Rural Livelihoods, Forest Access and Time Use: A Study of Forest Communities in Northwest India

This paper investigates the effects of the size of private land holdings and access to forest commons on the labour allocation to livelihood activities. The statistical analysis indicates that land and forests are complementary assets in the rural production process. Differential access to private land and common forests together explain variability in time allocation to rural livelihoods in the forested regions of northwest India. Development and conservation policies that might cause displacements or disruptions to such livelihoods must therefore consider the impact of policy making on private wealth as well as access to the natural commons.