Community participation in development programs: Key lessons from the billion trees afforestation project (BTAP)

Abstract

Sustainable restoration of forested landscapes requires the effective participation of local communities in project planning and implementation. This study analyzes the factors that influenced household participation in the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) in Pakistan. We examined the activities undertaken by the Forest Department to promote community participation in landscape restoration. Data were collected from community members through household surveys and from forest department officials through in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics and a Poisson regression model were used to analyze the data. The descriptive results indicate that communities that participated in a higher number of BTAP activities showed significant improvements in forest cover, wildlife, and other ecosystem services. The Poisson regression model shows that household head participation in BTAP increases with education and the functioning of Village Development Committees (VDCs). The results of the in-depth interviews show that the important factors that hindered community members' higher level of participation in BTAP include nepotism, irregular rainfall, lack of knowledge and skills development programs, unattractive land tenure policies, ineffective communication networks, and delay in timely payment of salaries to community members. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders should understand the factors that influence rural household participation in afforestation projects and then determine how to establish and promote effective afforestation incentive mechanisms to improve the success of afforestation initiatives.