Community Participation In Forest Management Research Articles

Analysis of Factors Influencing Community Participation in Sustainable Forest Management in BKPH Mojorayung, Madiun

The success of sustainable forest management is inseparable from community participation as the leading actor in the Social Forestry Program. Various factors, including internal factors from the community and external factors, affect the participation of the community. Factors impacting community participation in sustainable forest management were analyzed in this study. The study was conducted at BKPH Mojorayung, KPH Madiun, East Java Regional Division Perum Perhutani, from April to June 2022, using a survey method with 242 randomly selected respondents. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was conducted with the SmartPLS software. Based on the results, it was found that three factors impact the community's participation in forest management: the empowerment process accuracy, the role of community empowerment workers, and the support of group leaders. The characteristics of the communities around the forest did not affect community participation in forest management. Community participation also affects the sustainability of forests.

Perceptions on Community Forest Management Practices and Protection of Kwonga Clan Forest, Kabwoya, Kikuube District, Uganda

The study investigated how community forest management practices enhanced the protection of the Bakwonga Clan Forest in Kabwoya Sub-County, Kikuube District Western Uganda. The Bakwonga clan is an indigenous tribe in Uganda who live by the Kwonga clan forest. The study adopted a descriptive research design to collect data through self-administered questionnaires from 181 respondents. Interviews and reviews of documentary sources complemented data collection. Using descriptive statistics, the study reveals practicing sustainable livelihood projects by Bakwonga clan protects the forest by 41.4% (M=3.71, SD=1.43), participation in conservation awareness meetings improved knowledge of forest protection by 44.8% (M=2.1; SD=1.01), and promoting sustainable forest resource use protects the clan forest by 42.6% (M=3.81, SD=1.2). Community participation in forest management moderately contributed to the protection of the Bakwonga Clan Forest in Kabwoya Sub-County, Kikuube District. Bakwonga clan members in collaboration with the Kikuube District Forest department should develop and implement a robust conservation education strategy to build capacity for Bakwonga and Non-Bakwonga to protect the clan forest.

Examining forest transition and collective action in Nepal’s community forestry

Nepal is going through a major socio-economic transition in rural areas and hence in forest management practices, leading to changes in and evolution of new forest-people relationships. Community forests are experiencing an ecological transition resulting a new pattern of growth, regeneration and diversity in forest composition. The ecological transition of forest corresponds to the shifting local collective actions in community forestry which are emerging from the new socio-economic dynamics in rural areas such as income-diversification, declining subsistence utilization of forest resources and outmigration of the rural population. However, these changes are highly differentiated and variable. The hilly areas are experiencing remarkable forest cover changes than in the lowlands of Terai. In this paper, we examine the evolving intersection between new forest transition and community collective action in Nepal. We draw our analysis on the comparative case study of four villages from three different ecological regions. Our findings show that the forest transition is not static, but a dynamic process shaped by diverse local and external factors. Further, declining utilization of forests for subsistence uses has led to a new dynamic in community collective action which has played a central role in driving forest transition. Community participation in forest management is also declining. Hence, we call for reconceptualizing local collective action in this changed context which can help revise forest policies and reimagine forest institutions that can better respond to the socio-economic changes of the mountain landscape and revitalize local collective actions.

Understanding Facilitators and Barriers to Success: Framework for Developing Community Forestry Case Studies

Due to the observed success of community-based management strategies, countries around the world have reformed forest policy to focus upon decentralization and community participation in forest management. Nonetheless, despite the commonly lauded benefits of communal forest management, not all community forest programs successfully achieve the dual goals of forest conservation and income generation. In an era when communal forest management is gaining global popularity, understanding factors that enable or constrain communities’ communal forests and community forest enterprises will help ensure their success. A significant amount of academic research has focused upon identifying and summarizing factors that facilitate or impede community-based resource management. Understanding these factors is an important first step for individuals interested in understanding community forestry operations. The goal of this article is to guide individuals interested in delving deeper into an existing community forestry case. This article provides a framework that can be used to develop community-forestry case studies and guide analysis. The framework highlights the interconnection between community resources, national-scale policy implementation, and markets and provides key factors to consider when analyzing the local context of community-based natural resource management cases.

Influence of Rural Out-Migration on Household Participation in Community Forest Management? Evidence from the Middle Hills of Nepal

Rural out-migration was a rare socio-economic phenomenon when community forestry began in the 1980s in Nepal. Now, out-migration significantly influences nearly every aspect of rural livelihoods in the country. However, it is unclear how out-migration affects community forestry governance, which is essential for sustainable rural development. Therefore, this paper addresses the following research question: Does rural out-migration affect forest users’ participation in community forestry decision-making and management practices? This paper draws on data collected from an extensive survey of 415 households from 15 community forest user groups in 2 Mid-Hill districts of Nepal. The research used ordered-logit regression to model the impacts of out-migration on participation in forest management and decision-making, while controlling for a number of other socio-economic factors. The model results show that total household size and number of internal migrants, together with multiple resource characteristics and institutional attributes, were major factors affecting participation in decision-making and forest management. However, the number of international migrants did not have a significant role in determining the levels of the participation. This study provides valuable insights for future community forestry policymaking that aims to address the effects of out-migration on community forest management in Nepal.

