PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENS IN COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT IN UBON RATCHATHANI PROVINCE

Abstract

          The objectives of this study were to:(1) study the level of participation of citizens in community forest management in Ubon Ratchathani province (2) study factors impinging upon the achievement of the participation of citizens in community forest management (3) recommend guidelines of participation in community forest management to achieve a better accomplishment in the future.

          This study was a survey research. The population was community forest committees in Ubon Ratchathani province totaling 4,250. The research samples with 95% of significance based on the formula of Yamane. The number of samples used in the study are 366. Sampling method is proportional stratified sampling, within each stratification, purposive sampling of community forest committee. Research instrumentation were questionnaires divided into two parts: close - ended for quantitative data; open - ended questionnaire, for qualitative data. Quantitative data analysis was both descriptive statistics using frequency, mean, percentage, standard deviation plus inferential statistics using t – test and stepwise multiple regression analysis. While qualitative analysis employed content analysis together with inductive analysis and typological analysis.

          It was found from the study that: (1) Overal participation of citizens is at a high level. Individually, it was also at a high level. (2) Factors influencing accomplishment of community forest are composed of community leadership, support from government officials and motivation, all are on the positive side. As for negative side, they include socioeconomic characteristics duration of becoming a member of the group. In the end, it is recommended that: (1) These should exist an emphasis on the impostance of group thinking; (2) a selection of strong knowledgeable and competent leaders acceptable of community people. (3) Sufficient budgetary support should be in place. (4) Measures of motivation for forest protection/conservation should be created among the community people. (5) The should exist a community forest law. And (6) these should develop the cooperation as community networks.