Community Participation and Forest Resource Management at Gishwati Forest in Rwanda

ABSTRACT 

The topic of the study was community participation and forest resource management at Gishwati forest Rwanda. The problem was mismanagement of forest resources at Gishwati forest Rwanda. The objectives of the study were: to establish the importance of people involvement and forest resource management in Gishwati forest in Rwanda; to show how community empowerment can safeguard forest resource management in Gishwati forest in Rwanda and to establish the effects of capacity building on forest resource management in Gishwati forest in Rwanda. The research employed a qualitative research approach, with descriptive and survey designs. The findings revealed the following: there is no much importance of people involvement in forest resource management at Gishwati forest Rwanda; that community empowerment helps in conservation, restoration and sustainable use of forests; that capacity building had much effect on forest resource management at Gishwati forest, Rwanda; and that community participation accounted much on forest resource management at Gishwati forest, Rwanda. It was concluded that people involvement forest resource management makes the community to own the project and the program related to forest resources. It was also concluded that community empowerment helps in conservation, restoration and sustainable use of forests. It was also concluded that capacity building significantly affect forest resource management at Gishwati forest, Rwanda. Also that conclusion that capacity building significantly influence forest resource management at Gishwati forest, Rwanda. It was recommended that there should be more emphasis on people involvement in forest activities to make the community to own forest projects. There should be emphasis on community empowerment to safeguard forest resource in to improve on forest conservation. There should emphasis on capacity building which will help improve on forest resource management. There should be emphasis on community participation in forest activities to improve on forest resource management.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ...................................................................................................................................... i

APPROVAL ............................................................................................................................................ ii

DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................................... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEl'v1ENT ··························· ............................................................................................ v

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1

1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1

I. I Background of the study .................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Historical perspective ...................................................................................................................... l

1.1.2 Theoretical Perspective ................................................................................................................... 3

1.1.3 Conceptual perspective ................................................................................................................... 4

I . 1. 4 Contextual Perspective .................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 State1nent of the Proble1n ................................................................................................................... 5

1.3 Purpose of the study ........................................................................................................................... 6

1.4 Research objectives ............................................................................................................................ 6

1. 5 Research Questions ............................................................................................................................ 6

1.6 Scope of the study .............................................................................................................................. 6

1.6.1 Geographical scope ......................................................................................................................... 6

1.6.2 Content scope ................................................................................................................................. 6

1.6.3 Theoretical scope ............................................................................................................................ 7

1.6.4 Tin1e scope ..................................................................................................................................... 7

1.7 Significance ofthe Study .................................................................................................................. 7

1.8 Operational definition of the major terms ........................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER TW0 .............................................................................................................................. 9

LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................. 9

2.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 9

2.1 Theoretical Review ............................................................................................................................ 9

2.2 The conceptual review ..................................................................................................................... 10

2.3 Related literature .............................................................................................................................. 11

2.3.1 The Importance of People Involvement In Forest Resource Management In Giswsati Forest In Rwanda .................................................. 11

2.3.2 Ways Of How Community Empowerment Can Safeguard Forest Resource Management .............. 13

2.3.3 The Effects Of Community Capacity Building On Forest Resource Management .......................... 15

2.3.4 The Influence Of Community Pa1iicipation On Forest Resource Management.. ............................. 16

2.4 Related Studies ................................................................................................................................ 22

2.6 Research gaps .................................................................................................................................. 25

CHAPTER TfIREE ........................................................................................................................ 27

METfIODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 27

3.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 27

3.1 Research design ............................................................................................................................... 27

3.2 Study Population .............................................................................................................................. 27

3.3 San1ple size ...................................................................................................................................... 27

3.4 San1pling Procedures ....................................................................................................................... 28

3.5 Data sources .................................................................................................................................... 28

3.5.1 Primary data sources ..................................................................................................................... 28

3.5.2 Secondary sources ......................................................................................................................... 28

3.6 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................. 29

3.7 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments ....................................................................................... 29

3.7.1 Validity of the instruinent. ............................................................................................................. 29

3. 7.2 Reliability of the instruments ........................................................................................................ 30

3.8 Research Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 30

3.9 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 31

3.10 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................... 31

3.11 Lilnitations of the study ................................................................................................................. 32

CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................................... 33

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ............................................................... 33

4.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 33

4.1.2 Age of respondents in Gishwati forest Rwanda .............................................................................. 33

4.1.3 Education Level Of Respondents At Gishwati Forest Rwanda ....................................................... 34

4.1.4 Marital Status of Respondents ..................................................................................................... 35

4.1.5 Occupation of respondents in Gishwati forest in Rwanda .............................................................. 35

The respondents were asked about their Occupation and the results were shown in the table 5 below ..... 35

4. l.6 Respondents category at Gishwati forest Rwanda .......................................................................... 36

4.2 The Importance of People Involvement In Forest Resource Management at Gishwati forest Rwanda37

4.3 How Community Empowerment Can Safeguard Forest Resource Management In Gishwati Forest, Rwanda ....................................................... 38

4.4 The Effects Of Community Capacity Building On Forest Resource Management At Gishwati Forest, Rwanda.......................................................... 39

4.5 The Influence Of Community Pmiicipation On Forest Resource Management At Gishwati Forest, Rwanda ................................... 40

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................ 41

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................ 41

5.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 41

5. l Discussion of Findings ..................................................................................................................... 41

5.1. l The Importance Of People Involvement In Forest Resource Management At Gishwati Forest Rwanda .......................................................... 41

5. 1.2 How Community Empowerment Can Safeguard Forest Resource Management In Gishwati Forest, Rwanda............................................................. 41

5.1.3 The Effects Of Community Capacity Building On Forest Resource Management At Gishwati Forest, Rwanda .................................................... 42

5.1.4 The Influence Of Community Paiiicipation On Forest Resource Management At Gishwati Forest, Rwanda ......................................... 42

5.2 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 42

5.3 Reco1n1nendations ............................................................................................................................ 43

5.4 Areas for Further Research .............................................................................................................. 44

APPENDIX I A: TRANSMITTAL LETTER .............................................................................. 50

APPENDIX IB: TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR THE RESPONDENTS ............................................. 51

APPENDIX II: INFORMED CONSENT ............................................................................................... 52

APPENDIX III: QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................................................... 53

APPENDIX V: TIME FRAME .............................................................................................................. 58

APPENDIX VI: BUDGET .................................................................................................................... 59