Adaptive value of participatory biodiversity monitoring in community forestry

Background

This paper looks at using a conceptual framework (values, diversity, stakeholders) for forest monitoring, communication and conservation by villagers in Baglung District, Nepal. The goal was to assist local foresters in developing monitoring programs.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The paper highlights how the process and framework facilitated the exchange of values, viewpoints, and knowledge among participants. It also stresses how considering biodiversity is important precisely because of the vast differences in conception of the topic between outside groups and communities. Moreover, villagers’ ideas of a quality forest do not always correspond to biodiversity, but to the utility and greenness/lushness of the forest and sharing values resulted in critical thinking about forest management and benefit sharing and created management oriented toward more inclusive goals. The paper concludes that participatory monitoring involves bridging differences in perspective and values and can be very challenging and that the process of monitoring itself can help users understand their values.