THE IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION ON LIVELIHOODS OF LOCAL COMMUNTY: THE CASE OF GASORE KEBELE, CHEHA DISTERICT, GURAGE ZONE, IN CENTRAL OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Deforestations are a significant environmental challenge that has far-reaching implications for biodiversity, climate change, and the livelihoods of local communities. In many regions of the world, including Ethiopia, forests play a crucial role in providing essential resources such as food, fuel, and income, particularly for local community populations. However currently, there are several studies examining various aspects of deforestation in Ethiopia, yet there remains a significant gap in localized research that focuses on the specific impacts of deforestation on rural communities. Therefore the present study was aimed to investigate the livelihood strategies employed by the local community, to identify and analyze the major causes of deforestation in the study area, to assess the socio-economic impacts of deforestation on the livelihoods of local communities. To address these objectives, the study followed a mixed-method approach that includes qualitative and quantitative data including household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observation. A total of 88 household survey respondents were selected by random sampling and 12 of participants key informants interview were purposively selected based on their knowledge and experience, including local elders, religious leaders, and development agents. The qualitative insights combined with quantitative data, provided a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics between deforestation and community livelihoods. Secondary data were also collected from the Cheha Woreda Agricultural Office, encompassing both published and unpublished documents, and were summarized using graphs and tables to facilitate analysis. The study result that, the livelihood strategies of the local community were affected due to deforestation majority of the local farmer’s livelihood ways depends on forest products before deforestation. But by the different factors such as agricultural expansion, over population, and overgrazing the forest have been defrosted and changed their livelihood strategies. Due to this factor declined of soil productivity, water quality and quantity, energy resource. To improve these farmers used to practice different mechanism in the study area.