Perception of Local Community towards Deforestation: The Case of Edigetber and Selamber Kebele around Wolkite Town, Gurage Zone, SNNPRS

Faynet, Mohammed Andoshe (2011) Perception of Local Community towards Deforestation: The Case of Edigetber and Selamber Kebele around Wolkite Town, Gurage Zone, SNNPRS. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

The ever increasing demand of farmland, demand for fuel wood and charcoal coupled with population growth has accelerated the rate of forest reduction in recent years in Ethiopia. Deforestation in Ethiopia was increasing at alarming rate and the rate of afforestation was very negligible in light of the very high rate of clearing for fuel, expanding agricultural land, for construction, urban development purposes, and also lack of awareness creation for the communities have contribution for deforestation. This study aims to explore local community perception towards deforestation in the edigetber and selamber kebele around wolkite town. Both qualitative and quantitative research design were employed in the study. Qualitative research design was used to explore the perception of local community towards the major drivers, causes and consequences of deforestation. Quantitative research design was used to quantify some numerical data which was collected in the study area and also likert scale was employed in order to gather information concerning perception of local community mainly on deforestation. Purposive sampling technique was applied to select the participants for in-depth interview, and focus group discussion. A total of 104 households were used for household survey. The study findings indicated that according to the local community perception the major causes of deforestation in the study area includes: agricultural expansion, urbanization, fuel wood consumption, and others drivers like population growth, land scarcity problem, informal settlement, lack of awareness creation and accident fires on forests resource. These resulted in gullies formation and soil erosion, loss of productivity, loss of biodiversity especially plants, animals, interruption of water flows, and also climate changes. To alleviate such problems, governments should create job opportunities for the communities in order to reduce their dependency on forests, there should be a promotion of environmental education and awareness, and the expansion of alternative energy sources, training, fuel saving technology diffusion should be facilitated in order to reduce their dependency on fuel wood.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare S Agriculture > SD Forestry
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Tim Khabala
Date Deposited:	09 Aug 2018 10:25
Last Modified:	09 Aug 2018 10:25
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8434

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