Article section

Article title
Contributor
Abstract
About article
DOI
Citation style
Copyright
Open access
References
Research Article

Influence of Public Participation on Sustainable Forest Management in Sokoto State, Nigeria

Authors

  • G. Abuh Department of Forestry and Environment, Usmanu Danfodyo University Sokoto, Nigeria

    godsloveabuh@gmail.com

  • A. G. Bello Department of Forestry and Environment, Usmanu Danfodyo University Sokoto, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of public participation on sustainable forest management (SFM) in Sokoto State, Nigeria. A region faced with severe forest degradation due to anthropogenic and climatic pressures. The research focuses on the demographic characteristics of the respondents, the effects of public participation on sustainable forest management practices (Plantation establishment and management, harvesting practices, Afforestation and Reforestation and Forest Restoration), benefits and challenges of involving local communities in forest management. Data were collected through structured questionnaires involving 115 participants. An interview was also conducted in 10 organizations on SFM. The data were analyzed descriptively. The research reveals a nearly equal gender distribution (51.3%, male, and 48.7%, female) with the majority (89.5%) between 21-30 years and majorly (72.2%) students by occupation. The research also highlights plantation establishment (57.4%) and afforestation/reforestation (29.6%) as the predominant sustainable forest management practices in Sokoto. Findings reveal that public participation significantly enhances SFM, with 77.4% of respondents reporting a positive impact. Environmental (57.4%) and educational (27.8%) benefits were the most perceived benefits. Micro-climate regulation (43.5%) was the major environmental benefit observed. Despite these gains, key challenges such as lack of awareness (45.2%) and funding constraints (32.2%) hinder broader engagement and effective public participation. The study concludes that economic incentives and public awareness should be emphasized, to sustain SFM initiatives. This paper draws attention to the essence of participatory approaches that align local community involvement with environmental restoration strategies, providing a blueprint for forest management in semi-arid regions.

Keywords:

Forest Management Participation Public Sustainable

Article information

Journal

Journal of Sustainable Research and Development

Volume (Issue)

1(1), (2025)

Pages

1-9

Published

18-02-2025

How to Cite

Abuh, G., & Bello, A. G. (2025). Influence of Public Participation on Sustainable Forest Management in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Research and Development, 1(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.69739/jsrd.v1i1.241

References

Abubakar, G. A., Dikko, A. U., Yakubu, M., & Tajudeen, M. K. (2011). Effects of different land uses on soil quality in Sokoto Urban Fringes. European Journal of Developing Country Sides, 10. https://www.scribd.com/document/124647792/Effects-of-Different-Land-Uses-on-Soil-Quality-in-Sokoto-Urban-Fringes

Areo, O. S., Omole, A. O., Ayodeji, A. F., Adewale, A., & Lukeman, O. G. F. (2023). Modern forest operation techniques in Nigeria: Challenges and solutions. Australian Journal of Science and Technology, 7(2), 76-82. https://aujst.com/vol-7-2/1.pdf

Azadi, H., Samari, D., Zarafshani, K., Hosseininia, G., & Witlox, F. (2013). Sustainable forest management in Iran: a factor analysis. Sustainability science, 8, 543-551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-012-0190-4

Azadi, Y., Yazdanpanah, M., Forouzani, M., & Mahmoudi, H. (2019). Farmers' adaptation choices to climate change: a case study of wheat growers in Western Iran. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 10(1), 102-116. https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2018.242

Azadi, Y., Yazdanpanah, M., & Mahmoudi, H. (2019). Understanding smallholder farmers’ adaptation behaviors through climate change beliefs, risk perception, trust, and psychological distance: Evidence from wheat growers in Iran. Journal of environmental management, 250, 109456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109456

Bijani, M., Ghazani, E., Valizadeh, N., & Haghighi, N. F. (2017). Pro-environmental analysis of farmers' concerns and behaviors towards soil conservation in central district of Sari County, Iran. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 5(1), 43-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.03.001

Colombo, S. J., Chen, J., Ter-Mikaelian, M. T., McKechnie, J., Elkie, P. C., MacLean, H. L., & Heath, L. S. (2012). Forest protection and forest harvest as strategies for ecological sustainability and climate change mitigation. Forest Ecology and Management, 281, 140-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.06.016

deMarsh, P., Boscolo, M., Savenije, H., Grouwels, S., Zapata, J., Campbell, J. Y., & Macqueen, D. J. (2018). Making change happen: what can governments do to strengthen forest producer organizations?. Forest. https://www.iied.org/g03804

Elliott, S., & Young, T. (2016). Nature by default in early childhood education for sustainability. Australian journal of environmental education, 32(1), 57-64. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2015.44

Evans, J. (2010). Plantation forestry in the tropics. Oxford University Press.

