Resource information
Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is key to ensuring that local communities' livelihoods needs are met through the sustainable management of natural resources. Policies promoting CBNRM mean that government agencies, non-governmental organisations and other service providers are increasingly becoming involved in supporting these communities to form natural resource management (NRM) groups to make progress in areas of resource governance and realise its economic benefits through natural resource based enterprise. This manual intends to serve the needs of agencies and organisations that are interested in facilitating such community organising, NRM planning and implementation, community-based natural product enterprise development, and the integration of NRM groups or natural products enterprises into rewarding value chains. It has evolved out of the experiences of implementation of a diverse range of CBNRM projects in Nepal. It outlines five distinct phases from identifying and organising the community to integrating community enterprises into value chain. These five phases comprise the five core chapters of this manual and cover: Phase 1: identifying and organising community for natural resource management and enterprises giving the example of how community forest user groups in Nepal identify, secure and manage community forest areas Phase 2: developing and implementing participatory natural resource management plan by assessing resources by conducting a resource inventory and developing an operational management plan Phase 3: implementing the approved natural resource management plan and ensuring forest products are harvested at a sustainable level Phase 4: developing and implementing community-based natural products enterprise plan by conducting a feasibility study and sub-sector analysis and preparing a business plan Phase 5: integrating community enterprises into value chain following an analysis of the value chain, identification of appropriate linkages and developing systems for sustainable service delivery
