| Abstrakt: |
This paper intended to gain insights on how local communities perceive the conservation of community forests (CFs). It draws from a study that aimed to explore how communities perceive conservation efforts, and uncover the manner through which contextual factors shape these perceptions. Data for this paper were generated through a triangulation of methods, whereby a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 households, and unstructured questionnaires to 43 households. In addition, 7 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 5 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with forest experts and village leaders to provide further insights and interpretation of the data. We used qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse data on local perceptions of the conservation of CFs. Content and micro-interlocutor analysis was used for qualitative data analysis, while descriptive statistics and Probit regression were used for quantitative data. According to the results, most respondents (85.25%) viewed the conservation of CFs positively. The study indicated that factors such as age, land ownership, conservation benefits, spill-over effects, policy and regulations, and involvement in decision-making processes positively impacted perspectives. However, occupation and conservation costs were unfavourable factors that influenced their viewpoints. Despite the community's positive attitudes, conservation efforts have not succeeded due to the lack of motivation and conflicts of interest, which align with the social exchange theory. We argue that to achieve effective conservation, it is crucial to adopt various strategies such as creating economic opportunities through CFs, modernizing agriculture, and issuing certificates of customary right of occupancy (CCRO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
