Social Capital and Forest Conservation: Do they have any relationship?

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/02/2021
Views (300) Download (12)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Social Capital and Forest Conservation: Do they have any relationship?

Jime Roy, Saddam Hossen, Tapan Kumar Nath, A.S.M. Riduanul Hoque
Int. J. Biosci.18( 2), 242-251, February 2021.
Certificate: IJB 2021 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

This research is explored to find out the relationship between social capital and forest conservation. From the research, it has been found that where social capital status is strong in society forest conservation is easier. To find out this result two sites were selected. Three villages from the Rangamati site and two villages from the Sitakunda site. Thirty households were surveyed from both sites by a structured questionnaire. The Main was given to the amount of forest resource extracted by the villagers, collective action in forest conservation, participation, groups and networks, trust and solidarity, social cohesion and inclusion among the people. Scores found in the study are 5 and 2.1 for trust in the Rangamati site and Sitakunda site respectively. It indicates a deep trust among the people in the Rangamati site and opposite in the Sitakunda site. In the question of willingly help 5 is scored in the Rangamati site and 2.3 on the Sitakunda site. It indicates that people of the Rangamati site are more helpful than the people of the Sitakunda site. In the case of participation for forest conservation, many of the people of the Rangamati site willingly take part in collective action (e.g. 47% of respondents work collectively in plantation) where Sitakunda people are less in amount (e.g. 40% in plantation). All other variables also show the differences in social capital status between the two sites where the Rangamati site scored more. In the case of extraction of forest products, Rangamati people are more aware than the people of the Sitakunda site. So, from the above discussion, it can be said that social capital is playing a central role in forest conservation.

VIEWS 15

Abom B. 2004. Social capital, NGOs and development: a Guatemalan case study. Development in Practice 14(3), 342-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/0961452042000191187a

Bowles S, Gintis H. 2002. Social capital and community governance. The Economic Journal 112(483), F419-F436. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0297.00077

Carroll TF. 2001. Social capital, local capacity building, and poverty reduction. Asian Development Bank, Manilla, phillippines.

Grant E. 2001. Social capital and community strategies: Neighbourhood development in Guatemala City. Development and Change 32(5), 975-997. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7660.00234

Hossain MA, Hossen S, Akhter J. 2018.Quantifying diversity and composition of tree species in Satchari National Park, Bangladesh. International Journal of Forest Usufructs Management 19, 15-23.

Hossain MK, Alim A, Hossen S, Hossain MA, Rahman A. 2020. Diversity and Conservation status of tree species in Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary (HWS) of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes 4(4), 298-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2019.1694131

Hossen S, Hossain MK. 2018. Conservation status of tree species in Himchari National Park of Cox’sBazar, Bangladesh. Journal of Biodiversity Conservation and Bioresource Management 4(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3329/jbcbm.v4i2.39842

Hossen S, Hossain MK, Uddin MF. 2019. Restoration and rehabilitation potential of the remnant natural forests of Himchari National Park (HNP) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Forestry 3(1), 25-30. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r030104

Hossen S, Hossain MK, Hossain MA, Uddin MF. 2021. Quantitative assessment of tree species diversity of Himchari National Park (HNP) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Forestry 5(1), 1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r050101

Jagger P, Luckert MK. 2008. Investments and returns from cooperative and household managed woodlots in Zimbabwe: Implications for rural afforestation policy. Land Use Policy 25(1), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2007.02.006

Lin N. 2001. Social Capital: A Theory of Social Structure and Action. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Mamnun M, Hossen S. 2020. Spatio-temporal analysis of land cover changes in the evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests: A case study in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. International Journal of Forestry, Ecology and Environment 2(2), 87-99. https://doi.org/10.18801/ijfee.020220.10

Mendez-Contreras J, Dickinson F, Castillo-Burguete T. 2008. Community member viewpoints on the Ria Celestun biosphere reserve, Yucatan, Mexico: Suggestions for improving the community/natural protected area relationship. Human Ecology 36, 111-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10745-007-9135-4

Nath TK, Inoe M, Pretty J. 2010. Formation and Function of Social Capital for Forest Resource Management and the Improved Livelihoods of Indigenous People in Bangladesh. Journal of Rural and Community Development 5(3), 104-122.

Ostrom E. 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University press, Cambridge, UK.

Pini B, McKenzie FH. 2006. Challenging local government notions of community engagement as unnecessary, unwanted and unproductive: case studies from rural Australia. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 8(1), 27-44. https://doi.org/10.1080/15239080600634078

Pretty JN, Smith DJ. 2004. Social Capital and Biodiversity conservation and Management. Conservation Biology 18(3), 631-638. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00126.x

Putnam R. 1995. Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. Journal of Democracy 6(1), 65-78. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1995.0002

Stoll-Kleemann S, O’Riordan T. 2002. Enhancing biodiversity and humanity. Cambridge University press, Cambridge, UK.

Turner S, Nguyen PA. 2005. Young entrepreneurs, social capital and doi moi in Hanoi, Vietnam. Urban Studies 42(10), 1693-1710. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980500231563

Uphoff N, Wijayaratna CM. 2000.  Demonstrated Benefits from Social Capital: The Productivity of Farmer Organizations in Gal Oya, Sri Lanka. World Development 28(11), 1875-1890. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(00)00063-2

Woolcock M. 2001. The place of social capital in understanding social and economic outcomes. Canadian Journal of Policy research 2(1), 11-17.