Governance of forest resources and sustainable livelihoods: Analysing the implications of the logging ban on rural household strategies in Meghalaya, India.

There is a growing international concern about the depletion of forest resources and some states are using logging bans to control deforestation and promote conservation. But these bans are clumsy and often ineffective and are seen as top-down control by big states on small forest users. Moreover, some experts argue that these logging bans damage poor people's livelihoods in the remote areas. In response, this research has contributed to debates about the governance of forest resources and sustainable livelihoods in general by examining a specific case study on how the Supreme Court of India's logging ban has impacted the household strategies of the indigenous Khasi people in the State of Meghalaya in North East India. The central research question is: How has the logging ban affected household behaviour and what does this change tell us about theories of adaptation and sustainable livelihoods. The analysis focused on two relevant concepts: Logging Bans and Sustainable Livelihoods (SL). Using the SL Framework, the research followed qualitative methods using focus group interviews and household surveys from six villages in two clusters located in the West Khasi Hills District to document land use change, identify dominant patterns of forest-use, examine variations in resource dependency among the local populace, and identify the link between livelihood strategies and adaptations. The research found that the logging ban had a negative impact on the social life and structure of the households, on their access to environmental and economic resources, and on the combined purposes of protecting forests and livelihoods. Building on local people's adaptation to the logging ban which showed a clear link to their livelihood strategies, the research also concluded that strong institutions at community and state levels are required to generate practical actions that are required to safeguard local livelihoods and ensure environmental sustainability