An assessment of the community perception on the causes and impact of deforestation in Tokora sub county, Nakapiripirit district, Uganda

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing the community perception on the causes and impacts of deforestation in Tokora Sub-County as a case study. Data was collected using three methods: interviewing, questionnaire, and observation. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to come up with a sample of 60 respondents. Data collected was analyzed using Microsoft excel. From the study, it was found out that the majority of respondents stopped at post-primary level of education (45%), furthermore, 71.67% were males, 28.33% were females. It was found out that charcoal burning, weak law enforcement and agricultural intensification were the major causes of deforestation in Tokora Sub-County, which led to adverse potential impacts like loss of some animal and plant species, increase in the frequency of drought and shortage of herbal medicine. The study also revealed that other factors that caused deforestation in Tokora Sub-County were; high level of illiteracy, corruption, lack of alternative jobs, limited support in the agricultural sector among others. The study concluded that more efforts were still needed to protect the forest cover in Tokora Sub-County this could be through creating alternative jobs, carrying out massive sensitization to create awareness, strengthening education among others.