Governing the commons: exploring contrasting institutional structures for community-based forest management in Bangladesh

Abstract This study compares two community-based forest management approaches in Bangladesh using Elinor Ostrom’s Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework and design principles. It evaluates the co-management system in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), which is led by government and donor agencies, and the community-led model in Komolchori Village Common Forest (VCF), which is based on Indigenous knowledge and local rules. The study employs a comparative case study methodology, integrating document analysis, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to evaluate governance effectiveness across different periods. Using a mixed-method approach by reviewing qualitative and quantitative data, the study examines how these two models affect forest health and the lives of people who depend on the forest. The SES framework, along with Ostrom’s eight design principles, is used to critically assess the effectiveness of both CWS and VCF over three periods: before 1990, 1990–2010, and 2010– present. The findings show that the top-down management in CWS limits community involvement, weakens key principles like clear boundaries and local decision-making, and ignores local rights. In contrast, the Komolchori VCF supports stronger community participation, fair benefit-sharing, and effective monitoring, despite lacking formal legal recognition. The comparative analysis highlights that governance outcomes depend not on the type of model used, but on the extent to which institutional arrangements align with local socio-ecological contexts. The study concludes that the effectiveness of community-based forest management is mainly shaped by local context. To improve forest management, it recommends empowering communities, recognising Indigenous knowledge, resolving land issues, and designing policies that fit local needs, with particular attention to institutional legitimacy, adaptive governance, and multi-level coordination.