Socio economic impact and stakeholder preference to conservation of forest reserves: A case study of Kasane Forest Reserve, Botswana

Kasane Forest Reserve (KFR) was established in 1968 as an effort to protect the only forests of Miombo woodlands found in northern Botswana. Many ongoing activities in the region affect forest resources both negatively and positively. However, dynamics of the relation ship between local residents and KFR in relation to different socio-economic and demographic factors remains poorly understood.;This study aims to explore the relationship between the local communities and the Kasane Forest Reserve by analyzing the extend of households dependency on KFR and its impacts on residents conservation attitudes. The study further assesses stakeholders' preferred management strategy/option by examining three management options; State Forest Management (SFM), Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and Community Forest Management (CFM).;Questionnaires were administered to two hundred and thirty seven households in three communities surrounding KFR to estimate their dependency and attitudes towards KFR. Logistic regression was employed to analyze the relationship between Forest dependency and explanatory factors and also conservation attitudes and other explanatory factors. Descriptive results demonstrate the majority or respondents rely on KFR for firewood collection and there is a diversity of the local communities living in the periphery in terms of socio economic interests, skills, demographic history and wealth. Logistic regression indicates that wealth assets and family size influence household collection of forest products from KFR. Education and age are found to be significant predictors of conservation attitudes. For any resource, conservation initiative to be effective, the initiative should incorporate and work within the existing social environment .The logistic models derived in the study provide useful information for managers/ policy makers in the formulation of management strategies.;Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) was used to analyze the stakeholders' preferred management practice/strategy. All stakeholders (forestry, wildlife and tourism officers and local community representatives) preferred PFM. Local communities' representatives appeared to be wary of taking responsibility for forest management at this time and indicated comparatively stronger support for PFM. The state agents on the other hand recognize their incapacity to ensure integrity of the forest resources in the future without the local communities' co-operation. This study corroborates the view that total devolution of forest management to local communities has been overemphasized, therefore rather than narrowing forest management around communities or the state, an all inclusive approach such as PFM, provides for greater management input by all stakeholders.