A SWOT Analysis of Community Forest Operational Plan

A SWOT Analysis of Community Forest Operational Plan

(A case of Community Forest, Kapilvastu)

Introduction

Forest and biodiversity are important resources of our country. There is an integral relationship between the forest and the people. Forest management in Nepal has a history of the paradigm shift from protection oriented to more production and benefit-oriented approach. After the Government of Nepal realized forest could only be managed with a participatory approach with local people, community forestry management regime was started. People are managing forests through community forest since 4 decades.

Fulbari Community Forest is located in Kapilvastu district with an area of 363.46 ha. The forest was handed over to Community Forestry Users' Group (CFUG) in 2059 BS. About 515 users are managing the forest. The forest is a natural forest with Sal, Jamun, Asna, and Karma as the major species. The forest has a crown density of 65%.

After people started to manage and conserve it as a community forest, haphazard cutting was controlled and forest condition also gets improved. This resulted in a positive effect in the forest and fulfil the demand and needs of forest product of local people to some extent. This operational plan was prepared to implement scientific forest management the program according to the need of users.

To run any project or program successfully there should be a legal or planned document. The operational plan is the legal document for operating various technical, social and other activities within and outside the forest. It is not confined to silvicultural and management aspects of the forest only, but it also covers other activities. In community forestry, the operation plan is the legal document within which any program or activities must be centred.

In this report, the main aim is to study the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of the community forestry operational plan to discover recommendations and strategies, with a focus on leveraging strengths and opportunities to overcome weaknesses and threats.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis (or SWOT matrix) is a strategic planning technique used to help a person or organization identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to business competition or project planning.

The primary objective of a SWOT analysis is to develop a full awareness of all the factors involved in making a decision.

Elements of SWOT:

Strength: Strengths are internal, positive attributes that are within our control.

Weakness: Negative factor that detracts from our strength. These are things that our project need to be competitive.

Opportunities: External factors that are likely to contribute to success.

Threats: External factors that are likely to detract our mission.

SWOT Analysis of Operational Plan

Strengths:

1.    People have a sense of unity and collaboration in different forest management activities. All people have equal role and duty for the forest conservation and management, control of forest fire, forest management works.

2.    There is a provision of punishment when people disobey rules. They will be punished or fined in case of illegal grazing, forest firing, and forest encroachment according to the operational plan.

3.    Distribution of forest products to forest users is also a strength of the operational plan. Forest products will be distributed according to the demand of users.

4.    There is a provision of income Generating Activities (IGA) to the poor household of community forest through the collaboration with non- governmental organizations.

5.    Biodiversity conservation is also the strength of the operational plan. All flora/ fauna inside the community forest is protected.

6.    Social development is also a part of the operational plan. The income is spent on schools, roads, temples.

Weakness:

1.    Limited technical capacity, machinery and material to produce and process products.

2.    The operational plan has undergone towards more production approach of management.

3.    Indigenous people rights, people who are dependent on this forest for a very long time, is not addressed in the operational plan.

4.    This is money-oriented approach, so forest committee might fall in the temptation of outsiders.

5.    Sal species is found more in number in the forest whereas, other species are very low/ha. The harvesting of a forest may lead to monoculture cropping.

 Opportunities:

1.    Forest could also provide environmental service through the sustainable management of the forest.

2.    Community the forest can supply forest product in a sustainable way to the users.

3.    Provide employment opportunity to the poor household for their livelihood improvement.

4.    Climate change vulnerabilities could be reduced through carbon trade opportunities.

5.    Members of CFUG are also committed to the sustainable management of forest resources.

6.    The demand is low concerning the production of annual production. So there is an opportunity to supply/sell forest product outside the community forest for income generation.

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Threats:

1.    Elite people could capture forest resources and benefit-sharing could be violated.

2.    Forest could be heavily destroyed due to overexploitation of resources.

3.    The conservation of culturally, socially and historically important areas may not conserved.

4.    Women, socially marginalized, poor, Dalits might not get benefited from forest resources and their voices may not be heard.

5.    Climate change and REDD+ may be led to more protection oriented forestry.