PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Tachibana, Towa
AU  - Adhikari, Sunit
TI  - Does Community-Based Management Improve Natural Resource Condition? Evidence from the Forests in Nepal
AID  - 10.3368/le.85.1.107
DP  - 2009 Feb 01
TA  - Land Economics
PG  - 107--131
VI  - 85
IP  - 1
4099  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/85/1/107.short
4100  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/85/1/107.full
SO  - Land Econ2009 Feb 01; 85
AB  - Does community management improve the condition of local natural resources? Do interventions by official agencies enhance the functions of voluntary communal management? With 101 randomly sampled natural forests in the Middle Hills of Nepal, we address these questions. Forest condition was evaluated by aerial-photo interpretations and forest inventories. We find that user groups that did not receive official support have substantially improved forest condition. This is the result of reduced forest fire occurrence. User groups receiving official support can also be effective. Our analysis shows that, controlling for the possibility of self-selection in applying for support, such groups improved tree regeneration. (JEL Q23, Q28)