Assessment of Practices, Constraints and Opportunities of Local Community Participation in Forest Resource Management: The Case of Limmu Kossa Woreda Oromia, South-West Ethiopia

Abstract

Fo rests are one of the most valuable resources of our environment. When it managed well, it provides clean air and water, habitat for wildlife, beautiful scenery, places for recreation use every day. People’s participation concept has several names, such as community forest based management, collaborative forest management, joint forest management and social forestry. The main objective of this study was to assess local community participation in forest resource management in Limmu Kossa Woreda; practices, constraints and opportunities. There is a need to actively involve local people in deciding on which activities to develop in order to guarantee a forest management system. There are varieties of constraints, and opportunities of forest conservation and management system. The greatest opportunities for ecological restoration will occur through agro forestry, coffee forest management, massive planting of tress during summer seasons as green legacy, indigenous forest conservation practices and access issues. Th e participation of local community in forest management was affected by demographic, social, political and economic based factors. To do this thesis Descriptive survey method was employed in order to gather relevant data, in this study. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect data from 138 household heads via questionnaire, interview, FGD and observation. Quantitative da ta analyses were manipulated by using percentages and frequencies, while qualitative data were analyzed in descriptive way. 84.1% of the participants were actively participates in forest management and 93.7% of them had awareness regarding the benefit of participating in forest management. They have gained the awareness from elders, government bodies, NGO’s and through experience. In digenous knowledge and experiences had played a great role in forest management. Nearly 63.9% of the participants were illiterate, as they had not attained either primary or secondary education as; there was no relationship between the level of education and forest resources conservation. The problems those arising will be resolved by involving the local communities and different stakeholders through integrating indigenous knowledge with modern management methods in the planning and implementation of forest management.