The book is the outcome of a research project 'Management of Knowledge System in Natural Resources: Exploring Policy and Institutional Framework in Nepal' undertaken by ForestAction Nepal with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. When the research project was completed with a set of case studies and a review of theories related to knowledge systems and governance and shared the findings with a network of readers, feedback was very encouraging. This led to compiling the work as a book so that the empirical findings and insights emerging from the analysis could be disseminated to a wider audience. While preparing the case study reports, it was seen that the insights could be potentially beneficial to the policy makers, researchers, planners and field practitioners for developing an understanding of the knowledge systems and their deliberative interface. This idea was materialised with a generous and continued support from IDRC. It is hoped that the compilation of case studies on natural resources, in the light of critical and theoretical insights, will help understanding of the intricacies of knowledge systems as they relate to governance practices. There is indeed a continuing need for better understanding of the contexts, processes and outcomes of the production of knowledge and its application in various facets of governance of human society. In this context, the main goal of presenting the case studies in this book has been to understand how different systems of knowledge operate in the field of natural resource management, and what factors and conditions affect the process of deliberation among such knowledge systems. Four key systems of knowledge in Nepal have been categorized based on the political perspectives and ideologies, which social agents bring in the discourses and practices of natural resource governance.