Influence of Rural Out-Migration on Household Participation in Community Forest Management? Evidence from the Middle Hills of Nepal

Influence of Rural Out-Migration on Household Participation in Community Forest Management? Evidence from the Middle Hills of Nepal

Community perceptions: A comparative analysis of community participation in forest management: FSC-certified and non-certified plantations in Mozambique

With the increasing expansion of large-scale forest plantations in developing countries, concerns are rising about relationships between plantations and local communities. Community participation in forest plantation management can improve relationships between forestry companies and adjacent communities and affect the distribution of benefits from plantations. The social dimension of the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) responsible forest management standard targets the participation of local communities in plantation management. Using household survey data from villages adjacent to plantations owned by two private forest companies in Mozambique, we assess households' perceptions about their participation in plantations' activities. We compare the perspectives of households in villages adjacent to FSC-certified plantations with those of households in villages adjacent to non-certified plantations. Our quantitative analyses show that communities adjacent to the certified plantations are more likely to perceive that they participate in activities of plantations. In terms of socio-economic characteristics, male-headed households and households with plantation employees were more likely than their counterparts to participate in plantations' activities. However, we did not find statistically significant relationships between the perceptions of communities near the certified plantations and those near the non-certified plantations regarding their satisfaction with their participation, the extent to which they consider the plantation a ‘friendly good neighbor’ and whether households have benefitted from the plantations. Our results suggest that market-based approaches of forest governance, such as forest management certification, can complement state policy towards responsible forest management.

People's Participation in Community Forest Management

The proposed study introduced the "People's Participation in Community Forest Management". This study was conducted on community forest of the central part of Nepal in Sindhuli district. The main objective of this study was to assess the participation of users group in forest management activities, decision making, benefit sharing mechanism and finding the factors that effect on people's participation. Primary data was collected through preliminary survey, questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and key informant survey. Secondary data was collected from concerned Division Forest Office (DFO), CFUGs operational plan, constitution of CFUGs, minutes, and documents from local government and non-government organizations. The qualitative and quantitative data was analysed using statistical packages SPSS, MS Excel. For qualitative analysis descriptive methods were used and the result was presented in different charts, tables and graphs. From the study, participation of forest users' group was high on forest product collection and distribution and low in plantation in forest management activities, decision making process satisfactory and benefit sharing mechanism was transparent and factors affecting for the participation of users' group was illiteracy and busy in farming. Therefore, this study is supportive for all who work for the improvement of users’ group participation in the community forest management.

An Investigation of the Factors Influencing Community Participation in Forest Management: A Case of Balaka District, Malawi

Forests are vital for the environment through the support which they provide to biodiversity. They also provide cultural, social and economic support to human welfare. Forest degradation is attributed to multiple land uses which include agriculture, human settlement, the use of trees as the main source of energy and other infrastructure development. The main objective of the study was to assess factors that influence community participation in forest management in Kangankundi village forest area in Balaka District, Southern Malawi. Simple random sampling was used to select 100 community members who were interviewed in the study. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 22. The results showed positive significant relationship between community awareness and community participation (p = 0.015), and also between economic benefits and community involvement (p = 0.003). Involvement was not affected by income-generating activity which showed that (p = 0.781) and level of education (p = 0.535). Community awareness and economic benefits appear to be the main factors influencing community participation. Firewood and bamboos were noted to be the most resource obtained from the forest and beekeeping was also the income-generating activity in the study which is being promoted. It is concluded that community participation is influenced by many factors. The study recommends that youth must be deliberately involved in forest management as opposed to the current participation which is dominated by elderly people.

Sustainable Community Forestry: Insights from Rural Thailand

Community participation in forest management has evolved as the new paradigm of natural resource governance in recent decades. Focusing on community participation in local forest resource management, this article examines the evolution and working of community forestry in Thailand from a socio-historical perspective. It narrates the social history of forest governance practices in Thailand and explores the community’s response towards deforestation, resource degradation and rising livelihood insecurity. Drawing insights from three case studies of community participation in forest governance from the provinces of Lampang, Lamphun and Kanchanaburi, this article highlights the potentials of community forestry in evolving as an alternative institution for sustainable livelihood security and forest governance. The article maps out the social history of forest governance practices in Thailand by identifying three successive stages: (a) influence of early European colonial rule in the neighbouring territories, (b) the American influence of 1960s, and (c) social uprisings and a visible ‘community’ in forest management practice.

