Caring for the Commons: Community Forest Management and Creation of Social Capital

About the Book

Caring for the Commons: Community Forest Management and Creation of Social Capital explores the interconnection between community management of forest resources and social capital in four tribal and four non-tribal communities in Odisha, India. The book traces the evolution of the idea of social capital through the works of theorists such as Charles Darwin, Adam Smith, Pierre Bourdieu, Robert Putnam and Elinor Ostrom. It is then studied in conjunction with the problem of governing Common-Pool Resources (CPRs) through the case studies of the eight forest villages of Odisha and their preservation efforts through Community Forest Management (CFM) practices. By linking Community Forest Management to social capital, this book highlights the creation of a virtuous cycle that can address the twin problems of the present era, the rapid depletion of forest resources and the fraying community bonds in rural areas.

- /Explores the role of social capital, bonding, bridging and linking, in the success of Community Forest Management (CFM) in Odisha/

- /Highlights differences between tribal and non-tribal approaches to forest conservation, showcasing case studies from local communities/

- /Discusses the relationship between forest governance models, including Joint Forest Management (JFM) and CFM, and their impact on sustainability/

- /Provides insights into the role of civil society organisations and self-help groups (SHGs) in fostering community-driven conservation efforts/

- /Examines the historical and sociological dimensions of commons governance, drawing on the works of Amartya Sen, Elinor Ostrom, Robert D. Putnam, etc/