Event Information
Introduction
Nigeria's Niger Delta is home to the Edumanom National Park, one of the last surviving areas of primary rainforest in Nigeria and an important home for many endangered species. Despite its ecological importance, the park is increasingly threatened by deforestation, illegal logging, agricultural expansion, oil exploration, and inadequate enforcement of environmental regulations. As contests around sustainable forest management increases, there is growing recognition of the crucial role local communities can play in conservation efforts through the application of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), community-based forest management (CBFM), and participatory governance.
Research Question and Methodology
This study investigates the role of local communities in the sustainable management of Edumanom National Park, with a specific focus on how their cultural practices, socio-economic conditions, and livelihood activities either contribute to or undermine conservation outcomes. The study is guided by three central research questions: (i) What practices and activities do community households undertake that influence sustainable forest management? (ii) What are the socio-economic, institutional, and cultural determinants of forest use in the park? (iii) What challenges do local communities encounter in reconciling forest conservation with resource dependence? A mixed-methods approach is employed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. These include focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and semi-structured farm household surveys administered across three selected communities. Descriptive statistics and multivariate probit models will be used to assess household participation in forest-related activities, while exploratory factor analysis will identify underlying barriers to effective community-based conservation. Understanding these aspects is important for developing policies that integrate local knowledge and practices with broader conservation goals.