FAO, AgriCord. (2016a). Forest and farm producer organizations operating systems for the sustainable development goals (SDGs): strength in numbers. FAO, Forestry Economics and Policy Division, AgriCord., Rome. https://www.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2022-11/21186iied.pdf

FAO. (2016b). Agriculture Organization. Livestock primary. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL

FAO. (2022). The state of the world’s forests 2022. https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1507071/

FFF (Forest and Farm Facility). (2014). Roadmap for strengthening Forest and farm organizations. Policy Brief, Forest and Farm Facility, Rome. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/roadmap-strengthening-forest-and-farm-producer-organizations

Gbadebo, O. V., Oyewole, A. L., & Adegbayi, O. R. (2022, August). Sustainable Forest Management Practices: A Viable Panacea to the Challenges of Climate Change in Nigeria. In Proceedings of the 8 TH Biennial Conference of Forests and Forest Products Society of Nigeria (FFPS). FRIN IBADAN, 14th (pp. 259-262).

Ghoochani, M. O., Ghanian, M., Khosravipour, B., & Crotts, J. C. (2020). Sustainable tourism development performance in the wetland areas: a proposed composite index. Tourism Review, 75(5), 745-764. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-02-2019-0061

History of Sokoto. (n. d.) Official About Sokoto State. https://sokotostate.gov.ng/history-of-sokoto

Jafari, A., Kaji, H. S., Azadi, H., Gebrehiwot, K., Aghamir, F., & Van Passel, S. (2018). Assessing the sustainability of community forest management: A case study from Iran. Forest Policy and Economics, 96, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2018.08.001

Krajewski, P., Solecka, I., & Mrozik, K. (2018). Forest landscape change and preliminary study on its driving forces in Ślęża Landscape Park (Southwestern Poland) in 1883–2013. Sustainability, 10(12), 4526. https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i12p4526-d186867.html

Lange, F., & Dewitte, S. (2019). Measuring pro-environmental behavior: Review and recommendations. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 63, 92-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.04.009

Lorenz, K. (2010). Carbon sequetration in forest ecosystems. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-90-481-3266-9

Maishanu, H. M., Mainasara, M. M., Aliero, B. L., Isah, A. D., & OJONUQWA, S. (2017). Effect of fire on biomass accumulation and productivity of herbaceous plants in the permanent site, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Review, 4(3), 1-8.

Marchi, E., Chung, W., Visser, R., Abbas, D., Nordfjell, T., Mederski, P. S., ... & Laschi, A. (2018). Sustainable Forest Operations (SFO): A new paradigm in a changing world and climate. Science of the Total Environment, 634, 1385-1397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.084

Martire, S., Castellani, V., & Sala, S. (2015). Carrying capacity assessment of forest resources: Enhancing environmental sustainability in energy production at local scale. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 94, 11-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.11.002

Monfared, N., Yazdanpanah, M., & Tavakoli, K. (2018). Why do they continue to use pesticides? The case of tomato growers in Boushehr Province in Southern Iran. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Digital Repository. http://ir.jkuat.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4207?show=full

Nyamekye, A. P., Tian, Z., & Cheng, F. (2021). Analysis on the contribution of agricultural sector on the economic development of Ghana. Open Journal of Business and Management, 9(3), 1297-1311. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2021.93070

Putz, F. E., & Redford, K. H. (2010). The importance of defining ‘forest’: Tropical forest degradation, deforestation, long‐term phase shifts, and further transitions. Biotropica, 42(1), 10-20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00567.x

Putz, F. E., & Thompson, I. D. (2020). Defining sustainable forest management (SFM) in the tropics. book: Achieving sustainable management of tropical forests, 10. httpd://doi.org/10.19103/as.2020.0074.19

Raeisi, A., Bijani, M., & Chizari, M. (2018). The mediating role of environmental emotions in transition from knowledge to sustainable use of groundwater resources in Iran's agriculture. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 6(2), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2018.01.002

Reed, J., van Vianen, J., Barlow, J., & Sunderland, T. (2020). Beyond environmental management: Recognizing the social and economic roles of forests. Global Environmental Change, 62, 102086. https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor/007800

Salari, F., Yazdanpanah, M., Yaghoubi, J., & Forouzani, M. (2019). Understanding Iranian livestock breeders’ intentions and behavior regarding nonhuman animal welfare. Society & animals, 29(3), 246-267. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341592

Savari, M., & Gharechaee, H. (2020). Application of the extended theory of planned behavior to predict Iranian farmers’ intention for safe use of chemical fertilizers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 263, 121512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121512

Sokoto (State, Nigeria). (n. d.). Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location. https://www.citypopulation.de/en/nigeria/admin/NGA034__sokoto

Thondhlana, G., & Hlatshwayo, T. N. (2018). Pro-environmental behaviour in student residences at Rhodes University, South Africa. Sustainability, 10(8), 2746. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082746

Tirivayi, N., Nennen, L., Tesfaye, W., & Ma, Q. (2018). The benefits of collective action: Exploring the role of forest producer organizations in social protection. Forest Policy and Economics, 90, 106-114. https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/forpol/v90y2018icp106-114.html

Vicente-Molina, M. A., Fernández-Sáinz, A., & Izagirre-Olaizola, J. (2013). Environmental knowledge and other variables affecting pro-environmental behaviour: comparison of university students from emerging and advanced countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 61, 130-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.05.015

Downloads

Views

239

Downloads

79