Impact of Community Participation on Natural Resources (Forest and Range) Management: A Case Study of White Nile Sate ED-Duweim Project

Abstract

Impact of Community Participation on Natural Resources :Forest and Range) Management) A Case Study of White Nile State ED-Duweim Project The study objective was to assess the contribution of people’s participation in natural resources (forest and range) management in Ed-Duweim project unit (Plan .(Sudan) White Nile State (Sudan) between the years ( 1996-2003 The natural resources (forest and natural range) investigated were forest rehabilitation, natural range rehabilitation, natural forest protection, range land .protection The research data was obtained by stratified random sampling with the size of 140 respondents from local people distributed in 10 villages located in the study area. Moreover the official interviews with Plan Sudan manager and other relative administrators were held. In addition to interviews with 4 Omdas, 10 villages Sheikhs and 10 persons in each village from Plan Sudan Villages Development Committees (VDCs). Descriptive analysis (frequency distribution and percentages), using the SPSS package. Chi-squire test were employed to analyze .the research data :The main findings were Generally the participants show higher percentage in contribution in natural - .resources management (forest and range) than non-participants The participation of people by efforts, always have very large percentages - .compared to participation by money or ideas The perception of the people to trees and range plants shows high percentages for - .people conception to trees and range plants The results of the people’s participation in management of the forest and range - activities show a higher percentage for collective work, but the people still need .more work in the field of the natural resource in the area The extent of the people’s participation in the project programs showed a high - involvement by the people in the situational analysis of the problems and requirements. The percentages then decreased during the statement of the problems, designing and implementation and ended by the decrease in percentage .during the monitoring and evaluation The main obstacles for the community participation in the project activities was - poverty, followed by the people may have agricultural work timing conflicting 3 with the project activities, but the people have a good information about the fields .of the forest and range The evaluation reported by Plan Sudan and other relative administrations, some - .time describes the participation as high in protecting their environment Finally, the study presented recommendations pertinent to enhancement in assessment and development of the community participation in natural resources .management, particularly in the study area and Sudan in general