Behavior Profile: Households practice sustainable forest management
Goal has not been set
Households practice sustainable forest management

Behavior Analysis

Strategy

BEHAVIOR AND STEPS

What steps are needed to practice this behavior?

Households practice sustainable forest management

  1. Learn about the environmental impact of deforestation and excessive harvesting of forest products
  2. Determine feasible options for sustainable forest products harvesting and sustainable reforestation
  3. Decide and implement sustainable options
  4. During community meetings, report back on progress and hear progress from other households in the community
  5. Continue practicing sustainable harvesting and sustainable forest management
  6. Celebrate and voice appreciation for noted progress with all stakeholders

FACTORS

What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior?
Structural
Accessibility: [LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because there are no consistent community governance structures nor leadership for collective action and accountability for National Resource Management (NRM). There are unclear roles and responsibilities between regional development committees (RDCs) and traditional leaders; village assembly under the village head is responsible for enforcement; many have limited capacity to carry out their role; some are viewed as corrupt
Accessibility: [LACK OF LOCALIZED NRM BY-LAWS] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because few communities have localized NRM by-laws, including no documented by-laws for sustainable forest management and wild fruit harvesting. Over-harvesting is common as a means for livelihood since crop yields are low
Accessibility: [LACK OF CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because there is a lack of, minimal or selective enforcement of NRM by-laws, when they exist. 80 percent of households may abide by the by-laws, but punishments are weak; people just apologize to the village head; For example, violators may pay village heads or traditional leaders separately to minimize fines. Traditional leaders, Forestry Commission, environment monitors may not consistently enforce grazing land by-laws because they understand farmers are trying to survive, satisfy their family's basic needs
Accessibility: [LACK OF TECHNICAL GUIDANCE/SOLUTIONS] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because they lack technical guidance on sustainable forest management with clear and feasible recommendations for action
Accessibility: [NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANDATE FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS] Households may practice sustainable forest management because traditional leaders can empower them to do so since the Traditional Leaders Act requires traditional leaders to control overcultivation, overgrazing, and the indiscriminate destruction of flora and fauna. However, some traditional leaders may not fully embrace this role or want this responsibility because it puts them at odds with some community members, requires enforcement
Service Provider Competencies: [FC AND EMA/NRM MONITORS HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because the Forestry Commission and Environment/NRM monitors do not have resources (transport, seedlings/inputs) and incentives (tangible and in-tangible such as recognition) to carry out their duties. There is also lack of clarity about who is responsible for enforcement between traditional leaders, FC, and EMA/NRM monitors
Social
Gender: [MOTIVATED FEMALE YOUTH] Women, especially young women, may practice sustainable forest management because they recognize the importance of trees for the natural environment (windbreaks) and for their livelihood (wild fruit harvesting, basketry) and are motivated to be part of reforestation and afforestation. Young women may have interest and dedication that trees need in addition to planting them; taking care of them, checking for diseases, fencing, etc. (1.5)
Gender: [LACK OF FEMALE VOICES IN DECISION-MAKING] Women, especially young women, do not practice sustainable forest management because they lack a voice in decision-making, needed resources and communal structure to actively participate; many do not feel part of the community
Norms: [FOCUS ON LIVELIHOOD] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because it is accepted to focus on basic needs/livelihood above all else. NRM practices may seem at times to be at odds with their basic needs/livelihood
Norms: [POTENTIAL MARRIED YOUTH ROLE IN COMMUNITY] Married youth may practice sustainable forest management because they are more accepted than unmarried youth as potential contributors to the community and the natural environment
Internal
Attitudes and Beliefs: [APPRECIATE TREES/FOREST PRODUCTS] Households may practice sustainable forest management because most community members, including youth, identified trees and forest resources as the most valued natural resources with many benefits, including fuel, construction materials, wild fruits, edible leaves, fodder for livestock, wild animals, traditional medicine, and some trees for sacred ceremonies. They understand the importance of trees to maintain balance in nature and enrich and protect the soil, provide windbreaks, shade, oxygen
Skills: [LACK OF CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS] Households do not practice sustainable forest management because they do not have the capacity to identify feasible solutions, obtain the needed resources, implement the solution, and continue maintenance to ensure positive long-term results

SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS

Who must support the practice of this behavior, and what actions must they take?
Institutional
Forestry Commission: Provides seedlings and training on sustainable forest management; engage in development of localized NRM by-laws
Environment Law Association (ELA): Support development of localized NRM by-laws
Community
Environment/NRM Monitors: Play an active role in NRM by-law community governance structure, working closely with traditional leaders, especially for monitoring
Traditional Leaders: Embrace their NRM mandate as stated in the Traditional Leaders Act, learn about NRM topics and solutions, and play a leadership role in community governance for NRM, including championing development of localized NRM by-laws and working with community leaders and Environment Management Authority (EMA) to enforce by-laws
Community Action Group leaders: Shift norms about women's value, participation and decision-making

POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES

What strategies will best focus our efforts based on this analysis?

Strategy requires Communication Support

Enabling Environment
Financing: Use in-kind grants for households to purchase a variety of seedlings, fencing materials and other protection measures in order practice reforestation and afforestation according to recommendations. Consider Cash for Assets Program specifically targeted to female youth to support their engagement in sustainable forest management.
Community By-laws: Partner with Forest Commission (FC) and ELA to support traditional leaders to create and adopt localized NRM by-laws for sustainable forest management. Discuss enforcement options and roles, decide how enforcement will work in the community; ensure by-laws and enforcement plans are clearly stated and disseminated in the community.
Community By-laws: Conduct dialogue sessions with traditional leaders on their NRM mandate as stated in the Traditional Leaders Act, how best to structure NRM governance in the community (roles for RDC, Environment/NRM monitors, Village Heads), on NRM topics including sustainable forest management (integrating indigenous knowledge with modern practices, as appropriate), and strategies for enforcing NRM by-laws based on their experiences in the community. Identify ways to enforce by-laws working together with community leaders and NRM monitors, and emphasizing with community members that sustainable forest management is one way to achieve balance in the ecosystem, improve soil fertility; message of community cohesion and unity. Include specific sessions about the importance of joint decision making and the role of women in NRM and bring in community examples where this is working well. Discuss opportunities to integrate youth in NRM activities, and co-develop plans with traditional leaders to implement one or two of these opportunities. Provide tools to support traditional leaders to share these NRM topics, community cohesion and unity message, and joint decision making examples with community members. Consider focus where deforestation/forest resource depletion was noted as a key issue.
Systems, Products and Services
Quality Improvement: Work with traditional leaders to implement one or two opportunities for youth to be involved in sustainable forest management. Provide resources to support these opportunities specifically for youth.
Process and Tools: Working with FC, conduct hands-on practical activities with households to identify locations of reforestation and afforestation, plant a variety of seedlings, build fencing and other protection measures. Consider holding practical sustainable forest management activities specifically for female youth.
Demand and Use
Advocacy: With traditional leaders facilitation, support communities to showcase the community's progress on NRM practices including sustainable forest management during Fair Days and other community events. Encourage traditional leaders to coordinate with local government representatives and community groups through these events to promote unity of purpose and preservation of indigenous knowledge and practices. Allow leaders and community members to celebrate and voice appreciation for the progress made and share future plans. Recognize specific groups for their involvement, including youth, female youth, and Environment/NRM monitors. Use this opportunity to demonstrate interconnectedness of livelihoods, health and nutrition to water availability, water and soil quality and natural resource management. Provide examples of how taking care of the watershed, eliminating open defecation, managing grazing land, forestry, and other natural resources will add to long term livelihood, health and nutrition of households and the community as a whole.
Collective Engagement: Engage men, including male youth, as positive role models and agents of change for their community who champion their expanded role as NRM custodians. Share motivating examples of how grazing land management can be done through involvement of women in decision-making.
Collective Engagement: Work with traditional leaders, Environment/NRM monitors, and Forestry Commission to engage community members on NRM and ways to achieve balance in the ecosystem and maintain livelihood, using motivating examples of how this is being done (or can be done) through involvement of women in decision-making and through men expanding their role to be NRM custodians in addition to cattle owners/farmers. Consider meeting with community groups separately - youth, elders, female youth, couples - to encourage dialogue and reflection. Encourage traditional leaders to coordinate. Use this opportunity to demonstrate interconnectedness of livelihoods, health and nutrition to water availability, water and soil quality and natural resource management. Provide examples of how taking care of the watershed, eliminating open defecation, managing grazing land, forestry, and other natural resources will add to long term livelihood, health and nutrition of households and the community as a whole.