Abstract
ABSTRACTThis study examines the level of forest users’ participation at different stages of a participatory forest management (PFM) program, and identifies factors that influence their level of participation in the Gebradima forest, southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from five forest user groups (FUGs) through household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. A participation index (PI) and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that the level of the forest users’ PI was 65.7%, 59%, and 54.9% at the planning, implementation, and monitoring stages, respectively. The logistic regression model showed that gender, family size, education level, income from the forest, distance of the forest from home, restriction on charcoal and timber harvesting, elite domination in decision-making processes, and lack of incentives were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) predictors for the level of participation. Thus, this study suggests that policy-makers and project designers should consider these factors in making future PFM implementation strategies to improve the level of forest users’ participation in forest management activities.
Highlights
Over the last two decades community participation in the management of government-owned forests has become a theme of policy and academic work in attempts to enhance sustainable forest management in many developing countries (Chirenje et al 2013)
Even though the participatory forest management (PFM) approach encourages women’s participation, most of the female-headed households were not members of the PFM program owing to their double burden of work and cultural barriers
This study has attempted to examine the level of forest users’ participation and identify the main factors that influence their level of participation in a PFM program in Gebradima forest, southwest Ethiopia
Summary
Over the last two decades community participation in the management of government-owned forests has become a theme of policy and academic work in attempts to enhance sustainable forest management in many developing countries (Chirenje et al 2013) This has shifted the emphasis from central decision-making to local decision-making, in which local communities participate in conserving and managing their forests (Islam et al 2015). The aim is to develop joint management between local communities and government agencies to conserve forest resources on the basis of trust and friendship (Islam et al 2015). It is generally agreed that local communities should participate in forest management decision-making (Agrawal and Gupta 2005; Jumbe and Angelsen 2007)
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