The Major Effects Of Deforestation On Rural Livelihood

The purpose of this study is to examine the major effects of deforestation on rural livelihoods,with specific focus on the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone.Deforestation in tropical societies has continued unabated and is posing serious threats to forests and the livelihoods of those who depend on forests and forest resources.While rural communities are often the scapegoats of deforestation in scientific literature and policy documents,there is little information on the repercussions of deforestation on such communities.Most rural dwellers have livelihoods predicated on t he availability,access to and utilization of forest products,such as fuel-wood,hunting game,fruits,herbs,and water.As it is,a research centered on the effects of deforestation on rural livelihoods is very crucial.The objectives of the study are specific and conspicuous: to identify the major livelihoods in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone;to assess the connection between major livelihoods and deforestation in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone;to examine the major effects of deforestation on livelihoods in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone and;to explore possible solutions to deforestation in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone.W hile this study is a complex undertaking,it will prove to be vital in uncovering the effects of deforestation on rural livelihoods – an area of concern that has for long been neglected by domestic research efforts.Also,this study is important in understanding the similarities and differences between deforestation and forest degradation and fragmentation and other related concepts.Given the subject and nature of the study,it is hoped that its literature review,methodological approach,and findings will be of immense help to educational practice and future research.The research methodology of this study employs both qualitative and quantitative techniques.It utilizes an expository,textual analytical approach in interpreting qualitative data,and Microsoft Excel data analysis method to analyze quantitative data.Both primary and secondary data are used.The bulk of the research involves field work in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone and,employing Taro Yamane's formula to determine the precision of the sample size at 95% confidence interval and a margin error set at 5%,255 respondents are randomly sampled.A pre-coded and self-administered questionnaire is designed for the collection of data from the field.Research findings are objectively presented and analyzed and tables and figures used,where necessary for illustrative and statistical purposes.The entire research process is iterative.Of course,every research is experimental and systematic,and this study is not an exception;it will increase the stock of knowledge with regards the major effects of deforestation on rural livelihoods.The findings of this study show that the respondents are diverse in many aspects: there were more male than female respondents and most were between the ages of 30 and 39 and;the data reveals that low education level is prevalent among the respondents.More importantly,the findings also indicate that the predominant livelihoods in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone are farming,trade in forest products(and other local and imported commodities),hunting,palm wine tapping,charcoal making,carpentering,and wood cutting.The findings suggest that the reliance of communities,in the District,on forest resources links livelihoods to deforestation;access to and use of forest resources trigger deforestation,which in turn impacts livelihoods.The findings further reveal the major effects of deforestation on livelihoods in the District and these include a decline in trade,food shortage,loss of forest land,total loss of livelihoods,and decrease in earnings.As possible solutions to deforestation in the District,the findings show that respondents recommended tree planting,robust policy initiatives,the enactment of new laws that prevent the sale of forest lands,the regulation of the building of settlements,and the introduction of new means of fuel as an alternative to fuelwood and charcoal.These findings are reflective of the realities in the study area,especially in relation to local livelihoods and the effects of deforestation.