Posted on July, 23 2008

The latest addition to the sustainable livelihoods series, "Livelihoods Outcomes: Study and Analysis of Changes of Bottleneck Level Community Forest Users, TAL", features the changes in livelihoods of community forest users living in the Lamahi Bottleneck Area of the Tarai Arc Landscape Program. 

The study shows how people’s livelihoods status is going through a change after being involved in managing and sustainably using the community forests in their areas. The overall objective of the study was to find out how the change is occurring at household levels and how the institutional capacity to manage and involve local users is increasing, attracting meaningful and active participation of local people.

The study comprises of two different study tools - use of institutional and household survey forms and use of perception analysis methods applied at different stages for different groups. The study was carried out in the mid-western part of the Terai Arc Landscape Program bordering with India in the southern part. The study site is one of the key bottlenecks and corridors for endangered species like Asian Elephant and Royal Bengal Tiger.

According to analyzed results, some significant improvement on livelihoods on local households could be found, such as:

- More than 1/4 of are using energy efficient devices and 20% of total biogas are attached with toilets
- About 70 per cent have at least six month food sufficiency
- 84 per cent have access to improved drinking water
- Over 1/3 one third of household members have obtained at least one capacity building or skills based trainings

A majority of community households are also able to install toilet attached biogas plants which reduce workload of women and children significantly, reduce grazing pressure on forests and the reduce the occurrence of water and airborne diseases.

In the end, the conclusions and recommendations of this study have shown the way to the strategic feedback to WWF Nepal and its partners for the kinds of issues that need to be addressed in this development and conservation programs for livelihoods.