Decentralized forest management is an important policy issue in India and elsewhere. Yet there are few careful studies of the impacts of community forestry. The authors try to fill this gap by analyzing National Sample Survey data from 524 villages in five states in India. Their analysis seeks to answer two key questions: (1) Who participates in community forestry and what are the determinants of participation? (2) What is the impact of participation on household fuelwood consumption?

The authors' most important findings are that fuelwood consumption and participation are linked, and household participation has a significant positive impact on consumption. However, the presence of a village level forestry institution does not have a direct effect.

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This document is a compilation of workshop proceedings, country case studies and other outputs related to the work program on Environmental Fiscal Reform, carried out by the DAC Network on Development Co-operation and Environment in 2002. The program was led by the United Kingdom and Germany.

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