Does Participatory Forest Management Save the Remnant Forest in Ethiopia?

Abstract

Forest resources play a critical role in supporting the livelihood of poor people worldwide, particularly in meeting daily subsistence needs. It should be managed sustainably. Conventional forest management has alienated local communities from participating in forest conservation and protection in Ethiopia, which has led to illegal and unsustainable resource utilization; hence, a resulting paradigm shift is necessary in forest management to involve local community in management of natural resources. Currently, the Ethiopian government is working to protect the remnant natural forests for their various social, economic and environmental values, with a belief that participatory forest management (PFM) can play a great role in saving natural forests. PFM was introduced in Ethiopia in the mid of 1990s, by International Non-Governmental Organizations, with the objective of promoting sustainable management and conservation of forest ecosystems and improving the livelihood of people living in or around these resources. In the present paper, researches on several forests undergoing PFM in Ethiopia were reviewed. Comprehensive review of previous studies on PFM in Ethiopia confirmed that there is an improvement in forest condition and livelihood in areas under PFM though the success is claimed to be mixed.