Abstract:
The study attempted to examine land cover change, impacts of deforestation and major
methods of participatory forest management practices traditional and modern method, major
causing factors of deforestation in Chilimo-Gaji forest threekebeles were selected by purposive
sampling method from thirty twokebeles.A total of 344 sample size was selected from 2439
households by using stratified sampling technique. In this study both primary and secondary
sources of data were used .The primarily data was collected using questionnaire, interview,
focus group discussion and field observation. The secondary data was collected secondary
sources like, documents, journal, papers, articles, and applications of remote sensing and GIS,
Land sat image of 1984 TM, 2000TM and 2016 OLI were used. Descriptive survey research
design was used. Statistics such as frequency and percentage was used to analyze quantitative
data, the qualitative data obtained from interviewed, focus group discussion, and field
observation were analyzed quantitatively by describing and interpreting. The findings of the
study indicated that the trend forest conservation relating increasing of crop productivity,
livestock productivity, to balance the climatic conditions and to increase household’s income in
the study area. However, population pressure, creating awareness community participation,
local government and NGOs are the major determinant factor in implementing forest
conservation in effective way. Despite, the existing problems there are some measures taken to
improve the situation include area closure patrolling, penalties, consultation with local
communities and strengthening partnership between local government and NGOs in forest
conservation practices to be given due attention. The findings of the study strongly
recommended that community participation, awareness creation, alternative source of energy,
policy implementation, planting selected indigenous tree and fast growing tree seeds actively
practices in the study area.
