Community Participation In Forest Management Research Articles

Factors influencing household participation in community forest management: evidence from Udon Thani Province, Thailand

ABSTRACTRural communities in Thailand have long managed and used forest resources for their livelihoods. Using survey data collected from 400 households across two villages in northeastern Thailand, this study identifies the factors influencing household members’ participation in local community forest management (CFM) programs. Results of the logit regression models revealed that occupation, the number of years of residence in the community, household income and expense, the receipt of CFM information and training, CFM knowledge, decision process in CFM program, and the perceived social and institutional benefits of CFM positively influenced participation in the CF programs. Furthermore, self-efficiency was found to negatively influence participation. Overall, the findings indicate that local people who are less confidence or do not view participation goals as important but when they have been trained, have knowledge about the value of community forest. They are more likely to participate in CFM programs. These results improve our understanding of household participation in community forest management and highlight the need for context-specific approaches to community engagement in forest management programs for optimal policy solutions.

Local participation in community forest management using theory of planned behaviour: evidence from Udon Thani Province, Thailand

Effective participatory management of natural resources is critical for long-term environmental sustainability and the well-being of the local population. This study used the theory of planned behaviour to examine participation in community forest management. Primary data were collected through household survey, and hypotheses were tested by using the structural equation modelling approach. The empirical results revealed that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and self-efficacy are significant predictors of local participation. The results further showed that individuals aged 46–60 years, farmers and those earning at least 20,001 Thai Baht per month were more likely to have positive attitudes towards participation in community forest management programs. Therefore, the government should consider intensifying efforts to engage these groups in participatory policy-making.

The communication model of forest management based on environmental awareness

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to do an in-depth comprehension about local wisdom values related to the forest management in Nagari Koto Malintang, Tanjung Raya District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra Province, and to find a communication model in the forest management based on environmental awareness. Research on indigenous forest management has been widely done, but information related to information flow and communication pattern of indigenous people in conveying local wisdom values to the management of forests is little to find.Design/methodology/approachThe design employed in this research was case study and field research. Field research is the research to intensively examine the background of current state of the environmental interaction according to these social units: individual, group, institution or society. The research was undertaken in Nagari Koto Malintang, Tanjung Raya District, Agam Regency. The location selection was conducted purposively under the preserved condition of the forests in Koto Malintang, despite the damages occurring to most of forests in Indonesia. The preserved condition of Nagari Koto Malintang forest is characterized by many trees with diameter of 2–3 meters left undisturbed by the communities, so that they are protected from the danger of landslides. The determination of informants in this research was made by purposive sampling.FindingsThe community and government of Nagari Koto Malintang has arranged the space and land of Nagari, by making a division as follows: the upper area is made into catchment area, middle area is made into a plantation area and settlement area and the lower area is made into cultivated land. The ecologic benefits of the forest for the community of Nagari Koto Malintang are: liberating the community from the threats of flood and galodo, providing sufficient water availability, providing good air quality and maintain and preserve flora and fauna. The perceived economic benefits are: the availability of adequate irrigation for agriculture, plantations, tabek and ponds of which crops provide economic benefits to the community. Socially, forests make the community members’ relationship grow closer, improve community participation in forest management, create jobs and maintain local knowledge and institutions.Originality/valueThis is one of few studies resulted from different customs and norms of each indigenous community, thus it is necessary to study the uniqueness of Nagari Koto Malintang community in managing the forest. This research was conducted to obtain complete description of how indigenous people of Nagari Koto Malintang community build communications and disseminate information related to wisdom, thus giving rise to common awareness in the sustainable forest management and ultimately bringing up a model of forest management communication.

Implementasi Kemitraan Kehutanan antara Kelompok Tani dengan Bkph Rinjani Barat Pelangan Tastura (Studi Kasus : Gabungan Kelompok Tani Maju Lestari, Desa Pusuk Lestari, Kecamatan Batulayar, Kabupaten Lombok Barat)

Land grabbing is one of the factors contributing to high rate of deforestation and forest degradation, thus it should involve the local community in its management. One of the government’s policies to improve community participation in forest management is forestry partnership. The purpose of this research is to explore the process of implementation of forestry partnership between farmer group and BKPH Rinjani Barat PelanganTastura as well as its supporting and constraining factors. The data was collected by interview. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results demonstrate that the process of forestry partnership implementationis well performed. The supporting factors of forestry partnership between farmer group and BKPH Rinjani Barat PelanganTastura are high quality seedlings, cultivated area, advanced maintenance and firm support from farmer groups for forestry partnership program, absolute trust fromfarmer groups inforest manager and massive support from other related farmer groups. Meanwhile the constraining factors of forestry partnership between farmer groups and BKPHRinjani Barat PelanganTasturais low quality of human resources, internal problems of farmer group organization, lack of communication between government and farmer groups and low participation of farmer groups.

