Publisher's Synopsis
Social Forestry has become something of a fashion in development thinking and practice. Numerous studies emphasize the 'human angle' as critical to successful forest management. But the danger is that people-centred approaches to forestry are becoming a type of 'technical fix' imposed on the South by the North. - - The author of this important study offers a new way of thinking about social forestry using the example of Bangladesh. He moves beyond current orthodoxy, which he argues has not always sufficiently understood social realities in the 'South'. Bangladesh is a country where 'quick fix' development solutions have a long and rich history. Using rare archival documents and a range of ethnographical materials, the author reveals bit by bit the long, slow history of commercialization of Bangladesh's forests and the gradual displacement and impoverishment of its forest dwellers and users. The study also emphasizes the continuities between colonial and post-colonial forestry and development policies. With a deeper understanding of peoples own forest use patterns and social structures, it is still possible for forestry schemes to enhance the lives of local people.
