IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v11y2021i7p596-d583458.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socio-Economic Impacts of Livelihood from Fuelwood and Timber Consumption on the Sustainability of Forest Environment: Evidence from Basho Valley, Baltistan, Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Saif Ullah

    (College of Economics & Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China)

  • Rana Shahzad Noor

    (Department of Agriculture, Biological, Environment and Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)

  • Ali Abid

    (College of Economics & Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China)

  • Richard K. Mendako

    (College of Economics & Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China)

  • Muhammad Mohsin Waqas

    (Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan)

  • Adnan Noor Shah

    (Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan)

  • Gang Tian

    (College of Economics & Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China)

Abstract

Forests across the world are considered to be a huge socio-economic and environmental benefit to host and adjacent communities. This study focuses on assessing the impacts of fuelwood and timber consumption on the livelihood of households in the Baltistan region in Pakistan. Primary and secondary sources of data were employed for the study. The primary sources involved the use of questionnaire survey and interview while the secondary sources involved the use of documented information in textbooks and internet materials. The study revealed that 82% of the people within the region were involved in agricultural activities, 71% depended on the extraction of forest resources for their livelihood, while 18% depended on off-farm activities for their livelihood. The study also observed that among the number that depended on forest resources for their livelihood, 59% were involved in the extraction of non-timber forest products while 41% were involved in the extraction of timber forest resources. The study further revealed that there was no significant difference in the level of benefits from the forest across the seven districts under investigation with a chi square value. The volume of forest products extraction was found to be high closest to the forest and to be low with increasing distance from the communities. The major benefits from the forest range were due to employment that increases the individual and family income. Forest also helps to control erosion and enhances aesthetic beautification and temperature regulation. The research suggests that the policy makers must provide a sustainable solution to reduce the overexploitation of the forest resources by providing better alternative earning resources to the resident communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Saif Ullah & Rana Shahzad Noor & Ali Abid & Richard K. Mendako & Muhammad Mohsin Waqas & Adnan Noor Shah & Gang Tian, 2021. "Socio-Economic Impacts of Livelihood from Fuelwood and Timber Consumption on the Sustainability of Forest Environment: Evidence from Basho Valley, Baltistan, Pakistan," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:7:p:596-:d:583458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/7/596/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/7/596/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shackleton, Charlie M. & Shackleton, Sheona E. & Buiten, Erik & Bird, Neil, 2007. "The importance of dry woodlands and forests in rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(5), pages 558-577, January.
    2. Maskey, Vishakha & Gebremedhin, Tesfa G. & Dalton, Timothy J., 2006. "Social and cultural determinants of collective management of community forest in Nepal," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 261-274, January.
    3. Saif Ullah & Ali Abid & Waqas Aslam & Rana Shahzad Noor & Muhammad Mohsin Waqas & Tian Gang, 2021. "Predicting Behavioral Intention of Rural Inhabitants toward Economic Incentive for Deforestation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Goetz, Ariane & German, Laura & Hunsberger, Carol & Schmidt, Oscar, 2017. "Do no harm? Risk perceptions in national bioenergy policies and actual mitigation performance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 776-790.
    5. Shackleton, Charlie M. & Shackleton, Sheona E., 2006. "Household wealth status and natural resource use in the Kat River valley, South Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 306-317, May.
    6. Vedeld, Paul & Angelsen, Arild & Bojo, Jan & Sjaastad, Espen & Kobugabe Berg, Gertrude, 2007. "Forest environmental incomes and the rural poor," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(7), pages 869-879, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Amare Tesfaw & Dawit Alemu & Feyera Senbeta & Ermias Teferi, 2022. "Eucalyptus Succession on Croplands in the Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia: Economic Impact Analysis Using Farm Household Model," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-20, July.