Role of Community and User Attributes in Collective Action: Case Study of Community-Based Forest Management in Nepal

A growing literature on collective action focuses on exploring the conditions that might help or hinder groups to work collectively. In this paper, we focus on community-based forest management in the inner Terai region of Nepal and explore the role of community and user attributes such as group size, social heterogeneities, forest user’ perception on forests, and affiliation to the user group, in the collective action of managing community forests. Household surveys were carried out with 180 households across twelve community forest users’ groups. We first measured ethnic diversity, income inequality, landholding inequality, and user perception towards the use and management of community forests to understand their effect on the participation of forest users in the management of community forests. Our results show that among the studied variables, group size (number of forest users affiliated to the community forests) and perception of the management of their community forests are strong predictors of forest user participation in community forest management. Income inequality and ethnic diversity were found to have no significant association. Land inequality, however, was found to decrease participation in the management and use of community forests. These community and user attributes play a crucial role in the success of collective action and may vary from community to community. Hence they need to be duly considered by the practitioners prior to any community-based project interventions for stimulating successful collective action.

The chronology of community participation in Indian forest management

The paper discusses the chronological changes in Indian participatory forest management from the perspectives of forest conservation and the impact of participatory forest management approach in the context of socio-economic issues of native dwellers, using archival resources, secondary information and previous academic and non-academic materials. The idea of participatory forest management in India can be traced back to the British colonial period. However, this idea was revitalized in the 1980s. Historically, it was hard to protect entire forest areas by the Forest Department because the forests had been part of local peoples' day-to-day life. Therefore, native peoples' participation in forest management along with their socio-economic improvement has been required to protect forests. Throughout the history of community participation, villagers have been involved in forest management schemes through a give-and-take symbiotic relationship. Community participation in forest management from the standpoint of forest conservation in India has shown that it is an evolving process, embedded within local socioecological systems and negotiated between the state and local communities.

The motivation for community participation in forest management: the case of Sefwi-Wiawso forest district, Ghana

Due to the shortcomings of state control over forests, participatory approaches to managing forests have evolved. However, the motivation for people to participate voluntarily in forest management has received less research attention in Ghana. This research examined what motivated the fringe communities of the Suhuma Forest Reserve in Ghana to participate in its management. The study was designed to be consistent with the convergent parallel mixed methods. In this regard, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the same time to determine the motivation of the communities to participate in the management of the reserve. The qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions with members of Community Forest Committees. The quantitative data were also obtained through a survey of 112 households (half of whom were members of Community Forest Committees) selected from 12 fringe communities. Analyses of the data revealed that participation in the management of the reserve was through voluntary Community Forest Committees. Access to the forest reserve for non-timber products, and the hope of getting degraded portions of the forest to farm were the factors that motivated the members of the Community Forest Committees to participate voluntarily in the management of the forest reserve. However, the Committees complained about the lack of motivational packages, inadequate logistics and non-response to requests for assistance from the Forest Services Division, but the need for farmlands has kept them on. The study recommends that the committees should be motivated by allocating the degraded sections of the forest to them for tree-crop planting, which could not only contribute to the restoration and sustenance of the forest reserve but also serve as a source of livelihood for the members of the Committees.

