Abstract
Joint Forest Management was introduced as an innovative method to realize sustainable forest utilization in India. Since the central government issued the first Joint Forest Management guideline in 1990, it has been accepted by the state governments and also supported by local communities. In the state of Kerala, 28.9 % of the land is maintained as forests, despite a high population density. Research on the livelihoods of local people and the role of Participatory Forest Management (Joint Forest Management in Kerala), is expected to benefit other regions with similar conditions. Since information on the forests in Kerala is not sufficient, firstly we outlined the Participatory Forest Management programs and the implementation process, and secondly selected a program and conducted in-depth interviews of 40 households. The results of this study indicate that the guidelines of the central government were duly modified to meet the local conditions. The local stakeholders were well organized to implement Participatory Forest Management. Rehabilitation activities were completed smoothly at the initial stage, but after that the process was stalled. Pressures on forest resources were originally not so serious and agroforestry on farmlands is common so it seems difficult to maintain the activities and enthusiasm of the participants. As a result, incorporating some measures for local communities to an earn income through forest management is recommended. Using non-forest land tree crops for firewood is another alternative solution to forest issues.
