dc.description.abstract | Despite substantial financial investment on reforestation projects, they fail to realize their
fundamental goal of biodiversity conservation, carbon emission reduction, and support to
livelihoods, leading to wastage of funds. The research was focused on determining the factors
influencing the sustainability of reforestation projects in Kenya, focusing on Kodera and Wire
forests in Rachuonyo South Sub-County in Homa Bay County. The objectives were; to assess the
influence of public participation on the sustainability of reforestation projects, to assess the
influence the economic benefits on the sustainability of reforestation projects, to evaluate the
influence of government policy on the sustainability of reforestation projects, and to assess the
influence of community awareness on the sustainability of reforestation projects in Kodera and
Wire forests. Consequently, the study sought to fill the knowledge gap on the factors influencing
the sustainability of reforestation projects in Kodera and Wire Forests. The theories of
participation and conservation guided the study. It adopted a descriptive design. Through
stratified and simple random sampling, 92 respondents were selected from a target population of
920. The collection of quantitative data was done using closed-ended questionnaires. Validity
was enhanced through piloting, while reliability was enhanced through the split-half method. The
quantitative data was measured in an interval scale, coded, and fed into the SPSS for analysis.
Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Tables were used to present the
data. There was a statistically significant relationship between public participation, economic
benefits, government policy, and community awareness and the sustainability of reforestation
projects (P-value < 0.05 = 0.001843785, 0.009802, 0.040775, and 0.000692 at 95% confidence
level respectively). The study concluded that public participation, economic benefits,
government policy, and community awareness have a significant influence on the sustainability
of reforestation projects. Project implementers should enhance public participation, community
awareness, and provide economic benefits to local communities. Government policies on
projects should focus on the community and promote equality. Further research should be done
to assess the influence of politics, income levels, literacy levels, and tree species on the
sustainability of reforestation projects. | en_US |