Analysis of perception and community participation in forest management at KPHP model unit VII-Hulu Sarolangun, Jambi Province

The concept of forest management at the site level in the form of forest management units (KPH) implemented by the government in an effort to improve forest governance in Indonesia. Forest management must ensure fairness for all stakeholders, especially indigenous and local communities that have been the most marginalized groups. Local communities have become an important part in the efforts to achieve sustainable forest management. Public perception as one of the stakeholders in forest management need to be analyzed to determine their perspectives on the forest. This study aimed to analyze the perception and the level of community participation in forest management activities in KPHP Model Unit VII-Hulu Sarolangun, as well as examine the relationship between these two variables. Perception variables are divided into three categories: good, moderate and bad, while the participation variable is also divided into three categories: high, medium, and low. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the key informants and questionnaires to randomly selected respondents. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether there are differences of perception and participation between the two villages and the relationship between perceptions of participation or not. The results showed 90,16 % of people have a good perception and the remaining 9,84% have a moderate perception. In general, community participation is at a low level that is as much as 76,17 % and only 1,55% had a high participation rate. The analysis showed differences in levels of participation between the two villages and there is no relationship between the perception and the level of community participation in forest management. The results of this study can be taken into consideration for KPHP and other stakeholders in forest management policy in the region KPHP.

Beyond money: Does REDD+ payment enhance household's participation in forest governance and management in Nepal's community forests?

Incentives can enhance community participation in conservation programs, but our understanding of how an economic incentive influences the participation of households in forest management is limited. REDD+ (Reducing Emission for Deforestation and forest Degradation)—a climate change mitigation mechanism initiated by international communities—provides payments to developing countries for better conservation of their forests. The REDD+ pilot project was implemented in community forests of Nepal through which REDD+ payment was distributed to the households involved in forest conservation. We examine whether REDD+ payments enhance participation of households in forest conservation, benefit provision, policy making, community services and capacity building programs in community forests of Nepal. Our results show that socio-economic factors such as education, family size, agricultural land holdings, and biophysical factors such as distance from respondent's household to the affiliated community forest are more likely to determine the participation in community forest management rather than economic incentive provided by the REDD+ pilot project.

Deforestation Processes in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico

AbstractIn this study, we evaluate deforestation processes and its relationship with different production and conservation land uses in the state of Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We also analyzed deforestation in ejidos (common property) with and without community forest management (CFM) that were categorized according to their degree of development and participation in CFM. The results show that the principal land uses for most deforested areas were for livestock and maize production. Mechanized agriculture and urban development related to tourism also represented important deforestation threats with high rates of annual forest conversion from 2001 to 2013. However, fire was also found to be a major threat to forest cover loss in Quintana Roo, with the highest rate. Low deforestation was associated with milpa agriculture, conservation or protected areas, and CFM. Ejidos with more development and participation in CFM tend to have a significantly lower proportion and lower overall rates of deforestation compared with ejidos without CFM. Regional conservation strategies that promote and integrate both land sparing and land sharing approaches are recommended and discussed.

Evidence of User Participation in Community Forest Management in the Mid-hills of Nepal: A Case of Rule Making and Implementation

User participation in Community Forestry (CF) regarding forest-related activities from user group formation to implementation of an operational plan is crucial for evaluating the social and biophysical outcomes of a CF program. This study assesses factors responsible for the participation of member households in the planning and implementation process of a CF program in Nepal. Data were collected through a survey of 116 households from six community forest user groups, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Simple random sampling was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative information from 10 % of households participating in CF, utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors associated with participation in planning and implementations of CF activities. Six socio-demographic and biophysical explanatory variables were included in the analysis, of which Caste, Sex, Age, and Forest Condition were found statistically significant. The results indicate that if the condition of the community forest is perceived as satisfactory, User Committees receive higher user participation in regards to forest development activities and fund mobilization. The results also suggest activities involving physical work attract younger participants. The existing equal access to forest products does not promote equity. However, promoting women and disadvantaged user participation in CF activities may help achieve higher equitability of CF user groups.

Community participation in the management of forest reserves in the Northern Region of Ghana

ABSTRACTThe 1994 forest and wildlife policy of Ghana provides the basis for community participation in forest management through participatory forest management. Even though forest reserves in the Northern Region are said to be managed collaboratively, fringe communities are supposedly involved only in maintenance activities of the reserve boundaries and seedling planting in plantation programmes. The forest reserves are said to be threatened by illegal activities from the fringe communities. This study therefore examined the nature of community participation in the management of forest reserves.It is a mixed method research in which structured interview schedule, in-depth interview and focus group discussion guides were used for data collection. Respondents comprised community members, forestry staff and NGOs. Communities’ participation was found to be passive and tokenistic and limited to boundary cleaning and providing labour on plantations. There is no formal collaboration between communities and Forest Services Division. Prospects to communities’ participation lie in the continuous flow of benefits and their active involvement in management decisions. Active involvement of communities in all decision-making processes, capacity building of communities and forestry staff, incentive schemes and awareness creation are recommended for promoting community participation in managing forest reserves in Northern Region.