    2. Amare Tesfaw & Feyera Senbeta & Dawit Alemu & Ermias Teferi, 2021. "Value Chain Analysis of Eucalyptus Wood Products in the Blue Nile Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-25, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mugido, Worship & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2019. "The contribution of NTFPS to rural livelihoods in different agro-ecological zones of South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    2. Tumusiime, David Mwesigye & Vedeld, Paul & Gombya-Ssembajjwe, William, 2011. "Breaking the law? Illegal livelihoods from a Protected Area in Uganda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 273-283, April.
    3. Heubach, Katja & Wittig, Rüdiger & Nuppenau, Ernst-August & Hahn, Karen, 2011. "The economic importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for livelihood maintenance of rural west African communities: A case study from northern Benin," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1991-2001, September.
    4. Steele, Melita Z. & Shackleton, Charlie M. & Uma Shaanker, R. & Ganeshaiah, K.N. & Radloff, Sarah, 2015. "The influence of livelihood dependency, local ecological knowledge and market proximity on the ecological impacts of harvesting non-timber forest products," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 285-291.
    5. Baiyegunhi, L.J.S. & Oppong, B.B., 2016. "Commercialisation of mopane worm (Imbrasia belina) in rural households in Limpopo Province, South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 141-148.
    6. Shackleton, C.M. & Garekae, H. & Sardeshpande, M. & Sinasson Sanni, G. & Twine, W.C., 2024. "Non-timber forest products as poverty traps: Fact or fiction?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    7. Boscow Okumu & Edwin Muchapondwa, 2017. "Determinants of Successful Collective Management of Forest Resources: Evidence from Kenyan Community Forest Associations," Working Papers 698, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    8. Begazo Curie, Karin & Mertens, Kewan & Vranken, Liesbet, 2021. "Tenure regimes and remoteness: When does forest income reduce poverty and inequality? A case study from the Peruvian Amazon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    9. Muhammad Zada & Syed Jamal Shah & Cao Yukun & Tariq Rauf & Naveed Khan & Syed Asad Ali Shah, 2019. "Impact of Small-to-Medium Size Forest Enterprises on Rural Livelihood: Evidence from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, May.
    10. Bir Chhetri & Helle Larsen & Carsten Smith-Hall, 2015. "Environmental resources reduce income inequality and the prevalence, depth and severity of poverty in rural Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 513-530, June.
    11. Okumu, Boscow & Muchapondwa, Edwin, 2020. "Determinants of successful collective management of forest resources: Evidence from Kenyan Community Forest Associations," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    12. Meilby, Henrik & Smith-Hall, Carsten & Byg, Anja & Larsen, Helle Overgaard & Nielsen, Øystein Juul & Puri, Lila & Rayamajhi, Santosh, 2014. "Are Forest Incomes Sustainable? Firewood and Timber Extraction and Productivity in Community Managed Forests in Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 113-124.
    13. C. Hall & J. I. Macdiarmid & R. B. Matthews & P. Smith & S. F. Hubbard & T. P. Dawson, 2019. "The relationship between forest cover and diet quality: a case study of rural southern Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 635-650, June.
    14. Hogarth, Nicholas J. & Belcher, Brian & Campbell, Bruce & Stacey, Natasha, 2013. "The Role of Forest-Related Income in Household Economies and Rural Livelihoods in the Border-Region of Southern China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 111-123.
    15. Coomes, Oliver T. & Takasaki, Yoshito & Abizaid, Christian & Arroyo-Mora, J. Pablo, 2016. "Environmental and market determinants of economic orientation among rain forest communities: Evidence from a large-scale survey in western Amazonia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 260-271.
    16. Morsello, Carla & Delgado, Juliana Aparecida da Silva & Fonseca-Morello, Thiago & Brites, Alice Dantas, 2014. "Does trading non-timber forest products drive specialisation in products gathered for consumption? Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 140-149.
    17. Paumgarten, F. & Shackleton, C.M., 2009. "Wealth differentiation in household use and trade in non-timber forest products in South Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2950-2959, October.
    18. Schure, Jolien & Ingram, Verina & Arts, Bas & Levang, Patrice & Mvula-Mampasi, Emmanuel, 2015. "Institutions and access to woodfuel commerce in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 53-61.
    19. D. Weyer & C. M. Shackleton & Y. O. Adam, 2018. "HIV/AIDS and other household shocks as catalysts of local commercialization of non†timber forest products in Southern Africa," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 285-301, March.
    20. Lindy Charlery & Martin R. Nielsen & Henrik Meilby & Carsten Smith-Hall, 2016. "Effects of New Roads on Environmental Resource Use in the Central Himalaya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-20, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:7:p:596-:d:583458. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.