FOREST USE AND MANAGEMENT OF BELETE STATE FOREST AREA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS AT SHEBE SOMBO WOREDA, JIMMA ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study aimed at analyzing the contribution of forest resource to livelihoods, dependency of local community to forest products and their role in forest resource management. A total of 178 respondents (120 from WaBuB and 58 non-WaBuB members) from two rural Kebeles were selected using purposive and random sampling techniques. Data were gathered through structured questionnaire, interviews, group discussion and field observation, and then were analyzed using descriptive statistics method. The study found that income from forest products contributes 40.8% and 26.1% of the total annual income of WaBuB and non-WaBuB member household heads, respectively. The major forest products collected by respondents for home consumption and sale include fuel wood, honey, forest coffee, construction materials, medicine and charcoal contributing 43.5%, 20.2%, 12.6%, 11.1%, 7.8% and 4.8% of the forest income, respectively. Besides, it was observed that various socio-economic and demographic characteristics of households such as land size and livestock holdings, family size, wealth/assets and education level exert more influence on forest product collection and extraction activities from the forest. Based on this analysis, the study concludes that absolute forest income and relative forest income (%) were significantly (P<0.05) different among wealth classes. Household heads with higher total annual income obtain more forest income than those with lower income, but they were less dependent on forest products than the lower counterpart. The findings of the study provide valuable information on the role of forest resources to livelihoods and can be applied in developing forest use and management policies for enhanced ecosystem services and livelihoods. The problems of deforestation in the study area were largely attributed to absence of good governance and transparency, short-lived administrative restructuring, inadequate trained forestry and lack of political commitment from the stakeholders. Therefore, policy aiming at formulation and implementation of appropriate policy, land use planning and institutional set up, promotion of income generating initiatives through marketing and value adding of non-timber forest products as well as recognition of local knowledge are recommended to ensure effective use and management of Belete Forest on a sustainable basis.