what infrastructure gets priority?

Abstract

Community forestry is a well established management form in Nepal. The success of
community forestry in improving the forest condition encouraged the government to initiate
some developmental works beyond the fulfillment of only basic forestry needs. This paper
seeks to explore the investment made by CFUGs in community infrastructures and their
priorities as well. Primary data from three mid-hill districts of Nepal were collected from
questionnaire survey of 100 CFUGs. The results suggested that community infrastructure
was the largest category of expenditures of CFUG funds wherein the majority of the
CFUG accorded investment priority to schools. This paper concludes that higher CFUG
income has led to a proportionately higher investment in community infrastructures and
suggests that it was necessary to increase CFUG income to promote investment in
community infrastructures. Investing CFUG funds on schools is a good harbinger of local
development that contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of
universal primary education.

Key words: CFUG; CFUG funds; community forestry; community infrastructures

DOI: 10.3126/banko.v20i1.3508

Banko Janakari, Vol. 20, No. 1 pp.44-50