Fuel,food or forest? Dilemmas in a Nepali village

Field data from a village Panchayat in the East Nepal Hill Region demonstrate that deforestation is caused not so much by fuelwood demand as by the need to clear forest areas for food supply. The method of analysis uses questionnaire survey, participant observation and direct measurements in a micro set-up to assess the demand, as well as the supply systems of food and fuel, and to analyse the impact on deforestation. Policy implications suggest that to control deforestation, food production and distribution practices need to be improved, existing forests need to be managed better to increase sustainable fuelwood supply, and the direct participation of local people is indispensable to implement desired improvements.