Natural Resource Use Strategies in a Forest-Adjacent Ugandan Village

Abstract

This study documents natural resource use in a forest-adjacent western Ugandan village, and explains how what superficially appears to be a sustainable scenario is in fact quite unstable. Kibwona village is adjacent to Kasokwa Forest, comprised of a small Central Reserve owned by the National Forest Authority (NFA) and several contiguous community forests. Firewood and water collection is legal. However, empirical observations of women's daily activity budgets and details of resource acquisition show on average, women spent less than 5% of the time collecting natural resources. This is true for resources both in and out of the forest. This may be simply because firewood within household compounds, gardens and woodland-bush areas is abundant, accessible, and closer than the (also close) forest. However, two additional reasons for this behavior may, in fact, hinder long-term sustainability: (1) Many locals also plant eucalyptus trees for firewood, poles, and timber, which, although it is fast growing and makes good firewood, is water-draining and hard on the soils and thus a high cost to subsistence farmers. (2) Fears of harassment by NFA officials when collecting firewood inhibit local people from even entering the forest. Decentralized, collaborative forest management will not happen under oppressive and fear-based relationships, nor can a sustainable firewood supply be based on eucalyptus.