How Good is the Governance Status in Community Forestry? A Case Study from Midhills in Nepal

Five representative community forest user groups (CFUGs) from Gorkha district in Nepal were studied in order to evaluate the status of good governance in community forestry (CF). Eight criteria and their local indicators were employed to quantify the governance status in CF using simple mathematical procedures. Results show that overall governance level ranges from 70.7% to 79.8%. Among the eight criteria, “consensus-oriented” received the highest score (90.72%), and “accountability” acquired the lowest score (65.34%). Lack of accountability was the striking factor in all CFUGs. Crafting CFUGs and their executive committees more accountable and responsive to all CFUG users including poor, women, and disadvantaged groups, was one of the major challenges. However, the practice of regular auditing of CFUG funds, maintenance of records and other documents, and inclusion of women and poor in the executive committee were some striking opportunities. Because of the inequitable distribution system of forest products, the gap between the rich and poor users is widening and the involvement of poor and marginalized members in CFUG activities has been decreasing. 1. Introduction Governance is generally defined as the process of decision-making by which decisions are implemented or not. Governance is a neutral term, and it turns out to be good if its attributes are in accordance with the principles of governance [1]. Good governance has eight major characteristics as stated by UNESCAP: the rule of law, participation, consensus, accountability, transparency, responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness, and equity and inclusiveness. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of marginalized and disadvantaged people are taken into account, and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in the decision-making process [2]. Even though the concept of good governance is abstract and almost impossible to achieve in its integrity, it is regarded as a crucial direction to achieve the millennium development goals and to eradicate extreme poverty [3]. The World Bank has operated a specific “Demand for Good Governance” concept which refers to the ability of citizens and other stakeholders to hold the state accountable and to make it responsive to their needs. On the current paradigm shift processes of forest tenure reform throughout the world, and forest governance represents a major issue in the participatory common resource management approach. Since the mid-1980s, most of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have initiated