Factors Influencing Household Participation in a Participatory Forest Management Scheme: Bench- Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing household participation in participatory forest management (PFM) in the Bench-Sheko Zone of Southwest Ethiopia. The study was conducted in two woredas (Gurafarda and Sheko) where PFM has been implemented. Two kebeles where PFM has been implemented were selected from each woreda. For the interview, household heads in the sampled kebeles were stratified based on the membership status into members and nonmembers of PFM. Then, a sample of 408 household heads were interviewed from the selected kebeles. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Access to forest-related extension services, marital status, benefits derived from the forest, understanding PFM goals clearly, access to market information on forest products, and the size of livestock held by household heads had a positive and significant effect on the participation of the household heads in PFM. To achieve the promise of PFM, it is critical to provide forest-related extension services on forest resource management and use that specifically pro- mote PFM, for example, by creating awareness of the economic value and benefits of forests among household heads.