Abstract:
Nearly 10% of the world’s total forest area is
formally owned by communities and indigenous
groups, yet knowledge of the effects of decentralized
forest management approaches on conservation
(and livelihood) impacts remains elusive. In this
paper, the conservation impact of decentralized
forest management on two forests in Tanzania was
evaluated using a mixed method approach. Current
forest condition, forest increment and forest use
patterns were assessed through forest inventories,
and changes in forest disturbance levels before and
after the implementation of decentralized forest
management were assessed on the basis of analyses of
Landsat images. This biophysical evidence was then
linked to changes in actual management practices,
assessed through records, interviews and participatory
observations, to provide ameasure of the conservation
impact of the policy change. Both forests in the study
were found to be in good condition, and extraction
was lower than overall forest increment. Divergent
changes in forest disturbance levels were in evidence
following the implementation of decentralized forest
management. The evidence from records, interviews
and participatory observations indicated that decentralized
management had led to increased control
of forest use and the observed divergence in forest
disturbance levels appeared to be linked to differences
in theway that village-level forest managers prioritized
conservation objectives and forest-based livelihood
strategies. The study illustrates that a mixed methods
approach comprises a valid and promising way to
evaluate impacts of conservation policies, even in the
absence of control sites. By carefully linking policy
outcomes to policy outputs, such an approach not onlyidentifies whether such policies work as intended, but
also potential mechanisms.
