The Effect of Forest Governance on Forest Management: A Case of Choke Mountain Watersheds, Amhara National State, Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopian highlands, Choke Mountain watersheds is endowed with a number of natural resources such as fresh water, fertile soils, wildlife and a large number of natural vegetation species and it is located at the center of Blue Nile Highlands. It has considerable ecological and socioeconomic significance at the local, regional, and national levels. However, land degradation has impaired the capacity of the land to contribute to food security. This study therefore, assesses the Performance of forest governance on forest management. The necessary data were generated both from primary and secondary sources. This study revealed that growth in population without increases opportunities to acquire off-farm income tends to place increased pressure on forest and communal grazing land, weak forest governance, greater increment of agricultural and bare land at the expense of decreasing forest and afro-alpine vegetations, limited institutional capacity and limited law enforcement to protect encroachment of forest and communal grazing land clearly indicates the prevailing danger of land degradation in the area.

Keywords: choke mountains, forest governance, forest management, forest degradation.