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PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya

Received: 14 August 2016     Accepted: 26 August 2016     Published: 9 October 2016
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Abstract

Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS) is a scheme introduced after enactment of the Forest Act, 2005. It is a governance scheme by Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to help increase forest cover and restore degraded forests in the country. Forest adjacent communities (FAC) benefit from the scheme where they allocated plots upon which they plant seedlings, take care of them till the area form a closed canopy while they practise agriculture on the farms. This research sought to determine the extent to which PELIS has helped increase forest cover through plantations and decreased forest dependency. Both quantitative and qualitative data was used. It also sought to determine how the programme has helped improve community livelihoods.Cloud-free satellite images of 2001 to 2016 were selected for the study. The spectral bands 1–5 and 7 were chosen for Landsat 7 while bands 2–7 were used for Landsat 8. These were used to analyse forest cover and forest cover change for the period 2001 to 2016. The 2001 satellite image was used to analyse forest cover before PELIS and the 2016 image was utilized to analyse forest cover during the PELIS programme. Open and closed ended questionnaires, interviews and discussions were used to determine benefits of PELIS and how it has helped improve their livelihoods. It was found that forest cover experienced a positive increase from 366.9 ha in 2001 to 481.4 ha in 2016, an increase of 114ha (51%). This was occasioned by increased areas under plantations under the PELIS programme. The respondents admitted that they get food produce for their families like maize, beans, and potatoes. They also sell some of the produce and realize income of between Kshs.5, 000-15,000 annually from the parcel of land they are allocated. 90% of the respondents did agree that the programme has helped decrease forest dependency as most used to go to the forest to get timber and firewood to sell to get some cash. The success of this programme in Malava could be emulated in other forests in the country that will lead to an increase in forest cover and help improve their livelihoods.

Published in American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Volume 4, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13
Page(s) 128-135
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

PELIS Programme, Forest Cover, Forest Cover Change, Community Livelihoods

References
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[2] Agevi, H., Wabusya, M. and Tsingalia, HM. (2014). Community Forest Associations and Community-Based Organizations: Redesigning their Roles in Forest Management and Conservation in Kenya. International Journal of Science andResearch (IJSR). 3(9) www.ijsr.net
[3] GOK, (2014). Forest Policy. Government of Kenya Printers, Nairobi, Kenya.
[4] Chao, S. (2012). Forest Peoples: Numbers Across the World; Forest Peoples Programme: Moreton-in-Marsh, UK.
[5] Maraga J. N., Kibwage J. K. and Oindo B. O. (2010). Factors determining community participation in afforestation projects in River Nyando basin, Kenya. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 4 (12): 853 - 859.
[6] Guthiga, P. and Mburu, J., (2006). Local communities’ incentives for forest Conservation: case of Kakamega Forest in Kenya. Paper presented at 11th Biannual Conference of International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP), Indonesia.
[7] Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nation (FAO). (2012). State of the World’s Forest; FAO: Rome, Italy.
[8] Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nation (FAO). (2010). Global Forest Assessment; FAO: Rome, Italy.
[9] GOK,(2005). Forest Act. Nairobi; Kenya: Government Printers.
[10] GOK,(2007), Plantation Establishment for Livelihood improvement scheme guidelines. Nairobi; Kenya: Government Printers.
[11] Gichuru, I. I. (2015). Factors contributing to the success of Pelis strategy in forest plantation establishment: Case study of Mucheene forest. International Academic Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 1 (4), 15-43.
[12] Agevi, H. (2012). Effects of canopy tree remnants in seedling germination and establishment in degraded areas of Kakamega Forest, Kenya. Msc thesis, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya.
[13] Althof, A., (2005). Human impact on flora and vegetation of Kakamega Forest, Kenya: Structure, distribution and disturbance of plant communities in an East African rainforest. PhD dissertation University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.
[14] Kothari, C.R.(2003), Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques pp.68-69. New Delhi. New Age International Publishers.
[15] Congalton, R.G. (1991). A review of assessing the accuracy of classification of remotely sensed data. Remote sensing of environments 37, No. 1,35-46.
[16] Kagombe J. K. and Gitonga J. M. (2005) Plantation Establishment in Kenya: The ShambaSystem Case Study.
[17] Ndomba, A.O. Bakengesa, S., Petro, R., Maguzu, J., Chamshama, S.A.O., Kiimu, H.R. and Lema, M.(2015). Perils of Taungya to the Productivity of Forest Plantations and Need for Modification: Case Study of Meru Forest Plantation in Tanzania.International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 5(5): 267-275.
[18] Kelly A. L., Kigen, C.K., Agevi, H. andKaleb, A.M. (2016) Trends in land use and land cover changes; drivers and impacts on Kakamega forest block.PROCEEDINGS of the conference on Expanding Theoretical and Applied Roles of GIS in a Dynamic Global Environment. MasindeMuliro University of Science and Technology. ISBN 978-9966-096-54-8.Page 59-68.
[19] Kagombe, J.K. (2014). Contribution of Pelis towards increased tree cover and improved community livelihoods in Kenya. KEFRI, Nairobi, Kenya.
[20] Ogweno, D.O., M. Imo, A. Matano, and B.Orinda, (2001) Evaluation of the management and sustainability of private tree nurseries in Kipkaren River catchment, Kenya. 1st National Scientific Conference, Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, Kisumu, Kenya.
[21] Insaidoo, T. F. G., Acheampong E., and Ros-Tonen M. A. F. (2012) Management of Ghana's Modified Taungya System (MTS): Challenges and strategies for improvement. In IUFRO-FORNESSA Congress, Nairobi.
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    Agevi Humphrey, Mwendwa Kaleb Adamba, Koros Hillary, Mulinya Carolyne, Kawawa Rashid Calvince, et al. (2016). PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 4(5), 128-135. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13

