A micro-level study in impact of conflict in community based forest resource management in hills of Nepal

From historical time, forest resources are performing a vital role in the livelihood of Nepalese people and the national economy. Due to its importance, the institutions to manage those resources have been the main target of different political conflicts and wars. This study gives a micro-level evidence of the impact of current Maoist?s movement on community based forest resource management in Nepal. The study uses the field study data of 2001 and 2005. It presents the effect of the conflict in household participation in community based forest management, changes in forest resource entitlement, effect in leadership, enforcement mechanism and it also shows how the Maoist movement has effectively capitalized on the forest resources and its dependents to make the movement effective. The paper presents the study of two districts Lalitpur (urban and rural areas) and Dadeldhura of Nepal. Dadeldhura district is the most affected area by Maoist movement and Lalitpur is semi-affected area.