Assessment of Forest-People Interaction under Changing Forest landscape: In the Case of Manja Community, Kechi District, Dawuro Zone, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The forest is a source of livelihoods for many people in Ethiopia. The study aims at assessment of forest- Manja people interaction under changing forest landscape in Ombil Yama Natural Forest Kechi District, Dawuro, South Western Ethiopia. The study site was selected purposively based on its high forest coverage area in the district and surrounded by direct forest dependent minority group of Manja communities and its proximity to Kechi, administrative center of Kechi District. A simple random sampling method was used to select respondent from the communities of the study area. Both primary and secondary data were employed in this study. The HHs surveys were applied to collect socio economic conditions and the livelihood of the community using a well-organized structured and semi-structured questionnaires