The culture of access to mountain natural resources

This study investigates the political and contentious nature of access to mountain natural resources by poor, disadvantaged and marginalized people, including women and youth, and the policy processes associated with access and development over time. This study has been commissioned by FAO to look at sustainable livelihoods approaches to access to natural resources in mountain areas. We concentrate on access by poorer and marginalized groups to policy processes whereby long-term sustainable access to resources is achieved. We have concentrated on the forestry sector for a number of reasons. First, it is the most important sector as regards access to natural resources in Nepal. Second, there is more written and analysed on this sector than on virtually any other. Third, in many ways and for reasons we shall explain in the report, the forestry sector is the most significant as regards ‘access’ issues in the contemporary democratic political context in Nepal.