194 Forests
Forest Reserves
Creating forest parks and reserves can be a way to get support from
governments and international organizations to protect forests and foster
ecotourism. But governments and conservation groups sometimes think the only
way to protect and preserve a forest is to keep people out. In many cases, they
are wrong. People who live in the forest know how to use and care for it.
By staying in the forest and managing forest parks and reserves, local people
may be better able to protect it than any government or conservation group.
But we’ve
always
come here
to collect
medicines!
We need
to talk
to the
government
about this.
Some communities maintain access to the resources in forest reserves by
making agreements with the government and other local communities to
manage these resources together. This is called a ‘co‑management scheme.’
Co-management partnerships let people continue their traditional and
sustainable uses of the forest and its products. Communities that manage
forest reserves can also educate other communities about the importance of
protecting the forest.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012