The Impact on Ecosystem Services and the Satisfaction Therewith of Community Forest Management in Northern Thailand

Forest ecosystems provide myriad services that are beneficial to local livelihoods. Successful community forest management (CFM) enhances the provision, overall benefit, and effectiveness of the regulation of ecosystem services and contributes to forest conservation efforts. The study area was a deciduous forest in the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest, which is located in Pa Mae Phrik National Forest Reserve in Thailand’s northern province of Lampang. A systematic sampling of the forest area was conducted, and survey plots were established. A field survey documented 197 plant species from 62 families. A questionnaire that focused on CFM engagement behavior and ecosystem service satisfaction levels was used to interview household representatives. The study found that levels of engagement and the effectiveness of forest management were directly related; increased CFM effectiveness leads to improved ecosystem services. Participation in CFM can improve ecosystem services and enhance livelihoods. Specifically, participation in decision making, forest fire management, check dam construction, benefit sharing, and in forming effective forest regulations positively impacted ecosystem services. In contrast, employing forest patrols adversely affected those services. This knowledge is useful for identifying policies and practices that can maximize ecosystem services to enhance livelihoods and safeguard the forest’s vitality.

Community participation in sustainable management of community forests

The objectives of this research were to 1) study the potential and obstacles in community forest management 2) study the level of community participation in community forest management 3) propose a guideline to promote the participation of sustainable management of community forests. This research methodology for this study includes a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data for the quantitative method was collected from one representative of each household and it was used to analyze statistics such as; percentage, mean and standard deviation. And data for the qualitative method was collected from the community leaders, Community Forests Committee, People's Representative Representatives from government and private sectors consisting of 16 people, using in-depth interviews, discussion, and questionnaires as research tools. The results of the study showed that the potentials of the community forest were abundant and consist of various biodiversity. The community forest is useful, and it benefits the people because It is a source of food and it generates extra income, it's a learning centre and an ecotourism centre. The major problems and obstacles encountered in the management of the community forest are Participation of the community forest has not yet reached its full potential.

Forest power: The impact of community forest management on female empowerment

Community forest management (CFM) systems have been implemented in developing countries as forest conservation initiatives with community development objectives. Women are often active in CFM by participating in non-timber forest product harvesting and management. Given the increasing presence of women in CFM, this study assesses whether participating in community forest management gives females more household decision-making power, a proxy for empowerment. This is a relevant issue because many development policies are implemented with female empowerment objectives, yet no existing rigorous quantitative studies have examined whether women's participation in CFM empowers them. Using an ordered logistic regression and an instrumental variable method, we analyze a household-level survey of forest-dwelling residents living in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala. We find that female's participation in CFM increases her intra-household bargaining power on average. The results demonstrate that CFM systems can have development benefits that extend beyond increased household income and welfare.

PARTISIPASI PEMUDA DALAM PENGELOLAAN HUTAN KEMASYARAKATAN DI DESA KAHAYYA KABUPATEN BULUKUMBA

This study aims to analyze the level of youth participation in community forest (HKm) management, analyze the driving forces and restraining forces of youth participation in community forest management and formulate strategies for increasing youth participation in community forest management. The data obtained were identified and reviewed in the form of a frequency table of Arnstein's degree of involvement, then analyzed descriptively by the Forces Field Analysis and Focus Group Discussion methods. The results showed the level of youth participation was at the degree of non-participation, with a percentage of 71.43%. The factors that encourage youth participation consist of the group facilitator, group meetings, work plan documents, assistance from various parties, the formation of the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS), and the desire of youth to participate. The factors that inhibit youth participation consist of: lack of youth knowledge in managing community forest, not yet implementing work boundary arrangement activities, youth are not involved in the process of making work plans, and community forest implementation is still carried out individually, the farming experience is still lacking, lack of group capital makes the price of raw materials unstable. An appropriate strategy for increasing youth participation in the management of community forest consists of Conducting meetings involving facilitator, farmer groups and youth to discuss the implementation of management activities (planning, implementation & evaluation) of the community forest-conduct socialization and meetings regarding the contents of the community forest documents that have been made. Make internal group rules regarding product sales prices. Enhance the role of KUPS and conduct training for KUPS administrators to increase their capacity. Youth participate in various types of training conducted by government and non-government organizations (NGOs).

