The Impact Of Communities On Conservation Of Gishwati Forest Reserve, Rwanda
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Date
2008-10
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Publisher
Kampala International University, School of Engineering Science.
Abstract
This research has been conducted in communities adjacent to Gishwati Forest Reserve. It
aimed at determining the impact of communities on conservation of this reserve. A sample of
120 respondents in 3 villages around the reserve was interviewed to find out the variation in
the use of the forest by local people, the factors influencing their attitudes towards
conservation and the measures which can be undertaken to reduce the impact of local people
on conservation.
It was found that people enter the forest in search of firewood, building materials, handcraft
materials, vegetables, medical plants, honey, animals for hunting, space for planting crops
and range land for grazing animals. The tests of Qui-Square and Student were used to analyse
the variation in the use of the forest by local communities. The results showed that there is no
significant difference in the use of the forest by local people taking into consideration sex
(z20 002 df =1, p=O.962 (p > 0.05), family size (%2=1.173, df ~1, p=O.279).
membership in farmers association (%23.650, df =1, p=O.56) and source of income (F
2.7 18, df ~1, p~ 0.213). However significant difference has been observed in the use of the
forest considering age classes(%2=22.794, df =1, p=O.000), education (%2~35.227, df =1,
p=O.000), occupation (F82.237, df 1, p~O.OOO) , ownership of land (~2 ~7 1.020, df =1,
p-~O.OOO) and other assets (%2=58.131, df~1, p=O.000).
Among the respondents Batwa people were found to be the poorest and to use the forest more
than other groups of people. In search of how to reduce the use of the forest by local people,
the conservation program should put more effort on them and on households of non educated
people, those who have no assets, young people, farmers and unemployed people and on
people who own land less than iha. Taking into account sex, family size, membership iii
fanners association or source of income, the program should equally intervene to all local
people as it has been found that there is no significant difference in the use of the forest by
local people considering these characteristics.
The attitudes of local people toward conservation have been found to be negative. People
who reported that the effect of conservation on their activities are crop raiding and lack of
forest products have been considered as people who have negative attitudes towards
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conservation and they represent 85.8% of all the respondents. Those (14.2 %) who reported
that the effects of conservation are increased rainfall in the region, reduced erosion and
increased safe breathing air have been considered to have positive attitudes towards
conservation because they knew the importance of the forest.
The relationship between the attitudes of local people towards conservation and the factors:
the big issues that face the households, knowledge of the conservation project, the work in
conservation and the lack of benefit from buffer zone was tested . The tests of Qui-square,
Student and Contingency Coefficient showed that there is no significant difference in
attitudes of local people towards conservation if the factors: issues facing the households (C=
2 0.093. p~ 0.901), knowledge of conservation project (% = 0.508, df =1, p=0.476), work in
conservation (F— 1.908, df 1, p=O.20l) and benefit from buffer zone (F— 0.001, df=1,
p=l .000) are taken into consideration. This may be due to the fact that all households use the
forest, and very few people have positive attitudes towards conservation.
Respondents gave some measures to reduce the conflicts with conservationists. These are:
fencing the reserve to reduce crop raiding by monkeys, providing them with employment so
that they can buy the alternatives of what they get from the forest, increasing their
agricultural land to produce more and put the surplus to market, compensating them for the
land taken by buffer zone and where possible allowing them to use the reserve.
This study revealed that people adjacent to Gishwati Forest Reserve live under poverty line.
Serious measures should be undertaken to reduce the impact of their poverty on conservation
by providing the alternatives of what they get from the reserve. Development projects should
be multiplied in the region to improve the livelihoods of the people, family planning should
be encouraged to reduce the populations, local people involvement should be counted for,
education should be reinforced and conservation coordination enhanced.
Description
A Thesis Submitted To The School Of Post Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirement For The Award Of Master Of Science In Environmental Management And Development Of Kampala International University.
Keywords
Communities On Conservation, Gishwati Forest Reserve, Rwanda