| In 2000, household heads of three villages located in or near forests in the south of West Bengal, India, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire1. The questionnaire is attached as an Appendix to this paper. The questions asked were designed to provide information about the extent of the dependence of households on state forests for their livelihood (cash income and subsistence needs), any differences in the degree of their forest dependence according to gender, threats to the sustainability of forest resources, the expected sustainability of the income of villagers from forest resources, as well as to provide data about forest management practices, such as a joint forest management. The latter involves cooperation between villagers and the West... |
