RURAL FOREST COMMUNITIES’ DEPENDENCY ON THE NATURAL FOREST ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

For developing countries, the benefits that forests bring to their people are incredibly significant, especially true for rural communities that are often made up of forest communities and indigenous people. With the continuous forest floor depletion by mass production of forestry commercialisation which juxtaposed with the reliance of the rural communities towards the forest; the paper aims to dissect the issue using localised case studies as it enables a clearer view into how local-level resources are used by related communities that moves in smaller units. Adopting a multiple case study approach, this exploratory paper contributes significantly to understanding the extent to which communities depend on forest ecosystems for their livelihoods. It provides a contextual account of rural income sources while also highlighting the employment opportunities that forests can generate. The exploration of this subject matter enables the possibility of extending the forest and/or the natural resources’ conservation value, especially for the forest communities. Findings show how the diversification of economic activities is important for livelihood sustenance. Lack of control over land rights and over-commercialisation of activities from external forces can be impact rural economies and cause them to fall deeper into poverty due to scarcity of resources.