Household participation and effects of community forest management on income and poverty levels: Empirical evidence from Bhutan

The objectives of the present study are to (1) identify and analyze the factors influencing household participation in community forest management programs, and (2) assess the effects of community participation in forest management on household income and poverty levels in Bhutan. The study is based on a comprehensive dataset of 4173 rural households from all the agro-ecological regions of Bhutan. The probit estimation on the factors influencing household participation indicates that educated, young and wealthy households are more likely to participate in the community forest management program. The propensity score matching (PSM) approach was employed to correct for potential sample selection bias that may arise due to systematic differences between the participant and non-participant households. The PSM analysis was carried out by employing different matching algorithms i.e. nearest neighbor matching, kernel-based matching, radius matching and mahalanobis metric matching. The empirical results indicate that participating households have higher income levels in the range of Ngultrum 2605–3169. In addition, the study finds that the participation in community forest management by households may reduce poverty in the range of 5–12 percentage point. The participating households have higher food security levels in the range of 12%–19% as compared to non-participating households.

Effects of Different Management Practices on Stand Composition and Species Diversity in Subtropical Forests in Nepal: Implications of Community Participation in Biodiversity Conservation

In this article, we compared the structure, composition, and diversity of trees, shrubs and saplings, seedlings and herbaceous species of community- and government-managed forests in the lowlands of eastern Nepal. Results suggest that among the trees, the community forest was dominated by a single species, Shorea robusta. However, Shorea robusta and Terminalia myriocarpa were codominant in the government forest. Tree density and basal area were higher in the government forest, but shrub/sapling density and basal area were higher in the community forest, suggesting a positive effect of community management on tree regeneration. Overstory species assemblages showed an obvious compositional difference between the forests, but understory species assemblages were less obvious. Plot-level tree and shrub/sapling species richness was higher in the government forest than the community forest. However, seedling-herbaceous species richness was higher in the community forest. The dominance of Shorea robusta trees in the community forest suggests that people involved in managing forests may be more interested in a limited number of economically valuable species while removing less important trees. Such preferential management practices may increase resource heterogeneity within a forest and maintain species diversity in the understory. Thus, community participation in forest management should be encouraged, with guided management techniques and exercises, to achieve maximum forest recovery, provide sustainable ecosystem services, and maintain forest diversity.

Enhancing voluntary participation in community collaborative forest management: A case of Central Java, Indonesia

This paper examines voluntary participation in community forest management, and characterizes how more participation may be induced. We implemented a survey of 571 respondents and conducted a case study in Central Java, Indonesia. The study's novelty lies in categorizing the degrees of participation into three levels and in identifying how socio-economic factors affect people's participation at each level. The analysis finds that voluntary participation responds to key determinants, such as education and income, in a different direction, depending on each of the three levels. However, the publicly organized programs, such as information provision of benefit sharing, are effective, irrespective of the levels of participation. Overall, the results suggest a possibility of further success and corrective measures to enhance the participation in community forest management.

Dampak Partisipasi Wanita Dan Faktor Demografi Dalam Pengelolaan Hutan Kemasyarakatan (Hkm) Terhadap Pendapatan Keluarga Di Kabupaten Lampung Barat

Community Forest (HKM) is a community development schemes through strengthening factors of production of non-timber forest products in the form of access to forest lands, protected primary forest. It is not yet known impact of women's participation in community forest management on family income in the village Tribudi Syukur and Tribudi Makmur. To the end, the research conducted in order to know the impact of demographic and participation of women in community forest management on family income in the village Tribudi Syukur and Tribudi Makmur, Kebun Tebu sub district, West Lampung, Lampung province. This research was conducted in the Community Forest, at Village Tribudi Syukur and Tribudi Makmur. Data retrieved using the method of data collection simple random sampling. Analysis of data used linear models was assisted using Minitab 16 software for parameter optimization. The results showed that the factor land size and income of women farmers with a significant effect on the income of women's participation in community forest management. Meanwhile, the chief factor of the family, the woman's age, the age of the male, female participation rates, female education, male education, number of dependents, and the distance to the arable land were not significantly associated with women's participation in the management of the community forest income.

