HOW STAKEHOLDERS PERCEIVE JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT: A PERCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of forest officers/staff and local people about different dimensions of Joint Forest Management (JFM) and to assess the constraints to JFM as perceived by people and forest personnel of India. The study conducted a comprehensive investigation of 110 people from 14 village forest committees falling under seven forest divisions of two forest circles, Hoshangabad and Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh State of India. Both forest officers and local people indicated a trend towards developing positive perceptions of each other and a significant improvement in the interrelationship between the two was found. Both groups perceive that JFM has encouraged a participatory approach in the functioning of forest department and committees to some extent. JFM has also improved the conditions of forests and is attempting to contribute towards village development and improving the socio-economic condition of the villagers. In this regard the Divisional Forest Officers and rangers are supposed to play the most crucial role in the success of JFM, as seen by local people. However, villagers ' expectations of immediate benefits from JFM, their poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, the limited role of women, limited motivation of people and forest officers and caste conflicts were considered as major constraints to the effective implementation of JFM