Abstract
This study was carried out on the Level of farmers participation in the conservation of natural resources (A case study of Bali L.G.A). Bali Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria, Nigeria is aimed at establishing the extent of farmers participation in natural resources conservation in the study area. The Ex-post facto research design was adopted. To achieve the purpose of this study, two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The simple random sampling technique was adopted in selecting six communities while the multi-stage stratified random sampling technique and accidental sampling technique was used to select the two hundred and fifty (250) community members used for the study. A fifteen (15) items four points likert scale questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. To test the hypotheses, Dependent t-test statistical analysis technique was used for data analysis. The results obtained from analysis of data revealed that, the level of participation significantly influences forest resources conservation. In the second hypothesis, the result also shows that community involvement has a significant influence on wildlife conservation. Based on these findings, it was recommended that awareness creation on environmental conservation should become integral part of farmers organizations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.3 STUDY OBJECTIVES
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED AND RELEVANT LITERATURE
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS
2.3 THEORETICAL STUDIES
2.4 EMPIRICAL STUDIES
2.5 RELATED LITERATURES
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODLOGY
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.2 STUDY AREA
3.3 SOURCES OF DATA
3.4 POPULATION OF THE STUDY
3.5 SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
3.6 INSTRUMENTATION
3.7 RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF INSTRUMENT
3.8 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
3.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENATATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 DATA PRESENTATION
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS
4.3 DATA INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 SUMMARY
5.2 CONCLUSION
5.3 RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Nigeria is blessed with expanse of land and vegetation, but this important resource is not sustainably managed. Forests are fundamental to food security and veritable storehouses of biological diversity and forest products, which are the mainstay of many households. These products play significant roles in the lives of rural people. They meet the basic nutritional requirement of present and future generations and improve living standards for the rural people. They also reduce the vulnerability of the agricultural sector to adverse natural and socio-economic factors and other risks and above all strengthen self-reliance. It is well known that today, world forest resources are facing extinction much faster than they would through natural processes along. According to Ogunwusi (2012), more recently there have been changes in the structure of the forestry sector in Nigeria. In Nigeria, deforestation or loss of vegetation or the selective exploitation of forests for economic or social reasons is very common. In most areas major losses have been recorded in vegetation, forest complexity (diversity), or in germplasm (quality). The deforestation rate in the country is about 3.5% per year, translating to a loss of 350,000– 400,000 ha of forest land per year and recently, it was shown that forests now occupy about 923,767 km 2 or about 10 million ha (Ladipo, 2010). This is about 10% of Nigeria’s forest land area and well below Food and Agriculture Organization’s recommended national minimum of 25% and between 1990 and 2005 alone, the world lost 3.3% of its forests while Nigeria lost 21% (Ladipo, 2010). Also, according to Adeyoju (2001), the total forest estate which stood at 10% of the country’s land area in 1996 is now less that 6%. This makes forest conservation practices important. Interdependence between population and environment has been endangered and broken down as problems of deforestation, soil erosion, flooding and pollution increases. Conservation practices all over the world are changing from the traditional management approach with emphasis on managing natural resources in a way that ensures greater flow to all stakeholders especially local community members. The shift in emphasis is informed by the fact that the local communities are inextricably tied to their cultural resources based whether used as a source of food, medicine, fuel or for maintaining ecological balance (Bisong, 2001). Thus, sustainable management of natural resources requires a more comprehensive approach which includes strengthening the organization and technical capabilities of rural communities, as well as engendering support for sustainable resources use from larger community group (Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO, 2005). The rapid loss of natural resources in developing countries has become a subject of increasing international and National concern. This is reflected in the substantial increase in the interest accorded to environmental conservation by various Government, donors and conservation agencies. The level of interest in conservation as an environmental and development problem requires practical action (Flint, 1990). The justification for community participation in natural resources conservation as viewed by International Union for conservation of Nature (IUCN, 1990) provides that human culture must be based on a respect for nature and that the present generation have a social responsibility to conserved nature for the welfare of future generation. The view recognizes that mankind is part of nature and that all species have an inherent right to exist regardless of their materials value to humans.
In recent times, the developed communities in Africa have moved from “top-down’s” approach toward more participatory “bottom-up”approaches. The shift in paradigm has occurred in recognition of the fact that local cooperation, participation and management are crucial to achieving both short term development result and long term sustainability. Along the same line, the conservation community is beginning to appreciate the necessity of incorporating local participating in environmental conservation effort (Bamberger, 2006). The development, community participation may be viewed as a process that serves as instrument of empowerment, building beneficiary capacity, increase effectiveness desire to share cost, improves efficiency relation to project (Paul,2005). To maximize the chances of sustainable conservation initiatives, rural communities need to be involved in both the concept and approach. This means that participation in decisionmaking process and in the evaluation, monitoring and management of resources and the environment is crucial. This inclusiveness is more likely to build a conservation ethics where people understand that their livelihood depends on health maintenance of the environment.