Forest Reform in Tanzania: A Review of Policy and Legislation.

Community participation in forest management has existed in the United Republic of Tanzania for a long time, but on a small scale. It is common to find trees of certain species are being protected and managed for traditional reasons. It has been observed that forests and woodlands that are managed using traditional knowledge and practices are accorded high respect by concerned communities. Thus, fires or encroachment does not affect them. While the strategy of setting aside forests and woodlands for protection remains the centerpiece of management of these resources in the United Republic of Tanzania, this has been the result of evolutionary process from a conventional to a participatory approach of forest management. In this regards, Tanzania has been considered among successful countries in African in implementing Participatory Forest Management (PFM) as promoted through both Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) and Joint Forest Management (JFM). Policy provisions and legal framework has been important stepping stones for involvement of different players in forest conservation. In addition, legal reforms have tried to invert the colonial approach that excluded local communities from management and ownership of most resources in their vicinity. PFM typically has been implemented on a forest-by-forest or village-by-village basis, rather than using a landscape approach. But protecting one forest through PFM may displace villagers’ Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) harvest into other less protected forests, possibly causing greater ecological damage. A landscape approach to PFM would take into account even those forests that are not used by villagers before PFM is introduced but that might be once PFM reduces or eliminates access to alternative forests.

Subsistence Living and Global Climate Change: Implications of Biocharcoal Production for Farmers in Rural Areas of Nigeria

The study examines socio-economic implications of charcoal production for farmers of rural communities in Nigeria using selected communities in Ifedapo Region of Oyo State. From a total of 67 charcoal producing rural communities identified in the region, 16(30%) was proportionally selected using three sampling techniques (stratified, purposive and simple random sampling). A total of 32 colliers and 8 middle traders (wholesalers) were selected as respondents to form the representative sample of the studied population. A-25 item questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. The survey reveals that charcoal producers are mainly male, married adult farmers with little or no education. The charcoal enterprise has been on part-time basis, undertaken as a coping strategy, and the forest is depleting due to uncontrolled and indiscriminate exploitation of mature and nearly-mature trees. Its production would not stop because available alternatives are limited and expensive. Consequently, creating short-term employment during off-season period for farmers, subsidising agricultural inputs, an appropriate policy that delivers gas and kerosene to the end-users for domestic use at affordable price, community participation in forest management, researches into the use of wind and solar energies, law against cutting down of trees without replacement and implementation of the components of the national planning programmes, which pertain to afforestation, discourage farmers from charcoal production.Keywords: Fuelwood, Deforestation, Biocharcoal, Subsistence Living

Social accountability and community forest management: the failure of collaborative governance in the Wombat Forest

This article presents a critical analysis of what caused the failure of Australia's first Community Forest Management (CFM) trial. We explore how ‘community’ was conceptualised and represented through the dynamic CFM process, leading to contradictions and conflicts that could not be resolved. We examine the governance structures and institutions that were created to try to enable community participation in forest management. Ambiguity and uncertainty in the power and purpose of the CFM organisation, as well as power relationships within the organisation, all contributed to conflicts that eventually tore the CFM process apart.

Social and cultural determinants of collective management of community forest in Nepal

The main goal of the study is to determine which socio-economic factors affect level of participation in the community forest management of “Ludhi-Damgade” of Gorkha district in Nepal. The empirical evidence for level of participation as a function of social status is obtained by using an ordered probit and two-stage least-squares model. The model also estimates the marginal effects of socio-economic factors on different levels of participation suggesting how per unit change in such socio-economic characters affects the level of participation. Empirical results from the model also verify that participation in forest management determines the quantity and type of benefits received from the community forest. The research findings of the study suggest that participation in community forest management is based on the socio-economic profile of an individual and the level of participation is determined by the benefits obtained from the common forest resources. Lack of participation in community forest management excludes the disadvantaged groups from decision-making in product distribution. Consequently, the disadvantaged groups get less benefit from the community forest. The empirical results are expected to aid policy makers in empowering people of lower socio-economic status to understand the importance of participation in community forest management in order to have equal distribution of benefits accrued by community forest.