Effects of leasehold on community forest association benefits in dryland resources management: A case study of Kibwezi Forest in Kenya.

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to investigate whether or not community forest association (CFA) get benefits as they conserve dryland forest that is also fully leased. The study adopted descriptive survey design and was conducted between the year 2018 December and 2020 January in Kibwezi forest. 139 individuals were issued with questionnaires (household survey) and 5 officials from forest department were interviewed. The questionnaires response rate was 96% since 134 questionnaires out 139 were returned. Introduction of leasehold significantly reduced benefits community forest association used to get. There is no significant association between being a member of Community Forest Association and getting employment in dryland forest conservation since Chi square results were; χ2 =3.953, df=3, P=.267. There is no special benefit the Community Forest Association gets from conservation of Kibwezi forest. There should be incentives for the community to partner in the management of the leased forests in order to get the desired results that confer benefits to the Community Forest Association and compel the lessee to adhere to the legal requirement of continued access of benefits to the communities as it was before the lease