Abstract:
Forests play vital roles in the
survival of people globally. Despite their
usefulness, the loss of forests has not slowed.
Hence, various approaches have been used to
enhance their management. Effective forest
management is key to food security and
stability of national economies. The quest for
efficient and sustainable management of
forested areas has led to the surge in research
exploring the involvement of local people in
forest management. This study aimed to
assess the contribution of community forest
management groups in effective forest
conservation. Several research questions
were asked to explore the subject: What are
the approaches used to sustainably manage
the Mwamba Community Forest and how
effective are they? What challenges are faced
to achieve sustainable forest management?
What strategies are used to overcome the
challenges faced in managing forests in a
sustainable manner? This study targeted 127
household respondents living around the
Mwamba Community Forest, together with
key informants. The mixed approach of
qualitative and quantitative research
methodologies was used. Questionnaires
were administered to collect data from
respondents. The variable parameters were
analysed using Excel and IBM SPSS statistic
26. The effectiveness of the approaches in
managing the natural resources in the forest
were confirmed by 84% of the respondents,
but 11% disagreed, and 5% were indecisive.
The study also revealed various forest
management activities being practiced, such
as woodlot management, beekeeping, and
gardening. The study recommends that the
government build capacity in the local
communities through training, financial
empowerment, and incentives.
