RURAL DEVELOPMENT : COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The forest is a significant natural resource that nature has provided to humankind. The protection and development of forest resources affects the global environment as well as a nation's population and economy. Development of forests involves the extension of the resource base, whereas conservation of forests implies the preservation and control of the resource. In the light of their long-standing cohabitation, the preservation and development of forest resources are closely linked to the means of subsistence of local inhabitants. It is obvious that any endeavour to conserve and develop forest resources cannot be seen in isolation without taking the local inhabitants' concerns about their means of subsistence into account.