Socio-Economic Characterstices and Dependency on Community Forests: The Case of Humbo District Community Based Forest Management Project, Wolaita Zone, Snnpr, Ethioipia

Abstract

The current study was conducted at Humbo community forest management project in Wolita zone of Southern Ethiopia with the aim to investigate household socio-economic characteristics and dependency on community forests: specifically it aimed to examine division labor in forest product extraction across household member, to examine the level of dependence of forest user group members on forest- based income, and to identify major socio-economic variables influencing forest and relative forest income. Accordingly, three out of seven CFM co- operatives were purposively selected for the study. This was followed by a stratified random sampling of 150 households (113 male and 37 female) based on gender. Important research data were collected through household survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The data analysis was carried out by using descriptive statistics and econometric analysis. According to household survey regarding division of labor among household members revealed that females were the primary collectors of NTFPs mainly for household consumption. The F-test analysis on forest dependence indicates the presence of significant difference in mean forest and relative forest income (p=0.000) across sex of the household. Unexpectedly, female headed households were found to draw significantly higher forest and relative forest income while male headed households have lower incomes from the forest. Similarly, analysis of forest dependence by wealth category showed that mean forest and relative forest incomes of poorer households were significantly higher than those in medium and rich category (p=0.001).Ordinary least square model of regression analysis provides evidence in favor of the suggestion that socio-economic inequalities within the group are unavoidably associated with the ability of the households in forest and relative forest income generation. In overall, it is evident that household’s wealth status (coefficient for wealth = -147; p = 0.000), sex of house hold head  (coefficient for sex of household head = +173; p = 0.00), forest visit (coefficient for extension visit = -236; p = 0.05) educational background (coefficient for education level = -70; p=0.08) family size (coefficient =+60; p=0.02) exert a strong influence on appropriating annual income from the forest. On the other hand it is evident that household’s wealth status (coefficient for wealth=-11; p=0.000), sex of household head (coefficient for sex of household head=8; p=0.000) put exert a strong influence on household relative forest income generation. The study revealed that gender differences along with other socio economic disparities do affect the income generation of households in forest management activities and decision making. While the heavily forest dependent poorer and female headed households are merely involved in labor and time consuming forestry activities such as planting and NTFPs collection, the richer and male-headed households have taken most of the decision making posts. The study suggests that diversification of livelihood strategies of the women and poor will enable them to have better lives and lower dependence on the forest as well as it reduce 'illegal' forest products harvesting especially by poor males and it increases the potential for women to assert themselves in demanding greater participation in community decision-making.

Keywords: Community Forestry, Dependency, Division of Labor, Forest income, Heterogeneity group