The increasing rate of forests depletion in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan has brought into focus the shortfall of traditional state controlled systems of forest management in sustaining the forest resource base. The participatory approach of forest management in NWFP was started in the early 1990s through Asian Development Bank funded Forestry Sector Project. The forest reforms seek to initiate a process of eliminating the fundamental causes of the depletion of forest resources through participation of various stakeholders. In this context this paper presents the findings from an empirical study conducted in the two case study villages, one each in Mansehra and Swat districts of NWFP, respectively. The objective of the study was to analyze the forest use pattern, livelihood strategies, and the extent of participation/degree of trust of local people on various local level institutions.
