Community Participation and Performance of Forest Conservation Projects: a Case of Kodera Community Forest Association in Rachuonyo South Sub-county, Homa Bay County – Kenya.

Abstract

The increasing significance of encouraging community engagement has emerged as a crucial focal point in both the realm of governance and the administration of forests and other natural resources. Forests hold economic, social, and environmental value, contributing to the enhancement of natural systems within the environment and the improvement of living standards. This is evident as about 1.7 billion people, both directly and indirectly, derive their livelihoods from forestry resources and products. However, despite the significant role that forests play in enhancing the quality of life and the environment, forest degradation remains a pressing global issue, negatively impacting millions of lives.In response to these challenges, communities have established Community Forest Associations (CFAs) as a means to collaborate with entities like the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) through administrative agreements. However, despite the establishment of CFAs, deforestation and the reduction of the world's forest cover continue to persist. This backdrop highlights the need for rigorous investigation into the impact and significance of community participation in forest conservation initiatives, such as in the case of Kodera Forest in Homabay County. The research aims to assess the role of community participation and provide practical recommendations for establishing an effective framework to bolster forest conservation efforts. The objectives of the study were threefold: first, to ascertain the significance of community participation in project implementation on the performance of the Kodera Forest conservation project; second, to examine the influence of community participation in project governance on the project's overall performance; and third, to evaluate the impact of community involvement in monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the Kodera Forest protection project. Employing a descriptive survey research design, the investigation selected a sample of 200 household heads from a population of 400 households residing adjacent to the Kodera Forest, using a combination of stratified random selection and basic random sampling...................................................................