Community forestry development research in South East Asia : findings of a synthesis study of IDRC supported projects in Cambodia, NE India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines and Vietnam

Ten IDRC-supported community forestry projects in six countries were selected for this synthesis study. A sizable part of the rural population in these countries are designated as ‘encroachers’ or ‘trespassers’ in the ‘forest.’ Many of these forest users claim long standing customary rights to the area, some of which are formally recognized in state law, but seldom in practice. To identify the key challenges in community forestry development, the evaluation explores activities as well as challenges in the relationships between rural people, as well as other institutional factors in the forestry sector that influence community-based forestry management (CBFM).