MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF TREES PLANTED THROUGH GOVERNMENT INITIATED CAMPAIGNS IN ETHIOPIA SINCE 2016: THE CASE OF SELECTED AFFORESTED SITES IN HAWASSA ZURIYA WOREDA, SIDAMA REGION.

Abstract

This thesis was conducted with the main objective of assessing management practices of trees planted through government initiated campaigns in Ethiopia since 2016: the case of selected afforested sites in Hawassa Zuriya Woreda, Sidama Region. For achieving the objective of the study, both primary and secondary data were generated by employing qualitative and quantitative methods. Purposive and systematic random sampling procedures were applied to select two kebeles and 118 sample households respectively. The quantitative data was analyzed using in descriptive statistic like: frequency and percentage, where data is depicted in tables. Moreover, the qualitative data was analyzed using narration and descriptions that was used to authenticate the study. The results of the study showed that, the new government policy of campaigned tree plantation was not put clear demarcation of who to manage forests in the kebeles level. It didn’t sufficiently consider endogenous knowledge of community forest management, which could help the forest management work easy. Even-though, the communities have their own indigenous knowledge and have awareness about the benefits of forests for their livelihood in local and environmental changes in globally, there are unclear land tenure policy ,lack of participatory forest management approaches, lack of supporting sufficient budget and low participation of gender issues in the forest management. It was recommended to improve forest management that; encourage forest management through community control system, allocate sufficient budget for forest management, making awareness for the community about environmental changes and its effects, expand indigenous knowledge of community based forest management system and implementing forest protection laws for those who violates forest laws.