Question

Case study on the tribal people in nagaland

Answer 1

"Nagaland, a tribal state located in the North-eastern part of India is comprised of eighteen tribes with almost 80% of the natural resources under the control of the communities. It has a rich biodiversity with abundant forest resources. Agriculture has been the main economy and forest the main source of livelihood for these communities. The different Naga communities according to their own specific administrative and institutional structures manage these resources. In recent years, however, there has been a gradual shift in the role of community forest management (CFM). "As a result of several structural and socio-economic changes in the region, the significance, importance, relevance and implications of CFM are major issues that need to be addressed urgently. The introduction of modern institutions for the management and control of natural resources and the shift from a traditional selfaffluent economy to a market oriented economy make this commons untenable. The commons which has been managed by vibrant traditional socio-cultural institutions has gradually become ineffective for the above reasons. The current trend depicts an increasingly shrinking role of the community forest management hinting at an undesirable and uncertain future. It also threatens the sustainability of the forest resource and has raised adverse sustainable livelihood issues for these communities. "In this context, this paper attempts to explore CFM in Nagaland. It engages three major issues related to CFM. Firstly, it explores the role of the village/community institutions vis-à-vis forest managementcentering on the structural differences and changes. Secondly, it investigates the relationship between CFM and sustainable livelihood of the rural communities in the context of rapid socio-economic changes. Finally, it examines the sustainability of forest resources in the face of market economy and globalisation."