Community forestry reinventing itself in Nepal

Based on a review of discussion of the earlier chapters in the book, Chapter 10 argues that community forestry in Nepal has been a very successful program in contributing to forest restoration and conservation. It has also made contributions to improved livelihoods and local governance. However, it has been less successful in addressing issues concerning equitable sharing of benefits and empowerment of disadvantaged groups in Nepali society. It is argued that community forestry has evolved greatly since it was first introduced and that this evolution has brought new agenda and involved adaptation to changing contexts. Recent changes in Nepali society, especially those developing from the ‘remittance economy’, have led to massive changes in the context within which community forestry operates. The chapter explores the implications of these changes to community forestry and some ways it may need to adapt to meet changing circumstances.