Shrestha, B. (1997). Forest Management Practices and Socio-Economic Determinants in Commercial Utilisation of Chiuri in a Chepang Community. M. A. Thesis in Sociology. Kathmandu, Nepal: Tribhuvan University.
The dissertation entitled "Forest Management Practices and Socio-Economic Determinants in Commercial Utilisation of Chiuri in a Chepang Community" was prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master' Degree in Sociology under the supervision of Mr. Binod Pokhrel, a lecturer in the Central Department of Sociology / Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
The primary focus of this research was to study the forest management practices in relation to protection, harvesting, distribution, planting, subsistent use and the trading practices of the Chepangs in Kosrang village, Jogimara VDC of Dhading district, and to study in detail the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents including age, education, household size, land holding size, land tenure, and livestock holding, and analyse the affecting factors in commercial utilisation of Chiuri.
The study was conducted during December 1995 in Kosrang village of ward number 5 of Jogimara village development committee of Dhading district. From the selected village of a total of 55 households (50 Chepang households), a total of 25 Chepang respondents were selected and interviewed.
The Descriptive Research Design was resorted to study the forest management practices whereas an Ex-Post Facto Research Design was resorted to study the socio-economic determinants in commercial utilisation of Chiuri. The systematic sampling technique was used to select the respondents. For collecting information from the selected respondents a structured household interview schedule was developed particularly on the socio-economic factors affecting the commercial utilisation of Chiuri. The rapid rural appraisal (RRA) technique by utilising a checklist and a key information survey particularly focusing on the local knowledgeable people was resorted to find out the forest management practices in commercial utilisation of Chiuri.
Collected data was analysed by using frequency, percentages, means and standard deviation. The relationship between independent and dependent variables were analysed by using Karl Pearson's coefficient, t-test and Chi-Square test.
The findings of this research revealed that although Chiuri had been playing a viral role as the means of subsistence among the Chepangs since time immemorial, the forest management practices in respect of protection, harvesting, distribution, planting, organising, using for different purposes and trading were not seen to be well developed, sustainable and directed towards commercial utilisation of Chiuri, because of its low contribution to their household income, low economic condition of the Chepangs, hard labour, fruiting problem and drawing their attention towards other sources of income like tomato cultivation, seeking employment opportunities, etc.
The biodiversity of the research area seemed to be at good condition because of less use of forest resources for different purposes due to poor economic condition and lack of water resources for drinking purposes and irrigation facilities. But, the people were keenly interested in forest management and Chiuri development by forming user groups because of possibility of deforestation by the people from adjoining villages.
The factors viz. age, education, household size, household income, land holding, livestock holding had been taken as the independent socio-economic variables and studied relatively with commercial utilisation of Chiuiri as the dependent variable. Chi-Square test was used to analyse the relationship between education and the commercial utilisation of Chiuri at 0.05 level of significance whereas t-test was used to anlyse the interrelationship between the age, household size, household income, land holding and livestock holding and commercial utilisation of Chiuri, which meant the afore-mentioned social factors were not responsible for commercial utilisation of Chiuri. However, the commercial utilisation of Chiuri could not be expected provided socio-economic conditions.
Chiuri has become an important natural endowment to the Chepangs. Chiuri protection and its commercial utilisation area possible if different opportunities, possibilities utilising Chiuri products are prevailed in the country so that the local people will be encouraged to manage and improve their forest practices towards better management and fruiting. Hence, it is hereby recommended to involve indigenous people like Chepangs in Chiuri development activities, implement integrated development programs, motivate the people towards use of other non-timber forest products and develop water resources as a rural infrastructure so that different opportunities will be generated in which Chiuri products will have high value and at the same time, the forest management practices so far prevailing among the Chepangs of Kosrang village will be directed towards commercial utilisation of Chiuiri. Besides, the social factors studied during this thesis preparation and others are to be analysed and treated in order to attract them towards more production and use of Chiuri and Chiuri products in order to maintain their indigenuity and uplift their economic status.
The dissertation entitled "Forest Management Practices and Socio-Economic Determinants in Commercial Utilisation of Chiuri in a Chepang Community" was prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master' Degree in Sociology under the supervision of Mr. Binod Pokhrel, a lecturer in the Central Department of Sociology / Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.
The primary focus of this research was to study the forest management practices in relation to protection, harvesting, distribution, planting, subsistent use and the trading practices of the Chepangs in Kosrang village, Jogimara VDC of Dhading district, and to study in detail the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents including age, education, household size, land holding size, land tenure, and livestock holding, and analyse the affecting factors in commercial utilisation of Chiuri.
The study was conducted during December 1995 in Kosrang village of ward number 5 of Jogimara village development committee of Dhading district. From the selected village of a total of 55 households (50 Chepang households), a total of 25 Chepang respondents were selected and interviewed.
The Descriptive Research Design was resorted to study the forest management practices whereas an Ex-Post Facto Research Design was resorted to study the socio-economic determinants in commercial utilisation of Chiuri. The systematic sampling technique was used to select the respondents. For collecting information from the selected respondents a structured household interview schedule was developed particularly on the socio-economic factors affecting the commercial utilisation of Chiuri. The rapid rural appraisal (RRA) technique by utilising a checklist and a key information survey particularly focusing on the local knowledgeable people was resorted to find out the forest management practices in commercial utilisation of Chiuri.
Collected data was analysed by using frequency, percentages, means and standard deviation. The relationship between independent and dependent variables were analysed by using Karl Pearson's coefficient, t-test and Chi-Square test.
The findings of this research revealed that although Chiuri had been playing a viral role as the means of subsistence among the Chepangs since time immemorial, the forest management practices in respect of protection, harvesting, distribution, planting, organising, using for different purposes and trading were not seen to be well developed, sustainable and directed towards commercial utilisation of Chiuri, because of its low contribution to their household income, low economic condition of the Chepangs, hard labour, fruiting problem and drawing their attention towards other sources of income like tomato cultivation, seeking employment opportunities, etc.
The biodiversity of the research area seemed to be at good condition because of less use of forest resources for different purposes due to poor economic condition and lack of water resources for drinking purposes and irrigation facilities. But, the people were keenly interested in forest management and Chiuri development by forming user groups because of possibility of deforestation by the people from adjoining villages.
The factors viz. age, education, household size, household income, land holding, livestock holding had been taken as the independent socio-economic variables and studied relatively with commercial utilisation of Chiuiri as the dependent variable. Chi-Square test was used to analyse the relationship between education and the commercial utilisation of Chiuri at 0.05 level of significance whereas t-test was used to anlyse the interrelationship between the age, household size, household income, land holding and livestock holding and commercial utilisation of Chiuri, which meant the afore-mentioned social factors were not responsible for commercial utilisation of Chiuri. However, the commercial utilisation of Chiuri could not be expected provided socio-economic conditions.
Chiuri has become an important natural endowment to the Chepangs. Chiuri protection and its commercial utilisation area possible if different opportunities, possibilities utilising Chiuri products are prevailed in the country so that the local people will be encouraged to manage and improve their forest practices towards better management and fruiting. Hence, it is hereby recommended to involve indigenous people like Chepangs in Chiuri development activities, implement integrated development programs, motivate the people towards use of other non-timber forest products and develop water resources as a rural infrastructure so that different opportunities will be generated in which Chiuri products will have high value and at the same time, the forest management practices so far prevailing among the Chepangs of Kosrang village will be directed towards commercial utilisation of Chiuiri. Besides, the social factors studied during this thesis preparation and others are to be analysed and treated in order to attract them towards more production and use of Chiuri and Chiuri products in order to maintain their indigenuity and uplift their economic status.
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