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Assessing the sustainability of community forest management: A case study from Iran

Author

Listed:
  • Jafari, Ali
  • Sadeghi Kaji, Hamdollah
  • Azadi, Hossein
  • Gebrehiwot, Kindeya
  • Aghamir, Fateme
  • Van Passel, Steven

Abstract

The development of sustainability criteria and indicators is necessary to assess the current management and to recognize appropriate management approaches towards sustainable forest management (SFM). The aim of this study is to assess the sustainability of current management in the Dopolan community forest and assess alternative management scenarios towards SFM. To this end, we applied multi criteria analysis which consists of three steps: a) developing a primary set of criteria and indicators (C&Is) on focus groups discussions, b) finalizing and weighing the set of C&Is, applying a pair wise comparison as well as ranking method, and c) assessing the current forest management regimes and alternative scenarios against a set of C&Is. As a result, 8 criteria and 40 indicators were selected. Our results indicated that to achieve SFM, the criteria including forest protection against natural and human factors, the establishment of appropriate legal and institutional requirements and socioeconomic functions of forests, are the most important criteria (weighted 14.60%, 14.28% and 13.96%, respectively). Assessing the current management regimes revealed that the criteria consisting of biodiversity conservation and local communities' awareness have the maximum distance to SFM (weighted 7.75% and 9.18%, respectively). Among the alternative forest management scenarios, the sixth scenario namely conservation and rehabilitation, local investment attraction in forest conservation and rehabilitation, enabling and capacity building of forest inhabitants were realized as the best scenarios (weighted 26.20%) to achieve SFM. A joint effort of the concerned government forestry officials and local people is needed to enhance the sustainability of all community based forestry models.

Suggested Citation

  • Jafari, Ali & Sadeghi Kaji, Hamdollah & Azadi, Hossein & Gebrehiwot, Kindeya & Aghamir, Fateme & Van Passel, Steven, 2018. "Assessing the sustainability of community forest management: A case study from Iran," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 1-8.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:96:y:2018:i:c:p:1-8
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2018.08.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jalilova, Gulnaz & Khadka, Chiranjeewee & Vacik, Harald, 2012. "Developing criteria and indicators for evaluating sustainable forest management: A case study in Kyrgyzstan," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 32-43.
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    8. Lindahl, Karin Beland & Sténs, Anna & Sandström, Camilla & Johansson, Johanna & Lidskog, Rolf & Ranius, Thomas & Roberge, Jean-Michel, 2017. "The Swedish forestry model: More of everything?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 44-55.
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    1. Abdullah Al Mamun & Syed Ali Fazal & Muhammad Mehedi Masud & Ganeshsree Selvachandran & Noor Raihani Zainol & Quek Shio Gai, 2020. "The Underlying Drivers of Underprivileged Households’ Intention and Behavior towards Community Forestry Management: A Study Using Structural Equation Modelling and Artificial Neural Network Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.

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