The Role of Forest Resource and Resource Users’ Boundaries in Improving the Livelihoods of Communities Adjacent to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, Kenya

Abstract

The role of forest resource and resource users’ boundaries in improving the livelihood of forest adjacent communities has been of great concern in current literature. Studies have shown that there is likelihood that forest adjacent communities can draw significant benefits from the forest resource use and users’ boundaries. But is not clear the extent to which this can happen. Thus this study focuses on examining the role of forest resource and resource users’ boundaries in improving the livelihood of forest adjacent communities in Kenya using the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve as a case study. To fill this gap the study used a sample size of 220 households, including 100 households participating in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest management arrangement, 90 non-participating households in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest management arrangement and 30 key informants. It then used both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data collection involved administering semi-structured questionnaires to the participating and non-participating forest management households and key informants, while the secondary data involved a review of relevant and reliable materials on forest resource management, browsing from both internet sources as well as from books, daily newspapers, and published articles. Data analysis was done through coding responses from the different interview categories namely the participating and non-participating households and key informants and grouping them into similar themes in order to answer the study objectives. It is concluded in the study that successful governance of Common Pool Resources requires well established forest resource use and users’ boundaries, and that well established boundaries for resource use and resource users’ can improve community livelihood. It is recommended that, governments should develop forest resource use and users’ boundaries to enhance forest conservation and improved livelihoods of forest dependent households.