Forest Land Use and Management Plan Implementation of PFM Sites Established within Kafa Biosphere Reserve, SW Ethiopia

Abstract

For long periods, most state owned forestlands of Ethiopia with their biodiversity resources are protected areas with restricted access for local communities. This system challenged the state forest policy negatively for couple of decades. Currently, forestland use scheme introduced new forestland planning scheme as complementary mechanism, which safeguards forests with its own FMP documents with shared responsibility of local people and the government. Ironic to its special character, its management rescued for its local significances where by local people need benefit to manage the common pool resources to meet the broader societal goal of environmental improvement. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the pattern of Forestland use and management plan of PFM sites established within Kafa Biosphere Reserve”, SW Ethiopia.In this study conducted at 16 PFM sites within five districts, were purposively studied via focus group discussion with 146 FUG committee members and reflected to the total 358 members at districts level. In addition, the results were triangulated as well.The study concludes that in forestland planning starting from site identification to institutional organization and developing forest management plan NABU played significant role. The study reveals that the forestland use plan made such participatory with specific and measurable activities shared among the government and the local FUGs come up with successes and some potential challenges in implementation of the plan as new paradigm in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve.

Keywords: Forestland use, PFM, Forest Management Plan, FUGs

DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/55-04

Publication date:May 31^st 2019