Dr Y S Parmar University of
Horticulture and Forestry,
Nauni, Solan (HP) 173 230
Department
of Social Sciences
|
Title of Thesis
|
:
|
“Common Property Resources and Rural Livelihood Security: A Study
of Common Pasturelands in Hills of Nepal”
|
|
Name of the Student
|
:
|
Sudarshan
Prasad Regmi
|
|
Admission Number
|
:
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F-2008-01-D
|
|
Major Advisor
|
:
|
Dr. Ravinder
Sharma
|
|
Major Field
|
:
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Agricultural
Economics
|
|
Minor Field(s)
|
:
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i) Statistics
ii) Agro-forestry
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|
Degree Awarded
|
:
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Ph.D.
|
|
Year of Award of Degree
|
:
|
2012
|
|
No. of pages in Thesis
|
:
|
144+VIII
|
|
No. of words in Abstract
|
:
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598
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ABSTRACT
The study analyzed the linkages
of common property resources (pastureland) with the rural livelihood security
of people in Rasuwa district of Nepal. A stratified multistage random sampling
design was used to select a sample of 180 respondents from three different
climatic zones, viz., temperate (2000-3000 masl), sub-alpine (3000-4000 masl)
and alpine (4000-5000 masl). The selected samples were further classified as users’
and non-users’ depending upon their dependence on common pastureland. The
result of the study revealed that 63.33 per cent of sampled respondents were
users and 83.33 per cent were exclusively dependent on agricultural farming. The
pasture to herder ratio was found higher in the temperate zone and lower in
sub-alpine and alpine zone indicating that as the altitude increased the number
of herder also increased. A maximum likelihood estimates using Tobit model was
used to determine collective effort for the pastureland management. It was
revealed that area of common pastureland, Gini ratio and income from livestock
were positively and significantly whereas, membership to local organization and quadratic form of Gini ratio
were negatively and significantly affected the management of the common
pastureland. The Tobit analysis revealed that probability in the collective
effort of an average illiterate farmer having Gini ratio of 0.40 and non-member
to local organization with landholding
of 0.30 ha has probability of 0.261; which further decreased to 0.197 with increased
landholding (0.60 ha). Further increase in educational level from illiterate to
primary lowered in probability to 0.158. The condition of pastureland in
physical term and availability of forage were high in alpine zone than the
other regions and overall condition was found to be fair to good; with highly weed
infestation and unwanted shrubs (56.12 %). The major determinants of the good
pastureland condition found using Tobit analysis; were land holding, land to man
ratio, family size, household work force, forage availability index and the
status of respondent being user of the pastureland. The findings explicitly
indicated that livestock income contributed 51.89 per cent to user household
income whereas remittance as off-farm income constituted 59.92 per cent of the
non-users’ household income. It was found that food availability based on their
own production level of wheat, rice and maize) was deficit in all categories of
respondent and climatic zones. Whereas, when potato crop was considered as
stable food, then the food available become sufficient. The analyze of the major
determinants for willingness to pay for betterment of pastureland condition inferred
that were cost of stay, management level, and livestock units were found positively
and significantly, and family size and value of resource use negatively and
significantly affecting the willingness to pay of with cost of stay being most
important (<0.01) factor for both users and non-users of the pastureland. It
was further investigated that probability of extent for willingness to pay
(WTP) for average respondent in the study area increased with increased in cost
of stay, livestock income and family size.
The expected amount of WTP for average respondent in overall situation
varied from NRs. 304.53 to 680.00 ha1yr1, whereas, in case of non-user it varied from
NRs. 216.58 to 362.62 ha1yr1. In case of users it
increased from NRs.2163.29 to 2666505.45 ha1yr1 implying
thereby that users were highly motivated to pay more than the non-users in the
study area. It was revealed that respondents were willing to pay higher price
for the higher quality of pastureland improvement. The findings of the present
study strongly recommend that there should be a separate pastureland policy to
bring several activities related to the pastureland management so that
livelihood of the users may be strengthening in future.
Signature
of the Major Advisor Signature of the Student
Countersigned
Professor and Head
Department of Social Sciences
Dr Y S Parmar University
of Horticulture &
Forestry
Nauni, Solan, (HP) - 173 230
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