Analyzing the efficacy of community participation in forestry resources management, case of Mafuga forest plantations in Uganda

Abstract

This study analyzed the efficacy of community participation in forestry resources management, focusing on Mafuga Forest Plantation in Uganda. Specifically, it sought to: (1) evaluate the influence of community participation in forest management activities on the ecological health of Mafuga Forest Plantations; (2) examine the role of local institutions in supporting and managing community forestry initiatives; and (3) assess the contribution of community participation to the socioeconomic well-being of local communities. The study was conducted in two parishes; Shebeya and Mpungu, located in Hamurwa Sub-County, Rubanda District, South Western Uganda. Using Slovin’s formula, a sample size of 346 respondents was selected from a heterogeneous population of 2,565 residents living around the forest. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. Findings showed that community participation had a weak, statistically insignificant correlation with forest health (r = 0.067, p = 0.286), leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis for Objective 1, while the role of local institutions also exhibited a weak, non-significant relationship (r = 0.068, p = 0.276). Socioeconomic benefits from participation, however, were significantly correlated with forest health (r = 0.177, p = 0.004). Regression results indicated socioeconomic benefits as the strongest predictor of forest health (β = 0.187, p < 0.001), with the model explaining 4.6% of the variance (R² = 0.046, F(3,252) = 4.073, p = 0.008). The results highlight the primacy of socioeconomic outcomes over direct participation or institutional roles in driving ecological health.