Kapinga, Agnes Gisbert2016-05-172016-05-172015https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/702ARKFor was among nine piloted REDD+ Project aimed at addressing the challenges of climate change and poverty reduction. The initiative intended to reduce significantly deforestation and forests degradation by enhancing alternative livelihood activities. The activities aimed at contributing livelihoods improvement to rural forest dependent communities. However, if the initiative is not well implemented would affect rural livelihood. This study was carried out to assess the socio economic impacts of ARKFor project adoption to livelihoods’ of rural communities. Data were collected through household survey using questionnaire administered to 115 households selected randomly from the REDD+ villages as well as focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted using checklist. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis was also used in analysis. Gologit model was also used to determine factors influencing level of adoption. Five livelihood activities were introduced by the ARKFor Project, however only three were adopted by the communities. Household income, ARKFor project support, marital status, education and gender were significant (p< 0.05) and positively influencing adoption, whereby land size and loan were significant and negative influencing adoption at (p< 0.05). Moreover, more than half of household were food insecure and living in deep poverty. Income per capita per day was USD 0.33 which is below poverty line. In general contribution of intervention of REDD+ to rural livelihood was immaterial. Need for appropriate innovation in equity and benefit sharing are recommended for effectively participation in climate change mitigation.enrural communitiesREDDKolo hillsKondoaClimate changepoverty reductionThesis