Non-timber forest product utilization under community forest management in northern Thailand

Forest resources are a salient and critical issue requiring ongoing attention by the Thai government. Community forest management (CFM) is a practice used to, among other things, resolve land use issues and regulate the extraction and use of non-timber forest product (NTFPs). Managing as a community forest can not only enhance the livelihoods of the local people but also improve their socio-economic condition. This research was conducted at the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest located in Pa Mae Phrik National Forest Reserve in Thailand’s northern province of Lampang. We collected species biodiversity data of the forest’s total area of 3,925 ha using a systematic sampling method, and twenty-five 40 × 40 m (0.16 ha) survey plots were established in the community forest. Interviews of 159 household heads and/or other household representatives were conducted using a designed questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on information regarding the households’ NTFP utilization habits and engagement in CFM processes. A forest survey was conducted which found that there were 197 plant species, 144 genera, and 62 families in the community forest. Of these, 160 plant species were classified as having medicinal uses, 89 were used as food, 37 as extractives, 32 for firewood, and 12 for fibers. This study also revealed that unmonitored over-exploitation of NTFPs may negatively impact forest biodiversity. As surveyed, 68.55% of households depended on NTFPs. The value of the harvested NTFPs was 6.35% of the total community income. A positive correlation between NTFP income and CFM suggests that utilization of NTFPs combined with CFM can create income opportunities and promote participation in CFM. In addition, income earned from NTFPs and participation in CFM were directly related to the socio-economics of identifiable groups in this community. Laborers, merchants, and low-income families utilized NTFPs to a lesser degree. Single people, household heads, those with a bachelor’s degree, and low income families were less likely to participate in CFM while land owners were more likely to do so. This study implies that the harvesting of NTFPs should not go unchecked, especially of species that are threatened or likely to be threatened if over-harvested. Efforts to enhance lower income household utilization, to more equitably distribute the benefits, and to incentivize community involvement should be prioritized as doing so is crucial to maintaining a healthy supply of NTFPs and safeguarding the community forest biodiversity.

IMPLEMENTASI KEMITRAAN KEHUTANAN DI KESATUAN PENGELOLAAN HUTAN PRODUKSI WAY TERUSAN

One of the government policies to increase community participation in forest management is Forestry Partnership. The purpose of this study was to determines the process of forestry partnership implementation in KPHP Way Terusan. Data collection used in this research was interviews and then the data is analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the implementation process of forestry partnership was long enough and have a lot of challenges. The supporting factors in forestry partnership were the existence of high support done by the community towards forestry partnership programs, communities high trust to KPHP Way Terusan and high support by other related parties (stakeholders). Inhibit factors in forestry partnership were low capabilities of human resources, the problems within farmer groups organization, maintainless communications between government and farmer groups and low community participation.

Do Locals Have a Say? Community Experiences of Participation in Governing Forest Plantations in Tanzania

As large-scale forest plantations expand in developing countries, concerns are rising about their relation to and integration with adjacent local communities. In developing countries with weak enforcement of property rights, private plantations are more likely than state-owned plantations to involve villagers in plantation’s activities in order to secure and guarantee their access to land and labor resources. Certification standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and adherence to responsible investment guidelines further strengthen this likelihood by requiring plantations to consult and engage local communities. Using household data from Tanzania, we assess households’ experiences with their participation in plantation activities by comparing the experiences of households in villages adjacent to private, FSC-certified plantations with those of households in villages adjacent to a non-certified, state-owned plantation. Our quantitative analyses show that households in the villages adjacent to the private, certified plantations are more likely to report to participate in plantation activities. Our results show that the certified plantations are more likely to respond to community complaints and grievances. We further find that male-headed households and households of plantation employees are more likely than female-headed households and households without plantation employees to participate in plantations’ activities. Our results imply that forest management certification can complement state policy approaches of sustainable forest management to enhance community participation in forest management.

EVALUATION ON SOCIAL CAPITAL OF SUSTAINABLE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM: A CASE FROM ARGOSARI VILLAGE, MALANG

Agroforestry activities are carried out in order to obtain community welfare, both in and around forests and at the same time also maintaining primary forest. Agroforestry can provide long-term benefits, such as increased crop productivity, more sustainable land use, as well as soil and environmental conservation. The success of forest management through agroforestry is determined by the level of community participation in forest management and the quality of human resources. The aim of the research was to identify and analyze several factors that strengthen social capital of agroforestry system in Argosari village and its sustainability. Using quantitative approach with Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS)-Rap-agroforestry, all research variable (trust, ecology, social, and agroforestry) perceived as neutral by respondents. The Rap-agroforestry found that all dimensions studied are quite accurate and can be justified, where stress value ranges between 0.15-0.21 and coefficient of determination value is 0.910.97. The sustainability index is as follows: ecology (54.68), economy (36.46), and social (45.40). The difference between the sustainability index and Monte Carlo are so small : ecology (0.32), economy (0.86), and social (0.31), so that the sustainability index can be used to conduct a sustainability assesment of the agroforestry system in Argosari village. This is very important for future policy formulation.

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.