Attitudes and Perceptions Among Issey and Masese Communities Towards Conservation of Forest Resources in Mau Forest Complex, Kenya

Abstract

Forests cover approximately 30% of the earth‘s land surface area and provide critical ecosystem goods and services to mankind. However, forest cover in Kenya is among the lowest in the world, currently at around 7.6%. The Mau Forest Complex is the largest water tower in Kenya, but is threatened because of land use change and rapid human population growth in the adjoining areas. The overall objective of this study was to assess community attitudes and perception towards conservation of the Mau Forest, and relate them to alternatives to forest resource use. Methodology for data collection involved a case study survey. Semi-structured and structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the local residents and Community Forest Association officials, respectively. The hypotheses tested were that communities living in the periphery of Mau Forest Complex have positive attitudes and perceptions towards the forest and alternatives to forest resources, and that proximity influences the community‘s attitudes towards the forest and people-wildlife conflicts. Pearson correlation was used to find relationships between variables, and Chi-square test was performed to determine statistical significance differences (p < 0.05) in responses between the study areas (Masese and Issey). A total of 200 residents from Issey and Masese areas of Bomet were interviewed. Men and female respondents interviewed were 86% (n = 172) and 14% (n = 28), respectively. There were positive attitudes towards the forest among most (89%) of the community members. As a result, respondents were practicing some form of conservation of resources on their farms, such as tree planting, and soil and water conservation. However, 60% of the respondents indicated that they have had a bad experience with the forest, and people wildlife-conflicts were causes of negative attitudes towards the forest. This study gives a number of recommendations that can be used to foster forest conservation in Kenya, such as training of residents about the environment, encouraging the use of alternatives to forest resources, fostering local decision making and participation in forest management, and compensation of losses as a result of wildlife invasion of farms and homes. As elsewhere, these recommendations have the potential to create positive attitudes towards the Mau Forest Complex and an apparent increase in positive forest interactions and behavior that will ultimately lead to forest conservation and well-being in Kenya.