Assessment of the contribution of community based forest management to community livelihoods: a case of the Hima Project in South Unguja, Zanzibar.

This study was conducted in three villages surrounding the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park (JCBNP) in South Unguja, Zanzibar to explore the extent to which Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) initiatives contributed to improve the livelihoods of the people. Focus was on the HIMA project in South Region of Unguja Island. The specific objectives of this study were: to determine the extent to which local communities were involved in decision making and training the HIMA project, to examine the livelihood benefits of the communities from the HIMA project and to examine the challenges facing the local communities in the implementation and the benefits derived from the HIMA project. Mixed data collection methods were used in the study. The study used structured questionnaire interviews for the households; semi structured interviews for the key informants, documentary reviews and observation. Three surveyed villages out of nine were selected through purposive sampling. The sample population of the three surveyed villages was 123 respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 was used to analyse the quantitative data, while qualitative data were analysed by content analysis. The results showed that 60.3% of heads of household in the study area were not involved in any training that could improve their livelihoods in the HIMA project. The results also showed that 53.6% of the households participated in different alternative livelihoods including forest patrolling, beekeeping, agro-forest (mixed farming) and moulding cooking wood stoves. The communities that involved and participated in the CBFM strategies, however were not well empowered and were given little consideration in environmental conservation programmes to improve their livelihoods. Further, local communities benefited from the HIMA project in different aspects such as guaranteed water supply for irrigation, increased of social interaction and education services. In addition, the local community faced many challenges in implementing and benefiting from the HIMA project including lack of benefit sharing arrangement, lack of transparency and accountability, poor alternative sources of income, which were required to raise community incomes for better livelihoods and conflicts among implementers. The study concludes that CBFM initiatives were very crucial in improving the livelihoods of communities living adjacent to the forest, although conflict, lack of transparency and accountability were seen to limit their participation and involvement. The study recommends that it is necessary to improve alternative income sources to improve communities’ livelihoods for project sustainability. This can be achieved by increasing awareness and knowledge through training. Frequent meetings with communities in their respective interest groups and seminars were highly recommended to bring positive contribution to the CBFM initiatives.