Engagements with the local communities are managed through a committee called "The Deramakot Social Forestry Committee (DSFC)".  Periodic consultations with the local communities are held every 4 months.  There are no communities inside the reserve, but 5 villages (20 - 50 household) located on the southern fringe of Deramakot FR have been identified.

In DFR, meaningful engagement with local communities is about :

	Providing training and developing skills such as producing functional and decorative handicraft to ensure local communities of a livelihood;
	Providing basic amenities such as clean water, school, etc.;
	Providing jobs, in line with the government policy to eradicate rural poverty.
	Ensuring better understanding and awareness through bilateral cooperation in conservation.

All these efforts came to fruition with the assistance of the local and international governmental organisations (NGOs) such as WWF, HUTAN, PACOS, HSBC, RALEIGH INTERNATIONAL, etc.