Authors : A.C. Otieno and M. Buyinza
Abstract: The idea of Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) is ostensibly a conservation panacea in conflict prone forest resource management in developing countries. Most of these economies have about 40% of their population poor and eking life from natural resources in their neighbourhood, a point of conflict with government agents meant to conserve the resources, West Bugwe Forest Reserve (WBFR) epitomized this situation in Uganda. The study aimed at assessing the potentialities of CFM, with a goal of sustainable forest resource management of WBFR. The findings from 233 respondents revealed that illegal human activities viz. charcoal burning, fuel wood collection and farming were responsible for the deforestation of WBFR; the forest officials were both actively involved and by proxy engaged in the given illegal activities; main push factors to the forest reserve were poverty, domestic needs, inadequate land, landlessness and ignorance of the policy and CFM was found to be a significant tool in reducing deforestation of WBFR. It was felt that government enhance the resources in the forest department, motivate the forest officials and encourage CFM to resolve the disparities between the local communities and foresters, making both parties accountable and benefit from the forest resources at their proximity.
A.C. Otieno and M. Buyinza, 2010. Collaborative Forest Management in Uganda: A Strategy for Controlling Deforestation in West Bugwe Forest Reserve, Busia District. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 5: 337-344.