Local communities and collaborative forest management in West Bugwe Forest Reserve, Eastern Uganda.

Abstract

Bureaucratic controls over natural resources when tightened world over Uganda inclusive have often led to heightened conflicts amongst apparent stakeholders. This has furthered assault on the ecosystem rather than conservation in developing countries. Collaborative Forest Management (CFM), an all inclusive approach on agreement is ostensibly an effective conservation strategy for the protected forest resources openly accessed in most developing nations. A study of 225 households in the proximity of West Bugwe Forest Reserve (WBFR), Busia district in Eastern Uganda revealed that many respondents agreed that poverty (93.2%) and pressure on land (92%) were cardinal push factors into non-compliance with the forestry policy at WBFR while the illegalities carried out were charcoal burning, fuel wood collection, construction material exploitation and farming in the forest reserve; the local communities were ready to conserve the WBFR through out the three parishes where H was 4.1<χ2=15.5 and using a Likert scale the local communities living adjacent to WBFR were positive towards their relationship with National Forestry Authority (NFA) officials in CFM. This was manifested in their scores of response viz. very much willing (370), willing (272) and a close to two thirds positive response (63.1%). Contradictorily less than half (40.5%) trusted NFA in the CFM despite a relatively high rating as very trustworthy (235) and trustworthy (176). In collaboration the local communities agreed to be active in conservation and protection of WBFR. The researchers therefore recommended that CFM be adopted in the area, communication be improved