Capacity development of local forest users and factors influencing in capacity development for achieving collective action: evidence from Madhupur Sal Forest Bangladesh

Publication Type

Contribution to conference

Authors

Kabir, K. H.; Knierim, A.

Year of publication

2017

Conference name

IASNR

Conference location

Umeå, Sweden

Conference date

19.-22.06.2017

Theoretically, social learning is the central theme in natural resource management (NRM) and there is a rising
interest in the outcomes of social learning but this approach fails to develop realization about innovation
capacity development of local forest users as outcomes. Recent experiences in NRM emphasize the importance
of capacity development (CD) and describe it as an outcome of the ongoing
learning process. But what types of
capacities are crucial for local people in managing forest resources? And whether through social learning
process innovation capacity of the local people progress and whether there is any influence of social networking
and social capital on this capacity development remains
unraveled. Keeping in mind this study is based on
different theories and approaches i.e. social learning, social capital, and social network. Drawing on the common
framework on capacity development, this study seeks to identify the change in the capacity level of forest
farmers and explores factors that have an association with innovation capacity development. Both qualitative
and quantitative methods were used in this study and triangulated. Random and nonrandom
sampling
techniques were used and a survey of 164 tribal people from same socioeconomic
background was conducted at
Madhupur Sal forests in Bangladesh, among which 80 respondents were selected through snowball sampling as
control group and 84 were also selected through random sampling as treatment group and they involved in a
participatory process with local forest department. Multivariate data analysis will be performed to identify the
differences in capacity level between control group and treatment group and identify the most important
variables that explaining the dependent variable of the study. The findings of this study expand a new
understanding of innovation capacity of local forest users in NRM and suggest a way for further studies on
innovation CD of local forest users in the similar setting.