Woodfuel resources management in Kumpur, Nepal : a gender perspective | |
| Author | Subba, Suman |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-97-03 |
| Subject(s) | Fuelwood--Nepal--Kumpur Women in development--Nepal--Kumpur |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Kumpur village development committee is one of the deforested areas of Dhading district. Despite the fact, the wood remains the major energy source among the inhabitants. Government has initiated community forestry program in that area 7 years ago to protect the dwindling forest resources through people's participation. This study aimed to identify gender issues and gender relations in woodfuel resource management. This further explores the problems and prospects in woodfuel management in households and its linkage with the resources of wood that is faced by women and men. Gender analysis was conducted using Havard Analytical Framework with the application of tools - sexual division of labour and access to and control over the resources and benefits. The study found the major woodfuel resources of the area are the forests followed by farmland. The poor and small landholders of the area heavily depend on forest for woodfuel requirements. At present there are no other alternatives that can replace woodfuel and the transition of fuel from woodfuel to commercial type depend on purchasing power of people including other socio-cultural factors. Women are found to be the primary collectors of fuelwood for household purposes. Both deforestation and community forestry program have created shortages of fuelwood in the area. In the former condition, wood is scarcer in the forest and women have to walk far distances to gather fuelwood. In the latter condition, there is curtailed access to forest products. As a consequence women spend longer time in searching for dead wood and fallen branches. Further it has increased women's work burden and reduced their access to better quality wood. Women's involvement in transport of woodfuel for longer time is found to cause health problems like backache, fatigue and uterus prolapse. Women are also affected by longer time exposure to woodfuel smoke while cooking, which is found to cause respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis. These are the evidences showing that women's work at home can also have severe health hazards. In spite of women's traditional involvement in household energy and forest management, their participation in the local institutions concerned in forest management is marginal. Women's lack of independent access to these institutions and limited right over the land denies them decision-making power over the woodfuel resources. Women's major constraints are not only lack of availability of time and increased work burden, but also lack of opportunities and supportive interventions. In the existing situation, there is an immediate need for reducing women's work burden through provisions of alternative resources of fuel and change of the restrictive rules of use of forest products. Providing women to have equal rights over the property can ensure their independent access to and control over farm and trees. It is important that women should be involved in the decision making to achieve sustainable production and management of woodfuel and other resources. |
| Year | 1998 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kelkar, Govind |
| Examination Committee(s) | Eckhardt, Ing Heinz ;Earth , Barbara |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1998 |