Uncommons in the Commons: Community Initiated Forest Resource Management

This book delves into the intriguing question of why CPR dependent communities, often surrounded by similar circumstances, respond differently and adopt different strategies when faced with similar problems. In this respect it closely studies five truly "uncommon" forest dependant communities, where each one has come up with its own unique solution to its common problems. Heavy forest dependence and absence of territorial rights over the forest made the "circumstances" similar for all the five communities. Yet, they not only differ in their perception of the problems, but also in the solutions they found and the paths they followed for reaching them. While Saigata and Mendha have protected and rejuvenated their respective forests at their own initiative and with subsequent help from the formal institution (the Forest Department), Lakhapur chose to do so without state assistance. The fourth study-village, Maral Mendha, preferred to remain totally uninfluenced by the successful attempt by its neighbour Saigata. Lekha, on the other hand, seems to be learning from neighbour Mendha and shows early signs of beginnings of collective efforts for forest protection now after years of indifference. The book, apart from thoroughly analyzing the process, of formation and working of community forest associations (wherever they existed), tries to identify the factors responsible for success of community efforts in some places, partial success in some, failure in some others and altogether lack of initiative in still others. The uniqueness of each village provides the necessary number of specimens required to make the study a complete research work.