Abstract:
Governments are shifting the forest tenure
systems
to
local
and
indigenous
communities. This relatively new innovative
approach serves as an opportunity for
sustainable forest initiatives and economic
development for some of the marginalized
communities. This paper examines the role
of local and indigenous institutions in the
management of Enguserosambu Community
Forest. One focus group discussion, 12 group
interviews and seven individual interviews
were conducted. A total of 46 individuals
participated, out of these, 17 were females
and 29 were males. Thematic analysis was
conducted and several themes were
generated during the analysis. Results
indicate that Enguserosambu Community
Forest, which is managed under a complex
set of power structure, has five
local/indigenous
institutions
actively
engaged in the management of forest
resources. There are internal conflicts among
institutions, each questioning the role of the
other. However, local institutions still play a
strong role in the community by creating
awareness and capacity building among the
community members with regard to the
forest and its benefits. Local institutions also
ensure that users are identified and the
benefits are shared among the right users. It
is therefore important to build capacity of
local institutions to enable them to
effectively contribute to forest conservation
and management.