Many studies have shown community participation to be one of the critical empowerment of success in irrigation, livestock, water, forestry and agricultural project (Sharp, 2003). Community participation has become therefore, very important to Scholars, organizations and Nations. For instance, Ajake (1998) remarked that participation has been used to justify the extension of state forest control as well as the building of local capacity and self-reliance. It has been used to justify decision imposed by external agencies as well as describe the process of developing real power and decision-making.
Experience has shown that participation grows more out of practical than normative considerations. One of the most expensive forestry programmes with community participation is that operated by village forestry Associations in South Korea (Ahn, 1978; Eckholm, 1979) and the afforestation sub-project in Nepal (World Bank, 1975). Other experiences include community conservation in Tsavo West National Park, Kenya where the local communities are involved and have benefited from conservation of protected areas. A reforestation project in Senegal gained impressive results as Senegal forest service works in rural community and councils providing them with inputs, while the village councils contribute labour to plant trees. Income generated from the sales of wood was used by the council according to its own priorities (Uphoft, 1986).
The need for communities to invest in natural resources conservation and to reduce the effect of environmental degradation is indisputable in Nigeria and particularly in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The people in the study area are highly dependent on forest ecosystem for its diverse and abundant Natural Wildlife, Land, food and water resources. The importance of these resources has cursed indigenous people to diverse way of managing them sustainably. But evidence has shown that the activities of the rural people are not given consideration. In research and Government policies and decisions on the management of natural resources neglects their activities in the study area.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Rapid degradation of natural resources globally, nationally and locally has continued to be a subject of concern and uncertainty among scholars. For instance, the rate of forest destruction has accelerated, significantly since the turn of the century. This is most critical in the tropics where over 2.5 million people depend on forest resources for a variety of services (Park, 2002; Sharma, 2004; Tyani, 2007).
Cunningham and Cunningham (2004) report that an estimated 12.5 million Km of tropical forest lands were covered with closed canopy forest a century ago, and 9.2 million ha or 0.6 percent of the remaining forest is cleared each year. However, the rate of forest lost at the global level is not significantly different from the current trend in Nigeria and Cross River State. Nwoboshi(1987) reported that forest clearance in Nigeria is put at an average of 400,000 ha per annum, while afforestation has only 32, 000 ha annually. The cumulative effect of these is that the country has lost 50 million of forest in less than 100 years. Ajake (2008) observed that in Cross River State, between 2000 and 2005, about 20,000 ha of reserved areas were converted to agricultural plantation. Natural resources conservation may be facilitated by the application of the existing knowledge of rural communities on the sustainable use and management of forest, wildlife and water resources. This knowledge can be supplemented by research initiative to fill crucial gaps in understanding the system linkages.
In recent decades, it has been recognized that conservation regimes have failed to manage resources in a sustainable way because of their rigidity and have deprived local communities of the motivation to use and manage resources in a sustainable way. This may be attributed to the non-recognition and participation of indigenous communities whose livelihood depends on such resources, and are the custodians of the natural landscapes.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The main purpose of the study was to examine the level of farmers participation in the conservation of natural resources in Bali L.G.A of Taraba state, Nigeria.
The following are the specific objectives of the study:
- To examine how the farmers participate in natural forest conservation in the study area.
- To examine how farmers involvement influence wildlife conservation.
- To identify factors that influence farmers participation in natural resources conservation in the study area
1.4 Research questions
- What are the ways in the farmers involves in natural forest resources conservation?
- How does farmer’s involvement influence wildlife conservation?
- What are the factors that influence farmer’s participation in natural resources conservation in the study area?
1.5 Hypotheses
HO1: The level of farmer’s participation does not significantly influence forest resources conservation.
HO2: Farmer’s involvement does not significantly influence wildlife conservation
1.6 Significance of the study
The study sought to ascertain the enhancement of sustainable natural resource management, natural forest management in particular as one of the most promising options of combining community based natural resources management with rural development, community empowerment and poverty reduction objectives.
The study will provide suggestions to the local authorities, farmers, planners, policy makers, and institutions on how community participation should be improved and thus increase the contribution of natural forests to local livelihoods, poverty reduction, and the national economy.
1.7 Scope
The study focused on community participation in natural resources with respect to access to information, involvement in the practice and the factors influencing the community and the lower local authorities in enhancing community based natural resources management. The study was limited to farmers in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria.
1.8 Study Limitations
This study encountered some limitations; some respondents hesitated to respond to the interviews as their activities are a threat to the sustainability of natural forests; for examples charcoal makers due to the fear of legal measures against them. This made the researcher spare more time to be friend with them as a customer in order to collect data from this group.
Some respondents asked for money in order to participate in the study, the researcher had to explain that the study is meant for academic purposes therefore he asked for their cooperation in order to accomplish the purposes.
Time constraints is another limitations, the researcher study leave elapsed before the completion of the work this necessitated a seek for extension of submission of dissertation by the researcher which was granted upon payment of extension fees to facilitate the completion of the study report.
1.9 Organization of the study
The study is structured in five chapters. Chapter one deals with the study’s introduction and gives a background to the study. Chapter two reviews related and relevant literature. The chapter three gives the research methodology while the chapter four gives the study’s analysis and interpretation of data. The study concludes with chapter five which deals on the summary, conclusion and recommendation.
