Effects of Participatory Forest Management on Livelihoods of Communities Adjacent to Forests in Redd+ Pilot Areas of Mufindi, Iringa Rural and Mbozi Districts, Tanzania

Abstract

Participatory Forest Management (PFM) has been introduced as a strategy for sustainable forest management. The extent to which forests managed under PFM strategies contribute to the livelihoods of its adjacent communities remains poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to (i) analyse socio-economic characteristic of respondents in the study area (ii) assess forest products accessed by the communities living adjacent to the forests, (iii) analyse the local communities’ perception on the importance of forests under PFM to their livelihoods and (iv) analyse socio-economic factors influencing the households’ perception on the importance of PFM. Methods of data collection were household survey, direct observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis was done using chi-square analysis and binary logistic regression. Findings revealed that χ² test on the importance of PFM forests (compared to non-PFM forests) was statistically significant. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that household size was a statistically significant factor influencing the household’s perception on the importance of PFM forests on livelihoods. We conclude that PFM forests are perceived to have positive effects on their livelihoods. Further studies are recommended explicitly to paint a picture on benefits attributable to PFM.