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    ACS Style

    Agevi Humphrey; Mwendwa Kaleb Adamba; Koros Hillary; Mulinya Carolyne; Kawawa Rashid Calvince, et al. PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya. Am. J. Agric. For. 2016, 4(5), 128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13

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    AMA Style

    Agevi Humphrey, Mwendwa Kaleb Adamba, Koros Hillary, Mulinya Carolyne, Kawawa Rashid Calvince, et al. PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya. Am J Agric For. 2016;4(5):128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13,
      author = {Agevi Humphrey and Mwendwa Kaleb Adamba and Koros Hillary and Mulinya Carolyne and Kawawa Rashid Calvince and Kimutai Donald Kipruto and Wabusya Moses and Khanyufu Mercy and Jawuoro Stanely},
      title = {PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya},
      journal = {American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry},
      volume = {4},
      number = {5},
      pages = {128-135},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajaf.20160405.13},
      abstract = {Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS) is a scheme introduced after enactment of the Forest Act, 2005. It is a governance scheme by Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to help increase forest cover and restore degraded forests in the country. Forest adjacent communities (FAC) benefit from the scheme where they allocated plots upon which they plant seedlings, take care of them till the area form a closed canopy while they practise agriculture on the farms. This research sought to determine the extent to which PELIS has helped increase forest cover through plantations and decreased forest dependency. Both quantitative and qualitative data was used. It also sought to determine how the programme has helped improve community livelihoods.Cloud-free satellite images of 2001 to 2016 were selected for the study. The spectral bands 1–5 and 7 were chosen for Landsat 7 while bands 2–7 were used for Landsat 8. These were used to analyse forest cover and forest cover change for the period 2001 to 2016. The 2001 satellite image was used to analyse forest cover before PELIS and the 2016 image was utilized to analyse forest cover during the PELIS programme. Open and closed ended questionnaires, interviews and discussions were used to determine benefits of PELIS and how it has helped improve their livelihoods. It was found that forest cover experienced a positive increase from 366.9 ha in 2001 to 481.4 ha in 2016, an increase of 114ha (51%). This was occasioned by increased areas under plantations under the PELIS programme. The respondents admitted that they get food produce for their families like maize, beans, and potatoes. They also sell some of the produce and realize income of between Kshs.5, 000-15,000 annually from the parcel of land they are allocated. 90% of the respondents did agree that the programme has helped decrease forest dependency as most used to go to the forest to get timber and firewood to sell to get some cash. The success of this programme in Malava could be emulated in other forests in the country that will lead to an increase in forest cover and help improve their livelihoods.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - PELIS Forestry Programme as a Strategy for Increasing Forest Cover and Improving Community Livelihoods: Case of Malava Forest, Western Kenya
    AU  - Agevi Humphrey
    AU  - Mwendwa Kaleb Adamba
    AU  - Koros Hillary
    AU  - Mulinya Carolyne
    AU  - Kawawa Rashid Calvince
    AU  - Kimutai Donald Kipruto
    AU  - Wabusya Moses
    AU  - Khanyufu Mercy
    AU  - Jawuoro Stanely
    Y1  - 2016/10/09
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13
    T2  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JF  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JO  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    SP  - 128
    EP  - 135
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8591
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20160405.13
    AB  - Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS) is a scheme introduced after enactment of the Forest Act, 2005. It is a governance scheme by Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to help increase forest cover and restore degraded forests in the country. Forest adjacent communities (FAC) benefit from the scheme where they allocated plots upon which they plant seedlings, take care of them till the area form a closed canopy while they practise agriculture on the farms. This research sought to determine the extent to which PELIS has helped increase forest cover through plantations and decreased forest dependency. Both quantitative and qualitative data was used. It also sought to determine how the programme has helped improve community livelihoods.Cloud-free satellite images of 2001 to 2016 were selected for the study. The spectral bands 1–5 and 7 were chosen for Landsat 7 while bands 2–7 were used for Landsat 8. These were used to analyse forest cover and forest cover change for the period 2001 to 2016. The 2001 satellite image was used to analyse forest cover before PELIS and the 2016 image was utilized to analyse forest cover during the PELIS programme. Open and closed ended questionnaires, interviews and discussions were used to determine benefits of PELIS and how it has helped improve their livelihoods. It was found that forest cover experienced a positive increase from 366.9 ha in 2001 to 481.4 ha in 2016, an increase of 114ha (51%). This was occasioned by increased areas under plantations under the PELIS programme. The respondents admitted that they get food produce for their families like maize, beans, and potatoes. They also sell some of the produce and realize income of between Kshs.5, 000-15,000 annually from the parcel of land they are allocated. 90% of the respondents did agree that the programme has helped decrease forest dependency as most used to go to the forest to get timber and firewood to sell to get some cash. The success of this programme in Malava could be emulated in other forests in the country that will lead to an increase in forest cover and help improve their livelihoods.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya

  • Centre for Kakamega Tropical Forest Studies (CEKATFOS), Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST),Kakamega, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya

  • Department of Geography, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya

  • Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya

  • Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

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